Albert Lagrange studied law before entering the seminary in 1878, where he developed an interest in the Bible, which complemented his interest in archaeology in his youth. He joined the Order of Preachers in 1879 and was given the name Marie-Joseph. After his ordination as a priest in 1883, further studies in Vienna enabled him to acquire a good command of ancient Hebrew. In 1890, he arrived in Jerusalem at the request of his superior to found a school of biblical studies. The method of historical-critical exegesis that he developed attracted much criticism, culminating in a papal condemnation in 1920. During these troubled years, Lagrange remained obedient to his superiors, never neglecting prayer and personal devotion. It was not until 1943 that the merits of this method were recognized and it became the basis of all exegetical research. After writing commentaries on the four Gospels and many other publications, he returned to France for health reasons and died in Saint-Maximin in 1938. The process of his beatification is currently underway.

Bibliography: Bernard Montagnes, Marie-Joseph Lagrange. A biography of sleep. Paris Cerf 2005; Marie-Joseph Lagrange, Journal Spirituel, Éditions du Cerf, Paris 2014.