Lenfant, Alexandre-charles-anne

Lenfant, Alexandre-Charles-Anne a French priest of note, was born at Lyons Sept. 6, 1726, and was educated by the Jesuits of his native place. In 1741 he entered the order, and became professor of rhetoric at Marseilles. Endowed with great talent as a speaker, he became one of the most popular pulpit orators of his order. After its suppression Lenfant combated the doctrines of the philosophical antagonists of Christianity, particularly Diderot. In 1792 he was arrested by the Revolutionists, and subjected to capital punishment at Paris Sept. 3, 1793. His works are an Oraison funèbre on Belzunce, archbishop of Marseilles (1756, 8vo), and another on the father of Louis XVI (Nancy, 1766) Sermons pour l'Avent et pour le Careme (Paris, 1818, 8 vols. 12mo). See Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Genesis 30:658.