Peter Julian Eymard was born on February 4 th 1811, at La Mure ( Isere) in France. His father was a smith whose second wife was Julian’s mother. When she died in 1828 Julian resolved to enter the novitiate of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate and despite his fathers opposition did so in June 1822. Within a short time he was forced by ill health to leave again but 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 Grenoble diocese. On July 20th, 1834, he was ordained priest and in October appointed curate at Chatte, where he gave much time to eucharistic adoration and led a harsh life.

In July 1837 be was appointed parish priest of Monteynard near his home and proved a successful pastor, but feeling the burden of loneliness he began to think again of becoming a religious. From early 1838 he heard accidentally of the Marists and in 1832 obtained permission from his bishop to join them on August 18th that year. He began a novitiate under Father Pierre Colin but the apostolic needs of the Society prevented him from finishing it and in November he was appointed spiritual director at Belley. In 1844 he was appointed Provincial (practically, Vicar General) and in 1846 exchanged this title against that of Visitor General. From September 1845 he also took over the direction of the Third Order of Mary and in 1850-1851 served also as provisional novice -master.

In January and February 1851 in the chapel of Fourviere, he had a profound spiritual experience which prompted him to found a eucharistic community of men. At first he conceived this as a semi-autonomous group within the Third Order and hesitating to take any practical step, such remained his intention, though his ideas of the spirituality of such a community continued to develop.

Icon of the life of Peter Julian Eymard by Don Cave SSS, August 1996, at St. Francis', Melbourne.

Father Colin himself at this time, under influence from the foundress Theodelinde Dubouche,was wrestling with the possibility of a branch of perpetual adoration for the society at the retreat house of La Neyliere. Sent in September 1851 to a difficult appointment as superior of the house at La Seyne, Julian met about this time a seminarian and formal naval officer called Raymond de Cuers who was also deeply attracted by the idea of eucharistic adoration. On April 13th 1853, Julian had another experience which determined him to delay no longer in implementing his plans. In 1854 Father Colin resigned as Superior General of the Society of Mary hoping to devote his retirement among other things to the eucharistic work at La Neyliere. In fact his plans not unnaturally aroused the opposition of the new Superior General Father Favre who saw in it great dangers for the unity of the young Society. In 1855 Father Colin bowed to his wishes and the idea of a priest’s branch of eucharistic adoration within the Society of Mary ceased to be a practical objective.

On May 14th, 1856, Father Eymard was duly dispensed from his vows as a Marist and having found support from the Archbishop Sibour of Paris, established himself and Raymond de Cuers, now ordained, in a villa belonging to the Archbishop. The expected influx of postulants did not come and in the face of seemingly insurmountable difficulties Julian fell seriously ill in the following year. Having won again the support of Archbishop Sibour’s successor and with the encouragement of the Cure of Ars the nucleus of two communities of men and women were started in March 1858 in Paris with the help of Marguerite Guillot, with whom he had shared his aspirations in Lyons. Work centred on the establishment of perpetual adoration, catechesis, first communion instruction etc.

As the result of a journey to Rome, a decree of praise was received in January 1859 and first vows taken two months later, while shortly afterwards Father de Cuers founded a second house in Marseilles. The establishment of a third community at Angers in December 1862 made possible the congregation’s approbation the following June. On July 6th, 1865, Julian was elected Superior General for life. His last years were far from untroubled, however, as a result of differences of opinion with the two congregations of men and women, but his spirituality continued to deepen and he experienced ecstatic prayer and enjoyed a gift of discernment of spirits. He died on August 1st 1868, was beatified on July 12th 1924 - when his feast was added to the Marist calendar - and was canonised by Pope John XX111 on December 9th, 1962.

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