Saint Eugène de Mazenod

Life story

Eugène was born on 1 August 1782 in Aix-en-Provence, into a family of minor nobility. When he was eight, the French Revolution forced the family into exile, which lasted about eleven years and took them through Italian cities such as Turin, Venice, Naples and Palermo. He returned to France in 1802. Despite his mother's opposition he entered the seminary of Saint-Sulpice in Paris and was ordained a priest at Amiens on 21 December 1811.

Back in Aix, he did not take an ordinary parish post but ministered to prisoners, young people, servants and villagers. On 25 January 1816 he invited other priests to join him; the group preached in Provençal and called themselves the Missionaries of Provence. On 17 February 1826 Pope Leo XII approved them as the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. Eugène was elected superior general and held the office until his death.

He became auxiliary bishop of Marseille in 1832 (consecrated on 14 October 1832) alongside his uncle, Bishop Fortuné de Mazenod, and bishop of Marseille in 1837. In 1841 Bishop Ignace Bourget of Montreal invited the Oblates to Canada. In 1856 Napoleon III appointed him a senator. He died in Marseille on 21 May 1861, was beatified by Paul VI on 19 October 1975 and was canonized by John Paul II on 3 December 1995.

Works and witness

• Ordained at Amiens on 21 December 1811 after about eleven years of family exile
• Ministered to prisoners, young people and villagers in Aix
• Founded the Missionaries of Provence in 1816; approved as the Oblates on 17 February 1826
• Auxiliary bishop in 1832 and bishop of Marseille in 1837
• Sent the Oblates to Canada from 1841; died on 21 May 1861

Saints from the same country

Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, Saint Louis IX of France, Saint Joan of Arc, Saint Francis de Sales

References

• Vatican, 'Eugene de Mazenod (1782-1861) - biography' (canonization, 3 Dec 1995)

Written by Anawim from documented history. Some details about ancient saints rest on tradition and are marked as such.