Louis Banquet was born in 1840. After studies at the Seminary in Albi, he entered la Pierre-qui-Vire in 1864. Father Muard had been dead nine years, but the young Louis wrote : “I perceived in the fullness of my soul the victorious odour of sanctity which the servant of God had left in this desert.”

His superiors did not take long to appreciate his true value as an ardent soul. After a spell as novice master, Dom Romain was named superior of a little foundation which was ultimately to settle in En-Calcat in the Tarn region in 1890.

The government of souls allows his monastic teaching to blossom fully. His driving principle can be summed up in two words : interior life.

“If a community wants to maintain itself, establish itself, maintain secure its future, what means must it pursue ? The interior life : ‘Let Christ dwell in your hearts by faith’ (Eph. 3 : 17). That is what we have to do, we shall have no peace, we have not finished, but we have barely begun !”

At the time of his death, Dom Romain left the community of En-Calcat in full vigour.