Saint Peter Julian Eymard (ɛy'mɒ), (La Mure, included charge of the Third Order of Mary, a lay group , , 4 February 1811 – La Mure, 1 Au- dedicated to Marist spirituality and to promotion of the gust 1868) was a French Catholic priest, founder of two Christian family. St. was a member. religious institutes, and a canonized . His eucharistic spirituality did not spring full-grown from some mystical experience, but progressively.[6] As visitor-general, Eymard travelled throughout France to 1 Life inspect the various Marist communities. He became fa- miliar with the practice of sustained eucharistic worship during a visit to Paris in 1849, when he met with members Eymard was born 4 February 1811 at La Mure, Isère in of the Association of Nocturnal Adorers who had estab- the French Alps. His father was a smith whose second lished exposition and perpetual adoration of the Blessed wife was Julian’s mother.[1] All his life Peter Julian had Sacrament at the Basilica of Our Lady of Victories. Af- an intense devotion to Mary, the Mother of God. Before ter praying at the of Our Lady of Fourviere on 21 his first communion on 16 March 1823, he went on foot January 1851, Eymard moved to establish a Marist com- to the shrine of Notre-Dame du Laus.[2] Later, he came to munity dedicated to . However, his know about the apparition of Notre-Dame de La Salette desire to establish a separate fraternity promoting ado- and enjoyed traveling to various Marian through- ration of the Blessed Sacrament was not seen as part of out France.[3] the charism of the Marists.[5] His superiors disapproved, When his mother died in 1828 Julian resolved to enter the transferring him to the Marist College at La Seyne-sur- novitiate of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate and, despite Mer. Eventually, Eymard resolved to leave the Society his father’s opposition, did so in June 1822. His first at- of Mary to begin his new with the tempt as a seminarian ended because of serious illness.[2] diocesan priest Raymond de Cuers.[7] Throughout his life, Eymard suffered from poor health, particularly ‘weakness of the lungs’ and migraine. After his father’s death in 1831, he succeeded with 2 Congregation of the Blessed the help of his former superior in gaining admission to the major seminary of the Grenoble diocese. On 20 Sacrament July 1834, he was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Grenoble. He was assigned assistant pastor at the town On 13 May 1856, the Paris bishops consented to Ey- of Chatte, and three years later, appointed pastor of mard’s plans for a ‘Society of the Blessed Sacrament’. Af- Monteynard.[4] ter many trials, Eymard and de Cuers established public On his second assignment at Monteynard, the , exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in Paris on 6 January 1857 in a run-down building at 114 rue d’Enfer (which which had a dilapidated church and poor rectory, con- [7] sisted of a farming community with few people attending literally meant ‘street of hell’). Mass. There had not been a regular pastor there for some The Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament began work- time. The bishop urged Father Eymard’s two sisters to ing with children in Paris to prepare them to receive their move with him to the rectory, which they did. In fact, . It also reached out to non-practicing they furnished the rectory, for the parish was very poor. Catholics, inviting them to repent and begin receiving Although Eymard is known to have revitalized the place, Communion again. Father Eymard established a com- he was dissatisfied with parish work, and decided to join mon rule for the members of the society and worked to- the Marists (the Society of Mary). His two sisters were ward papal approval.[5] A second community was estab- quite devastated as they had dedicated their lives to serv- lished in Marseille in 1859, and a third in Angers in 1862. ing him.[5] Pius IX granted a Decree of Approbation in June 1863. On August 20, 1839 he entered the Society of Mary sem- Eymard was a tireless proponent of frequent Holy Com- inary at , and made his profession in February 1840. munion, an idea given more authoritative backing by Pope He worked with lay organizations promoting devotion to Pius X in 1905. the Blessed Virgin Mary and to the , particularly The French sculptor received counsel in the Forty Hours. He rose to the position of Provincial from Eymard when Rodin entered the Congregation as of the Society at Lyon in 1844. His new responsibilities a lay brother in 1862, having given up art after the death

1 2 6 REFERENCES

porosso (1804-66)). His feast day is celebrated in the Ro- man on 2 August. John Paul II named Eymard “Apostle of the Eucharist”.[6]

4.1 Patronage

Saint Peter Julian Eymard is a of Saint Jean Baptiste Catholic Church in . A shrine to the saint in the church contains a reliquary bearing the right arm humerus bone of the saint.[8]

5 Legacy

Eymard is recognised as a major contributor to nineteenth century French spirituality. The following landmarks were named to honor Father Ey- mard:

• Rue Julien-Eymard (Julien Eymard Street), located in Shawinigan, Quebec, Canada;

