Saint Peter Julian Eymard

Life story

Peter Julian Eymard was born on 4 February 1811 in La Mure, in the Isère region of France, into a modest family of craftsmen. He entered the seminary in Grenoble and was ordained a priest in 1834. He worked for several years in parishes of the diocese.

In 1839 he joined the Marists and held a number of responsibilities in the order, including administration and teaching. Through those years he grew more interested in Eucharistic adoration and wished to found a community dedicated to it. He asked to leave the Marists, with the permission of Pope Pius IX.

In 1856 he founded the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament in Paris, made up of priests and brothers who spent time in adoration of the Eucharist. In 1858, with Marguerite Guillot, he founded the Servants of the Blessed Sacrament, a congregation of sisters. He also set up an association for priests who wished to share in the adoration. The congregation faced financial and staffing difficulties in its early years.

He died on 1 August 1868 in La Mure, his home town. He was canonised by Pope John XXIII in 1962. The Church keeps his feast on 2 August. He was known as a plain-spoken and persevering man, and left many letters and notes on the Eucharistic life that his followers later collected and published. The congregation later spread beyond France to other countries.

Works and witness

• Ordained a priest in Grenoble in 1834
• Joined the Marists in 1839 and held responsibilities in the order
• Founded the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament in Paris in 1856
• Co-founded the Servants of the Blessed Sacrament with Marguerite Guillot in 1858
• Died in La Mure in 1868; canonised in 1962

Saints from the same country

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

References

• Martyrologium Romanum
• Dicastery for the Causes of Saints – biographical profile
• Vatican News, profile of Saint Peter Julian Eymard

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