Finding aid for the Rev. Francis Lasance Collection

Biography of Rev. Francis Lasance

Fr. Francis Lasance, born in Cincinnati on January 24, 1860, was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese on May 24, 1883. In the first few years of his priesthood, he was assigned to Sts. Peter and Paul Church, Reading; Emmanuel Church, Dayton; and then briefly in Lebanon and Monroe, building the church in Monroe, which at that time was considered mission territory. Unfortunately, Fr. Lasance was plagued with poor health and had to give up parish work in 1890, only seven years after ordination. In 1890, after a trip to Europe for rest and to regain strength, Fr. Lasance was assigned to be the chaplain at Notre Dame Convent, The Summit, Cincinnati and remained there until 1924. As chaplain, Fr. Lasance had time to write, and he embraced this task with enthusiasm. Although he lived the life of a recluse, he was well-known throughout the United States and beyond thanks to his prayer books, which numbered over 30 titles. Notable ones include Catholic Boy's Guide, Catholic Girl's Guide, and My Prayer Book, which had over one million copies printed. These books were credited to leading many young persons to vocations in the religious life. Fr. Lasance died on December 11, 1946 and his funeral was held at St. Monica Cathedral, Clifton. At the time of his death, he was the oldest living priest in the Archdiocese (86 years).

Scope and Content

This collection contains prayer books and missals by Fr. Lasance.

Statement of Arrangement

Restrictions on Access

This record group is open for research.

The following record groups held by the Archdiocese of Cincinnati Archives contain materials relevant to the Rev. Francis Lasance Collection: RG 6.1: Deceased Priests Fr. Lasance served as chaplain of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, The Summit, Cincinnati for thirty-three years. The Ohio Unit Archives of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur contain the following relevant materials: 2014-4930: #120 - Rev. F. X. Lasance: Photos of: Father Lasance 2014-2524: Chalice & paten - Fr Lasance 2014-5547: Publications - Letters - Publications 2014-1653: Summit Chapel Liturgical Directives 2014- 5567: Golden Jubilee/Centenary app 2014-1651: Summit Cornerstone Consecration Chapel Books: Patience: Thoughts on the patient endurance of Sorrows and Sufferings Kindness the Bloom of Charity: Thoughts on Fraternal Charity My Prayer Book - Happiness in Goodness Visits to the Blessed Sacrament

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

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Preferred Citation

Item Description, date, box number, folder number, Record Group 6.14, Rev. Francis Lasance Collection, Archdiocese of Cincinnati Archives.

Processing Information

Processing completed in June 2019 by Michelle Smith

Detailed Description of The Collection