Saint of the day - August 3
Peter Julian Eymard was born in La Mure d’Isère in Southeastern France on February 4, 1811. From childhood, he had a special devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and he used to visit many Marian Shrines in France.
After his mother’s death, Peter joined the novitiate of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate in 1829. His stay at the novitiate did not last long because he contracted a severe illness and left the novitiate. He suffered lung problems and headaches throughout his life.
Following his father's death in 1831, Peter entered the major seminary in the Diocese of Grenoble. He was ordained as a diocesan priest on July 20 1834 and started as an assistant priest in the town of Chatte. After three years, he was appointed as the parish priest of Mount Saint-Eynard.
That was an impoverished rural parish with an old worn-out church and rectory. Very few people came to celebrate mass. After some time Peter felt dissatisfied with the work he was doing in the parish as a diocesan priest and decided to join the Society of Mary (the Marists).
He joined the seminary of the Society of Mary in Lyon on August 20 1837, and in February 1840, made his profession. He became very active in promoting the devotion to the Eucharist, the Forty Hours, and to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
By 1844, Peter had risen to the position of provincial superior of the Society at Lyon.
While in Paris, Peter came to know about the exposition and perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. He prayed at the shrine of Our Lady of Fourviere, and on January 21, 1851, established a Marist community dedicated to Eucharistic adoration.
Since the perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament was not part of the Marists’ routines, his fraternity was disapproved by his superiors. After many trials to found his own society, the bishops in Paris gave Peter the go-ahead to establish the Society of the Blessed Sacrament on May 13, 1856. On January 6. 1857, Peter and Fr. Raymond de Cuers started the public exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in a dilapidated building in Paris.
They also implored on the Catholic faithful who were no longer receiving the Holy Communion to repent and start to receive the Communion again. Peter used to say that; “You take Communion to become holy, not because you already are.”
The society was approved by Pope Pius IX in June 1863 . Meanwhile, Peter had established several such communities in Marseille (1859) and Angers (1862).Peter, together with Marguerite Guillot founded the Servants of the Blessed Sacrament in 1858.
Peter’s work was recognized 100 years later by Pope Paul VI on January 10, 1969, when he issued a letter to the Superior General of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, Fr Roland Huot, saying they were doing the most excellent function of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament outside Mass.
Peter died of complications from a brain haemorrhage on August 1, 1868, at the age of 57 years.
He was canonized on December 9, 1962, by Pope John XXIII.
Other Saints of the Day
1. Saint Lydia Purpuraria
2. Saint Dalmatius of Constantinople
3. Saint Peter of Anagni
4. Saint Waltheof of Melrose
5. Saint Faustus
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