Peter Julian Eymard
Peter Julian Eymard[1]
Life
Eymard was born 4 February 1811 at
When his mother died in 1828 Julian resolved to enter the novitiate of the
After his father's death in 1831, he succeeded – with the help of his former superior – in gaining admission to the major seminary of the Diocese of Grenoble. On 20 July 1834, he was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Grenoble.[3] He was assigned as assistant pastor at the town of Chatte, and three years later appointed pastor of Mount Saint-Eynard.
On his second assignment at Monteynard, the parish, which had a dilapidated church and poor rectory, consisted of a farming community with few people attending Mass. There had not been a regular pastor there for some time. The bishop urged Eymard's two sisters to move with him to the
On August 20, 1837, he entered the Society of Mary seminary at Lyon and made his profession in February 1840. He worked with lay organizations promoting devotion to the
His eucharistic spirituality did not spring full-grown from some mystical experience, but progressively.[6] As visitor-general, Eymard travelled throughout France to inspect the various Marist communities. He became familiar with the practice of sustained eucharistic worship during a visit to Paris in 1849, when he met with members of the Association of Nocturnal Adorers who had established exposition and perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at the
Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament
On 13 May 1856, the Paris bishops consented to Eymard's plans for a 'Society of the Blessed Sacrament'. After many trials, Eymard and de Cuers established public exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in Paris on 6 January 1857 in a run-down building at 114 rue d'Enfer (which literally meant 'street of hell').[7]
The Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament began working with children in Paris to prepare them to receive their First Communion. It also reached out to non-practicing Catholics, inviting them to repent and begin receiving Communion again. Eymard established a common rule for the members of the society and worked toward papal approval.[4] A second community was established in Marseille in 1859, and a third in Angers in 1862. Pius IX granted a Decree of Approbation in June 1863. Eymard was a tireless proponent of frequent Holy Communion, an idea given more authoritative backing by Pope Pius X in 1905.
On 10 January 1969 Pope Paul VI issued a Letter to the Superior General, Roland Huot, of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, lauding the function of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament Outside Mass declaring all those who do so make their Eucharistic adoration "in the name of the Church".[8] This concession is included in the revised Roman Ritual, Holy Communion and the Worship of the Eucharist Outside Mass, No. 90 in the editio typica.
By DECREE of the Congregation for the Sacraments and Divine Worship, dated 9 December 1995, SAINT PETER JULIAN EYMARD, PRIEST, was inserted in the General Roman Calendar with the rank of optional memorial.
Font and fullness of all evangelization and striking expression of the infinite love of our divine Redeemer for mankind, the Holy Eucharist clearly marked the life and pastoral activity of Peter Julian Eymard. He truly deserves to be called an outstanding apostle of the Eucharist. In fact, his mission in the Church consisted in promoting the centrality of the Eucharistic Mystery in the whole life of the Christian community.
The French sculptor Auguste Rodin received counsel from Eymard when Rodin entered the Congregation as a lay brother in 1862, having given up art after the death of his sister. Eymard recognized Rodin's talent and advised him to return to his vocation. Rodin later produced a bust of Eymard.
Servants of the Blessed Sacrament
In 1858, together with
Contemporaries
Eymard was a friend and contemporary of
on 1 August 1868, of complications from a brain haemorrhage. His remains were buried in the cemetery at La Mure until 1877, when they were moved to the Blessed Sacrament Congregation's Corpus Christi Chapel in Paris, which had been consecrated in September 1876.Veneration
Eymard was declared
There is a statue of Eymard in Saint Jean Baptiste Catholic Church in New York City. Below the statue is a reliquary containing his right humerus bone.[11]
Legacy
Part of a series on |
Eucharistic adoration of the Catholic Church |
---|
Papal documents |
Organisations and events |
|
Notable individuals |
Eucharistic meditators |
|
Catholicism portal |
Eymard is recognised as a major contributor to nineteenth-century French spirituality.
Catholic churches dedicated to Eymard are located in:
- Mooroolbark, Victoria, Australia
- Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- La Mure, Isère, France
- Koudiadiène, Thiès, Senegal
- New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
- Holiday, Florida, United States
The following landmarks have been named to honor Eymard:
- 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 the Blessed Sacrament, Province of our Lady of the Assumption is located;
- Peter Julian Eymard Street, located in Sto. Nino Homes Phase 3-C, Brgy. Perez, Meycauayan City, Bulacan, Philippines.
See also
- Saint Peter Julian Eymard, patron saint archive
Notes
References
- ^ "Julien Eymard", Society of Mary
- ^ "A Short Bio of Peter Julian Eymard", The Congregation of the Blessed sacrament Archived 2013-06-27 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b "Peter Julian Eymard | Saints Resource". saintsresource.com. Retrieved 2020-09-24.
- ^ a b c Grace C.V.I., Madeleine. "'Study the Blessed Sacrament': The life journey of Pere Peter Julian Eymard", Our Sunday Visitor Publishing, October 2007
- ^ a b Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament – Part 2: Saint Peter Julian Eymard missionmagazine.com, Rich May, 30 December 2017
- ^ a b Pelletier SSS, Norman B., "Peter Julian Eymard: The Apostle of the Eucharist", Emmanuel Magazine Archived 2012-11-06 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b c "Our Story", Blessed Sacrament Congregation, Province of the Holy Spirit
- ^ Pope Paul VI, "Devotion to the Holy Eucharist Outside Mass", L'Osservatore Romano, 6 February 1969, p. 4
- ^ a b Index ac status causarum beatificationis servorum dei et canonizationis beatorum (in Latin). Typis polyglottis vaticanis. January 1953. p. 191.
- ^ "Saint Peter Julian Eymard". Franciscan Media. 2016-08-03. Retrieved 2020-09-24.
- ^ Church of Saint Jean Baptiste Archived 2012-07-16 at archive.today
- ^ "CatholicSaints.Info » Blog Archive » Saint Peter Julian Eymund". Retrieved 2024-03-10.
Sources
- Cash S.S.S., Damien. The Road to Emmaus: A History of the Blessed Sacrament Congregation in Australia, David Lovell Publishing, 2007
- Letellier, Arthur. "Venerable Pierre-Julien Eymard." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 5. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1909. 29 Jun. 2013