This doctor of the church was born in Holland and studied canon law in Belgium before turning to the study of theology in Germany. He entered the Society of Jesus in 1543 and soon was a well- known preacher. He attended two sessions of the Council of Trent and was an important figure in the post-conciliar Catholic revival in Europe. As the Jesuit provincial in southern Germany, Austria and Bohemia, he started schools, colleges and seminaries, and is credited with keeping the southern German peoples Catholic.