• Eymard Drive (formerly Sunnyside Drive), located along E. Rodriguez St., Quezon City, Philippines, where the provincial house of the Congregation of Le Père Eymard, by Rodin the Blessed Sacrament, Province of our Lady of the Assumption is located; of his sister. Eymard recognized Rodin’s talent and ad- • Catholic dedicated to St. Peter Ju- vised him to return to his vocation. Rodin later produced lian Eymard are located in Algiers, New Orleans, a bust of Eymard. , USA; Mooroolbark, Victoria, Australia; and Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

3 Servants of the Blessed Sacra- 6 References ment [1] “Julien Eymard”, Society of Mary In 1858, together with Marguerite Guillot, he founded the Servants of the Blessed Sacrament, a contemplative [2] Perez SSS, Bro. Michael. The Spiritual Journey of St. congregation for women. He is quoted as saying, “You Peter Julian Eymard, Emmanuel Publishing, Cleveland, take communion to become holy, not because you already Ohio [7] are.” [3] “A Short Bio of Peter Julian Eymard”, The Congregation Eymard was a Friend and contemporary of of the Blessed sacrament , , and Blessed Basil [4] Caron SSS, Sr. Catherine Marie. The Life and Letters of Moreau. He died at the age of fifty-seven in La Mure on Saint Peter Julian Eymard 1 August 1868, of complications from a stroke.[4] [5] Grace C.V.I., Madeleine. extquotedbl'Study the Blessed Sacrament': The life journey of Pere Peter Julian Ey- 4 Veneration mard”, Our Sunday Visitor Publishing, October 2007 [6] Pelletier SSS, Norman B., “Peter Julian Eymard: The He was declared venerable in 1908, beatified by Pope Apostle of the Eucharist”, Emmanuel Magazine Pius XI on 12 July 1925,[4] and canonized by Pope John [2] [7] “Our Story”, Blessed Sacrament Congregation, Province XXIII on 9 December 1962. (Also canonized with Ey- of the Holy Spirit mard were Servite priest Anthony Mary Pucci (1819- 92) and the Capuchin lay brother Francis Mary of Cam- [8] Church of Saint Jean Baptiste 3

7 Sources

• Cash S.S.S., Damien. The Road to Emmaus: A His- tory of the Blessed Sacrament Congregation in Aus- tralia, David Lovell Publishing, 2007

• Letellier, Arthur. “Venerable Pierre-Julien Ey- mard.” The . Vol. 5. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1909. 29 Jun. 2013

8 External links

• Tesniere, Albert. The Priest of the Eucharist, Lon- don, Burns & Oates, 1881 • Foley O.F.M., Leonard. “Peter Julian Eymard”, Saint of the Day, Lives, Lessons, and Feast, (re- vised by Pat McCloskey O.F.M.), Franciscan Me- dia, ISBN 978-0-86716-887-7 4 9 TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES

9 Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

9.1 Text

• Peter Julian Eymard Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Julian_Eymard?oldid=624968002 Contributors: Charles Matthews, Andycjp, Klemen Kocjancic, Cuchullain, Melesse, Jaraalbe, Johndarrington, Stijn Calle, Kiddo54, SmackBot, ERcheck, Ludi, Booj37, Ser Amantio di Nicolao, Jason7825, Angeldeb82, Outriggr, Cydebot, Merkurix, Freddiem, DuncanHill, Bellemare, TXiKiBoT, Dad- snagem, VanishedUserABC, BOTijo, AlleborgoBot, Brandon97, CEM-air, StAnselm, Popsix, Safebreaker, Alexbot, Jeromenedeau, Ric- cardo Riccioni, RogDel, Addbot, Organic Cabbage, RB30078, Lightbot, Zorrobot, Luckas-bot, Yobot, Roltz, Sjbrcc, Full-date unlinking bot, TobeBot, Daniel the Monk, RjwilmsiBot, Esoglou, Mannanan51, Allenjambalaya, Hmainsbot1, Shantorian0 o, Mogism, VIAFbot, Palmettoredbird, OccultZone, Rowaves and Anonymous: 20

9.2 Images

• File:Eymard.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/Eymard.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: Web- site of the Blessed Sacrament Fathers; contemporary photograph Original artist: unnown • File:Gloriole_blur.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/48/Gloriole_blur.svg License: Public domain Contrib- utors: Own work Original artist: Eubulides • File:L55_-_Musée_Rodin_-_Le_Père_Eymard.JPG Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/01/L55_-_Mus% C3%A9e_Rodin_-_Le_P%C3%A8re_Eymard.JPG License: CC-BY-SA-3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Lomita • File:Monstrans2.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b5/Monstrans2.jpg License: CC-BY-SA-3.0 Contribu- tors: Originally from nl.wikipedia; description page is/was here. Original artist: Original uploader was Broederhugo at nl.wikipedia

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