Compiled by Anthony McSweeney, SSS
Note:
- In this chronology of St Peter Julian’s life reference is made to the congregation he founded, the Society of the Blessed Sacrament. For a history of the congregation’s name, See Using this site: Abbreviations. (Scan down to SSS, Societas Sanctissimi Sacramenti /Society of the Blessed Sacrament).
- Places mentioned in this chronology are detailed in Eymardian Places.
| Childhood and youth 1811-1834 | ||
| 1811 | Feb. 4th | Born at La Mure d’Isère, a small town in the Matheysin Plateau (altitude 900m). |
| Feb. 5th | Baptised in parish church at La Mure. | |
| 1823 | Mar. 16th | Receives First Communion on Passion Sunday at La Mure. |
| 1828 | Goes to Marseilles with view to entering novitiate of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI). | |
| Aug. 5th | Casually informed of mother’s death while away from home. | |
| 1829 | June 7th | Begins novitiate with Oblates of Mary Immaculate. Forced to return home five months later apparently moribund. |
| 1831 | September | Enters diocesan seminary in Grenoble. |
| Priest of the Diocese of Grenoble 1834-1839 | ||
| 1834 | July 20th | Ordained priest by Bishop Philibert de Bruillard. |
| July 22nd | Celebrates first Mass at Notre Dame de l’Osier, where he remains for a month. | |
| Named as assistant priest at Chatte. | ||
| 1836 | June | Has notable spiritual experience at what he called the “mystical rock” of Saint-Romans. |
| 1837 | July 2nd | Appointed parish priest at Monteynard (close to La Mure). |
| Marist priest 1839-1856 | ||
| 1839 | Aug. 20th | Begins novitiate in the Society of Mary in Lyon. |
| Nov. 27th | Named spiritual director of Marist College in Belley. | |
| 1840 | Feb. 7th | Takes first vows in the Society of Mary chapel at Belley. |
| 1844 | November | Founder of the Society of Mary, Pierre Colin, names Eymard Provincial of the Society, i.e. Assistant General. Leaves Belley. |
| 1845 | May 25th | Has important spiritual experience in Eucharistic procession at St Paul’s church, Lyon. |
| 1846 | Sept. 21st | Ceases to be Provincial of the Society of Mary. Appointed Assistant General and Visitor to the Society. |
| 1848 | Dec. 6th | Inauguration of Nocturnal Adoration Society at Notre Dame des Victoires, Paris, by group of laymen. |
| 1849 | January | Meets members of Nocturnal Adoration Society, including Raymond de Cuers. |
| 1850 | June | Named novice master of Society of Mary. |
| Sept. 8th | Pope Pius IX approves Third Order of Mary (an association of lay people) established by Eymard. | |
| 1851 | Jan. 21st | Experiences what he later calls the “grace of vocation” at Notre Dame de Fourvière. |
| Sept. 12th | Appointed Superior of the Marist college of La Seyne, Toulon. Leaves Lyon. |
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| 1852 | Given charge of nocturnal adoration work (founded by Raymond De Cuers, in Toulon). | |
| Aug. 18th | Makes his first pilgrimage to La Salette. Returns to La Salette ten times during his life time. | |
| 1853 | April 18th | Has deep experience in thanksgiving after Mass. Desires to give himself totally to God’s plan. |
| 1855 | June 24th | Ordination of future first companion, Raymond de Cuers. |
| September | Leaves Toulon exhausted. Rests at Marist novitiate in Chaintré, near Maçon. | |
| 1856 | April | Asks Fr Favre, Marist General, to present his proposal for a new religious congregation to the Pope. |
| April 30th | Arrives in Paris. Next day begins retreat for discernment in order to know God’s will. | |
| Founder: The Society of the Blessed Sacrament 1856-1868 | ||
| From foundation to approbation 1856-1863 | ||
| 1856 |
April 29th | Acquires dispensation from vows as Marist. Leaves for Paris next day. |
| May 13th | Meets with Archbishop Sibour. Approval for congregation given. The Society of the Blessed Sacrament begins in rue d’Enfer. | |
| 1857 | Jan. 6th | Inaugurates community adoration with exposition of the Blessed Sacrament on Feast of Epiphany. |
| 1858 | Mar. 30th | Departs from first house in rue d’Enfer. |
| Easter | Transfer to new location in rue Faubourg Saint-Jacques. | |
| May 25th | Receives Marguerite Guillot and two companions in Paris to begin women’s branch of the new congregation, The Servants of the Blessed Sacrament. |
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| Begins work of First Communion of young adults, who were mostly rag-pickers. | ||
