John of Fécamp, nicknamed Jeannelin on account of his diminutive stature (born near Ravenna about the beginning of the eleventh century; died at Fécamp, Normandy, 22 February 1079) was an Italian-Norman Benedictine ascetic writer.
He studied at Dijon under his compatriot William, Abbot of St. Benignus, whom he had accompanied to France. John acquired an extensive acquaintance with all the sciences, making a special study of medicine, of which he is reckoned by Bernier among the cleverest exponents trained in the monastic schools of the Middle Ages. When William was commissioned to reform the Abbey of Fécamp and to establish there a colony of Benedictine monks, John again accompanied him and discharged under him the office of prior until 1028.
In this year, William appointed John his successor as abbot and retired to Italy. Taking his master for his model, John succeeded in winning an almost equal renown. His authority was exercised with defending the privileges of his house against every attack.
In 1052, on the elevation of Helinard to the archiepiscopal see of Lyon, John was invited to succeed him as Abbot of Dijon. At first he retained also the abbacy of Fécamp, but, finding himself unable to carry the double burden, he resigned this office in 1056. Towards the close of his life he undertook a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Seized and thrown into prison by the Turks, it was only in 1076 that he could return to France. He then retired to Fécamp.
As Abbot of St. Benignus John had been brought into close relations with the Emperor Henry III (after 1038 also King of Burgundy) and with his spouse, Agnes of Poitiers. After Henry's death his widow placed herself under the spiritual guidance of the abbot, and for her John composed a series of ascetical works.
These were entitled the "Liber precum variarum", "De divina contemplatio Christique amore", "De superna Hierusalem," "De institutione viduae," "De vita et moribus virginum", "De eleemosynarum dispensatione" (Patrologia Latina CXLVII, 147 sqq., 445 sqq.). The "De divina contemplatione" was for a long time regarded as a work of St. Augustine, although it is now certain that it was composed either wholly or partly by John. Some letters dealing with incidents in the life of the cloisters are also collected in P.L. loc. cit., 153 sq.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed (1913). "John of Fécamp". Catholic Encyclopedia. Robert Appleton Company.