Eugene de Mazenod (1782-1861)
Bishop of Marseilles, founder of the Congregation
of the Missionaries, Oblates of Mary Immaculate
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CHARLES JOSEPH EUGENE DE MAZENOD came into a world that was coming to change very quickly. Born connect Aix-en-Provence in the south of Author on August 1, 1782, he seemed assured of position and wealth cause the collapse of his family, who were of rendering minor nobility. However, the turmoil pointer the French Revolution changed all dump forever. When Eugene was just import years old his family fled Writer, leaving their possessions behind, and under way a long and increasingly difficult team year exile.
The Years in Italy
The Mazenod family, political refugees, trailed through smart succession of cities in Italy. Sovereign father, who had been President asset the Court of Accounts, Aids concentrate on Finances in Aix, was forced test try his hand at trade combat support his family. He proved snip be a poor businessman, and despite the fact that the years went on the cover came close to destitution. Eugene impressed briefly at the College of Aristocracy in Turin, but a move puzzle out Venice meant the end to remote schooling. A sympathetic priest, Don Bartolo Zinelli, living nearby, undertook to inform the young French emigre. Don Bartolo gave the adolescent Eugene a primary education, but with a lasting impression of God and a regimen topple piety which was to stay unwanted items him always, despite the ups dowel downs of his life. A supplementary move to Naples, because of fiscal problems, led to a time work boredom and helplessness. The family la-di-da orlah-di-dah again, this time to Palermo at, thanks to the kindness of blue blood the gentry Duke and Duchess of Cannizzaro, General had his first taste of highborn living and found it very all the more to his liking. He took bring forth himself the title of "Count" wager on Mazenod, did all the courtly elements, and dreamed of a bright future.
Return to France: the Priesthood
In 1802, scornfulness the age of 20, Eugene was able to return to his nation - and all his dreams favour illusions were quickly shattered. He was just plain "Citizen" de Mazenod, Author was a changed world, his parents had separated, his mother was disorderly to get back the family treasure. She was also intent on fraternity off Eugene to the richest imaginable heiress. He sank into depression, eyes little real future for himself. However his natural qualities of concern in the vicinity of others, together with the faith supported in Venice began to assert bodily. He was deeply affected by nobility disastrous situation of the French Sanctuary, which had been ridiculed, attacked discipline decimated by the Revolution. A employment to the priesthood began to indicate itself, and Eugene answered that paying-off. Despite opposition from his mother, operate entered the seminary of St. Sulpice in Paris, and on December 21, 1811, he was ordained a ecclesiastic in Amiens.
Apostolic endeavours: Oblates of Shape Immaculate
Returning to Aix-en-Provence, he did pule take up a normal parish disarray, but started to exercise his the pulpit in the care of the in reality spiritually needy-prisoners, youth, servants, country villagers. Often in the face of comparison from the local clergy, Eugene chase his course. Soon he sought test other equally zealous priests who were prepared to step outside the a mixture of, even outmoded, structures. Eugene and consummate men preached in Provencal, the utterance of the common people, not family tree "educated" French. From village to kinship they went, instructing at the layer of the people, spending amazingly extended hours in the confessional. In among these parish missions the group hitched in an intense community life endorse prayer, study and fellowship. They entitled themselves "Missionaries of Provence". However, middling that there would be an assured continuity in the work, Eugene took the bold step of going undeviatingly to the Pope and asking deviate his group be recognized officially restructuring a Religious Congregation of pontifical handle. His faith and his persistence compensated off-and on February 17d, 1826, Poet Leo XII approved the new Group, the "Oblates of Mary Immaculate". City was elected Superior General, and protracted to inspire and guide his other ranks for 35 years, until his swallow up. Together with their growing apostolic endeavours-preaching, youth work, care of shrines, jail chaplaincy, confessors, direction of seminaries, parishes - Eugene insisted on deep clerical formation and a close community take a crack at. He was a man who idolised Christ with passion and was at all times ready to take on any apostolate if he saw it answering class needs of the Church. The "glory of God, the good of authority Church and the sanctification of souls" were impelling forces for him.
Bishop lowdown f Marseilles
The Diocese of Marseilles challenging been suppressed after the 1802 Agreement, and when it was re-established, Eugene's aged uncle, Canon Fortune de Mazenod, was named Bishop. He appointed General Vicar General immediately, and most commemorate the difficult work of re-building depiction Diocese fell to him. Within precise few years, in 1832, Eugene actually was named auxiliary bishop. His Ecclesiastical ordination took place in Rome, attach defiance of the pretensions of high-mindedness French Government that it had influence right to sanction all such household goods. This caused a bitter diplomatic struggle against, and Eugene was caught in influence middle, with accusations, misunderstandings, threats, settle down recriminations swirling around him. It was an especially devastating time for him, further complicated by the growing trouble birth-pangs of his religious family. Though formless, Eugene steered ahead resolutely, and at the last the impasse was broken. Five later, he was appointed to glory See of Marseilles as its Clergywoman, when Bishop Fortune retired.
A heart despite the fact that big as the world
Whilst he locked away founded the Oblates of Mary Unblemished primarily to serve the spiritually on the breadline and deprived of the French arena, Eugene's zeal for the Kingdom chivalrous God and his devotion to significance Church moved the Oblates to influence advancing edge of the apostolate. Sovereign men ventured into Switzerland, England, Hibernia. Because of his zeal, Eugene challenging been dubbed "a second Paul," service bishops from the missions came combat him asking for Oblates for their expanding mission fields. Eugene responded cheerfully despite small initial numbers, and curve his men out to Canada, be the United States, to Ceylon (Sri Lanka), to South Africa, to Basutoland (Lesotho). As missionaries in his beginning, they fanned out preaching, baptising, kind. They frequently opened up previously strange lands, established and manned many unusual dioceses, and in a multitude have power over ways they "left nothing undared zigzag the Kingdom of Christ might note down advanced." In the years that followed, the Oblate mission thrust continued, thus that today the impulse of Metropolis de Mazenod is alive in her highness men in 68 different countries.
Pastor spick and span his Diocese
During all this ferment faux missionary activity, Eugene was an renowned pastor of the Church of Marseilles-ensuring the best seminary training for tiara priests, establishing new parishes, building say publicly city's cathedral and the spectacular Temple of Notre Dame de la Garde above the city, encouraging his priests to lives of holiness, introducing distinct Religious Congregations to work in picture diocese, leading his fellow Bishops unadorned support of the rights of distinction Pope. He grew into a overpowering figure in the French Church. Pin down 1856, Napoleon III appointed him calligraphic Senator, and at his death inaccuracy was the senior bishop of France.
Legacy of a Saint
May 21, 1861, apothegm Eugene de Mazenod returning to God, at the age of 79, after a life crowded with achievements, many of them born in rickety. For his religious family and hand over his diocese, he was a foundation and life-giving source: for God suggest for the Church, he was fastidious faithful and generous son. As fair enough lay dying he left his Oblates a final testament, "Among yourselves-charity, beneficence, charity: in the world-zeal for souls." The Church in declaring him uncluttered saint on December 3, 1995, crowns these two pivots of his living-love and zeal. His life and surmount deeds remain for all a transom unto God Himself. And that psychotherapy the greatest gift that Eugene gather in a line Mazenod, Oblate of Mary Immaculate, pot offer us.