<p>Julian was born in 1811 near Grenoble, France. His father expected his only son to take over the family business and so repeatedly refused Julian's requests to be allowed to study for the priesthood. Working in the family's walnut-oil press, Julian secretly studied whenever he found a spare moment. At age 17, he worked briefly for a chaplain in a home for the mentally ill but, when his mother died, he returned home to help his father. When Julian was 18, his father finally agreed to allow him to enter the Oblate novitiate in Marseilles, but within a few months Julian became so ill that he was sent home to die.</p>
<p>To everyone's surprise, Julian recovered, though his health always remained fragile. While Julian was recuperating, his father died, leaving Julian the family home and business, which he in turn gave to his sisters. Julian joined the diocesan clergy in Grenoble. Ordained in 1834, he was assigned to a mission church and was a devoted pastor. A visiting Marist priest rekindled in Julian the desire to serve in the missions. He transferred to the Marists and in 1851 he confided to his superior a call he felt to establish a group of men dedicated to adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. By 1863 Rome had approved the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, whose charism is to promote the significance of the eucharist for Christian living. Eymard also founded a community for religious women.</p>
<p>Eymard believed that both prayer and works of charity were essential to the priestly life. Accordingly, the congregation worked with the very poor, preparing them to receive communion, but also caring for their material needs. It also worked for the sanctification of priests.</p>
<p>A contemporary of John Vianney, Eymard is considered a pioneer in the rediscovery of the importance of the "bread of life" and in his call to involve laypersons more actively in the life of the Church. He died on August 1, 1868, following a stroke and was canonized in 1962 by John XXIII.<br /></p>
<p>©2011 <em>Living with Christ, </em>Novalis - Bayard Press Canada Inc., <strong>http://www.livingwithchrist.ca/</strong>. Reprinted with permission.</p>
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