Love conquers all

Priests were immoral. Priests conspired to advance the interests of the Church against the interests of the people. Priests were generally detested.

Peter wanted to be a priest.

Because of the popular disdain for Catholic priests and his family’s impoverished circumstances, Peter’s father was against the idea, but when he was 18, Peter joined the Marists as a novice. Before long, however, Peter was stricken by illness and had to return home. When he recovered, he entered the diocesan seminary and was ordained. He was allowed to rejoin the Marists and within several years was elected Provincial.

Since he had been a child, Peter had been especially devoted to the presence of the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. As he reached the age of 40, Peter felt called to center his life on drawing people closer to Christ through that devotion. The need was great, not only because of anticlericism but also because of an extreme sense of unworthiness that was popular in many Church circles.

Like-minded priests were drawn to Peter and within five he obtained permission to establish a new religious congregation. Two years later a similar congregation of sisters was established. These orders would soon spread around the world. Their mission was to help others share in the riches of God’s love manifested in the Holy Eucharist.

St. Peter Julien Eymard, founder of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament and Servants of the Blessed Sacrament, died at the age of 57 in 1868.