Michel Quoist was born in Le Havre, France on June 18, 1918. His working-class Catholic family was also involved with the Young Christian Workers movement. However, his father died when Michel was only 14 years old and Michel needed then to work. In 1938 he entered the seminary and was ordained a priest in 1947 at Saint-Oeun abbey in Normandy. In his work as a chaplain and a writer he was especially passionate about ministering to young people.
After Advanced Studies at the Institute of Social and Political Sciences, as a researcher and practitioner, he developed a method of inquiry. He often appeared on French television and radio. Father Michel Quoist died in Le Havre in 1997.