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As we deepen our relationship with the Eternal Word, Jesus Christ, we grow in grace and are transformed by His love and mercy.
February 4, 1811 – August 1, 1868
Patron Saint of Eucharistic Adoration devotion, First Communicants, and Eucharistic congresses
St. Peter Julian Eymard dedicated his life to helping others encounter Christ in the Eucharist. Born in 1811 in La Mure, Isère, France, he grew up during a period of political and religious unrest following the French Revolution. Despite the challenges facing the Church in France, Peter discerned a religious vocation from childhood and was drawn to visiting Marian shrines in the area.
His path to the priesthood was not easy. Struggling with poor health, he left the seminary, and his Mother passed away. Furthermore, his father initially opposed his vocation. Still, Peter trusted that God would guide him. Eventually, he was ordained a diocesan priest in 1834.
He served as a parish pastor and later left his diocesan post to join the Society of Mary, known as the Marists. There, he was given oversight of the Third Order of Mary, a lay community dedicated to living Marist Spirituality within Christian families.
While serving the faithful, Peter visited various lay communities and was introduced to Nocturnal Eucharistic Adoration. He believed many people had forgotten the immense gift of Christ’s Real Presence in the Blessed Sacrament and became increasingly convinced that devotion to the Eucharist could renew both the Church and society. Discerning a call to establish an order for this purpose, he was granted permission to leave the Marists.
In 1856, with Church approval, he founded the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament to foster Perpetual Adoration and promote frequent Holy Communion. He later co-founded the Servants of the Blessed Sacrament, a religious congregation for women devoted to Perpetual Adoration.
Peter promoted the Eucharist as the center of Christian life. His order immediately set up Eucharistic Adoration in a run-down building. They began preparing children for First Communion in an impoverished part of Paris. They reached out to lapsed Catholics, inviting them back to the Sacraments and encouraging them to draw closer to Jesus through Eucharistic Adoration. His communities soon began to spread in France.
Although he endured financial difficulties, illness, and opposition during his ministry, he remained faithful to the mission God had entrusted to him. He died on August 1, 1868, after years of dedicated service to the Church.
Canonized by Pope John XXIII in 1962, St. Peter Julian Eymard is honored as the “Apostle of the Eucharist,” whose life’s work brought spiritual renewal to the Church and continues to inspire devotion to Christ truly present in the Blessed Sacrament.
Peter Julian Eymard earned the title “Apostle of the Eucharist” for his devotion to helping people deepen their love for Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. He believed the Eucharist was the heart of the Church and the answer to many of society’s spiritual struggles. Through the religious congregations he founded, he promoted Eucharistic Adoration as a form of “perfect love” and a means of experiencing God’s Presence, encouraging Catholics to spend time in prayer before the Tabernacle. He introduced 24-hour Adoration, which was rarely practiced in his time. He left behind a 17-volume set of writings on the Eucharist, including more than 2,200 letters, extensive personal spiritual notes, retreat journals, Constitutions for his congregations, and numerous sermons. Most notable are a guide to Adoration, titled My Eucharistic Day, and The Real Presence, a collection of articles on Eucharistic theology. His efforts intensified love for Jesus in the Holy Eucharist in France and later influenced the wider Church worldwide.
Peter helped renew Eucharistic devotion during a time when many Catholics rarely received Communion or spent time in Adoration. He encouraged the faithful to receive the Blessed Sacrament frequently and to observe periods of silent prayer before the Tabernacle. He promoted the institution of Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and encouraged frequent Communion, at a time when neither was common. His love for the Eucharist grew gradually, illuminating his understanding of the depth of Christ’s love in the Most Holy Eucharist. He once said that the remedy to indifference could only be found in love of Jesus in the Eucharist, concluding, “Loss of faith comes from loss of love.” His influence contributed to a broader spiritual renewal in the Church during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
The official International Eucharistic Congress is a gathering of clergy, religious, and laity, organized every few years, to bear witness to, worship, and deepen faith in Christ’s Real Presence in the Eucharist. There are also separate National Eucharistic Congresses held by individual countries at separate times. These events offer Mass, Adoration, and processions, fostering communal spiritual renewal. The first International Eucharistic Congress was held in Lille, France, in 1881, and was organized by Émilie-Marie Tamisier, a French laywoman who was a spiritual daughter and close associate of St. Peter Eymard, who was known as the “Apostle of the Eucharist.” After Peter’s death, she worked to promote Eucharistic Adoration in line with his vision, transforming early Eucharistic pilgrimages into international congresses.
Filled with beautiful images and quotes, this free eBook will encourage you to run to Our Lady and call upon her to guide you in the path of holiness. Use the form to let us know where we can send you the eBook The Pondering Heart of Mary.
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As we deepen our relationship with the Eternal Word, Jesus Christ, we grow in grace and are transformed by His love and mercy.
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