Mayeul (François) de Dreuille O.S.B. was born at Cressanges, France on December 3rd, 1920. He made his monastic profession in 1940 at the Benedictine Abbey of La Pierre-Qui-Vire and was ordained a priest in 1945. Since 1954 he has been involved in monastic foundations in Madagascar, India, and Congo, and has cultivated an interest in the cultures and religions of these countries.