Bourgade, Francois

Bourgade, Francois a French apostolic missionary, was born in 1806 at Ganjou. Having completed his theological studies at the seminary of Auch, he was ordained priest in 1832. In 1838 he was authorized to perform the offices of the sacred ministry in all the French possessions of Algeria. He founded at Tunis a hospital for poor women, and an asylum and schools for young girls. His profound knowledge of Arabic greatly aided him, and his missions were highly successful. He published, Toison d'Or de la Langue Phenicienne (1852), an important work, in which are found a great number of Punic inscriptions. He also wrote, Soirees de Carthage, ou Dialogues entre un Pretre Catholique, un Muphti et tus Cadi (Paris, eod.). See Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, s.v.