Saint Peter Julian Eymard

St. Peter Julian Eymard was born in 1811 as the only son of a poor family in La Mure, France. St. Peter's devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and the Blessed Virgin Mary was unwavering, and he would often travel long distances to visit distant shrines, even from a young age. Initially, his poor health and his father's opposition posed challenges to his desire to become a priest. In fact, he had to leave the Oblates of Mary Immaculate after only three months in the novitiate due to illness. Despite facing challenges, he stayed determined and eventually enrolled in the seminary of the Grenoble Diocese. 

After completing his studies, he was ordained as a priest in 1834. He worked as a member of a parish in the Diocese of Grenoble until 1839. His steadfast devotion to Mary prompted him to become a Marist Father. For 17 years, he served as the spiritual guide for the junior seminary at Belley, the rector of the College of La Seine-sur-Mer, and the organizer of the Third Order of Mary. In 1845, he was appointed provincial superior at Lyons. A powerful preacher of Eucharistic devotions, his own Eucharistic spirituality began to mature and evolve to a new level. His profound devotion to the love of God was especially evident in his reverence for Christ's gift of Himself through the Eucharist. He wanted to create a group within the Marists that focused on adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, but this didn't fit with their mission. 

So he left the Marists and founded the Blessed Sacrament Fathers on 13 May 1856 in Paris. He served as their Superior General for the rest of his life. The Holy See officially approved the Institute in 1863, and by 1868, it had 16 priests and 34 other members in 7 houses in France and 2 in Belgium. In 1858, in collaboration with Margurite Guillot, Eymard founded the Servants of the Blessed Sacrament, a cloistered contemplative congregation for women. He intended perpetual exposition and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament to be the main purpose of both congregations, but he urged members to engage in any other form of apostolate that would attract souls to the Blessed Sacrament. He also founded the Priests' Eucharistic League and the Blessed Sacrament Confraternity, which is still widely popular. Peter Julian Eymard died on 1 August 1868, and Pope St. John XXIII canonized him on 9 December 1962. 

St. Peter Julian Eymard, pray for us that we may always have a deep desire to encounter Jesus present in the  Holy Eucharist.

Jonathan Fabian Ginunggil,

Most High Servant,

Jesus, Mary, Joseph Ministry of Love 

(Blessed and Saints and the Nine Choirs of Angels)