| 1859 | Jan. 5th | Pius IX signs Laudatory Brief giving official recognition to new congregation, The Society of the Blessed Sacrament. |
| April 21st | Inauguration of congregation’s first chapel in Marseilles. | |
| May 1st | Has final conversations with St John Mary Vianney, Curé of Ars. | |
| Aug. 15th | Formal inauguration of work of First Communion of Adults. | |
| Nov. 9th | Responds to invitation of Archbishop De Mazenod to inaugurate congregation’s Marseilles community. | |
| 1861 | April 25th | Has conversations with Fr Chevrier about collaboration in work of the Prado (site in Lyon dedicated to the poor). |
| 1862 | Dec. 29th | Founds the congregation’s third community in Angers. |
| 1863 | June 3rd | Receives Decree of Approbation for the new congregation from Pius IX – dated May 8th. |
| August | First group of religious of the Society of the Blessed Sacrament makes canonical vows according to the Rule submitted to Rome. | |
| The Constitutions and the Cenacle 1863-1865 | ||
| 1863 |
August | First group of religious attend retreat having made canonical vows. |
| Oct. 1st | Goes to Saint-Bonnet-le-Froid for a month to work on Constitutions. | |
| December | First steps taken with view to buying the Cenacle in Jerusalem. | |
| 1864 | Jan. 6th | General Council of the Congregation decides to attempt to buy the building of the Cenacle in Jerusalem with a view to making a foundation there. |
| April | Constitutions of men’s branch of the congregation printed. | |
| May 26th | Servants of Blessed Sacrament founded at Angers. Marguerite Guillot appointed Superior General. | |
| August | Constitutions of women’s branch of the congregation printed. | |
| Nov. 17th | Audience with Pope Pius IX to plead case for buying the Cenacle in Jerusalem. | |
| 1865 | Jan. 25th | Begins long retreat at Redemptorist house in Via Merulana, Rome. Awaits results of case for the Cenacle in Jerusalem.. |
| Mar. 21st | Towards the end of his long 1865 retreat Eymard makes the Vow of the Personality, to God. | |
| Mar. 30th | Following Rome’s negative response re purchase of the Cenacle in Jerusalem received previous day, leaves Rome. | |
| July 6th | Elected Superior General for life of the congregation he founded, the Society of the Blessed Sacrament. |
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| Growth of the work and death of the founder 1865-1868 | ||
| 1866 | Jan. 1st | Strictly perpetual adoration begun in congregation’s Paris community. |
| Jan. 2nd | Opens new house of the congregation in Brussels, at Salazar. | |
| Founds in Nemours (Seine-sur-Marne) the second community of the Servants of the Blessed Sacrament. | ||
| Dec. 25th | Founds novitiate for the Servants of the Blessed Sacrament at Saint-Maurice, Saint-Maurice-Montcouronne. Fourteen novices. | |
| 1867 | May 31st | Closing of house of Servants of the Blessed Sacrament at Nemours. Time of suffering and humiliation. |
| Oct. 23rd | Blessing of Raymond De Cuers’ new break-away foundation at Roquefavour. | |
| Nov. 17th | Inauguration of congregation’s second house in Brussels, destined to be scholasticate. | |
| 1868 | Mar. 15th – 22nd | Preaches final retreat for community at Angers. |
| April 27th | Eymard begins final eight-day retreat at Saint-Maurice before his death. Time of great trial. | |
| June 30th | Laying of first stone for the congregation’s new church in Angers. | |
| July 17th | Leaves Paris on doctor’s order to rest. Arrives in La Mure exhausted four days later. | |
| July 21st | Last Mass said at Adoration Chapel, La Salette Missionaries, Grenoble. |
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| Aug. 1st | Died at 4.30 pm in home town of La Mure d’Isère. | |
| Recognition of Eymard’s sanctity 1868-1995 | ||
| 1898 | Process with a view to canonisation begins in Grenoble. | |
| 1899 | Oct. 30th | Opening of canonisation process in Paris. |
| 1908 | Aug. 12th | Introduction of the cause for canonisation. |
| 1910 | Dec. 5th | Decree declared to open the Apostolic Process for Eymard’s canonisation. |
| 1925 | July 12th | Peter Julian Eymard beatified by Pope Pius XI. |
| 1962 | July 15th | Rome recognises two cases of healing as miraculous for Eymard’s canonisation cause. |
| Dec. 9th | Peter Julian Eymard canonised by Pope John XXIII at end of 1st session of Vatican II. | |
| 1992 | Dec. 9th | Pope John Paul II inserts Eymard’s name in the liturgical calendar. Feast to be celebrated on August 2nd, in recognition that he was “an outstanding apostle of the Eucharist”. |
St Peter Julian Eymard 