Godfrey Henschen[1] (21 June 1601 – 11 September 1681) was a Dutch Jesuit hagiographer, one of the first Bollandists.[2]
He was born at Venray, Limburg, the son of Henry Henschen, a cloth merchant, and Sibylla Pauwels, he studied the humanities at the Jesuit College of Bois-le-Duc ('s Hertogenbosch) and entered the novitiate at Mechlin, 22 October 1619. He taught successively Greek, poetry, and rhetoric at Bergues, Bailleul, Ypres, and Ghent. He was ordained priest on 16 April 1634, sent to the professed house at Antwerp the following year, and admitted to the profession of the four vows on 12 May 1636.
From the time of his arrival in the city he was associated as collaborator with Father Bollandus, who was then preparing the first volumes of the Acta Sanctorum. It was Henschen who, by his commentary on the Acts of St. Amand, suggested to Bolandus the course to follow, and gave to the work undertaken by his master its definitive form.
Henschen journeyed in company with Daniel Papebroch, to Italy, France, and Germany (22 July 1660-21 December 1662). He was the first librarian of the museum Bollandianum at Antwerp.
Henschen died at Antwerp aged 80 in 1681.
He collaborated on the volumes for January, February, March, and April, and on the first six volumes for May, that is on seventeen volumes of the Acta Sanctorum. Several of his posthumous commentaries appeared in the succeeding volumes. A list of some other works from his pen will be found in Augustin de Backer's Bibliothèque des escrivains de la Compagnie de Jésus.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed (1913). "Godfrey Henschen". Catholic Encyclopedia. Robert Appleton Company.