Charles Joseph Eugene de Mazenod lived in times as stormy as the present, and set an example of survival that we can find helpful today. Born at Aix-en-Provence, in southern France, he was the son of a nobleman father and an uncultured but wealthy mother. During the French Revolution his family, being aristocrats, fled into Italian exile. The marriage of his parents then shattered, ending in divorce. Eugene thus became the child of a broken family, which caused him great pain. When he was able to return to France, now in his late teens, his primary impulse was to marry a rich wife, so as to restore his family fortunes. But the first girl he chose died of consumption before they could wed, and the next candidate that appealed to him proved to be impoverished. This turn of events prompted the young man to rethink his direction in life. Always basically devout, in 1808 he decided to enter the priesthood. Three years spent at the Seminary of St. Sulpice converted him into a zealous churchman, devoted to the pope and to the care of the poor and youth. After his ordination in 1811, Abbe Mazenod gradually worked into a fruitful career of preaching parish missions. To assist him, he established a community of priests that later became the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. In 1823, his priest-uncle Fortune de Mazenod was installed as bishop of Marseilles. The new bishop appointed Eugene as his vicar general. Having been promoted to auxiliary bishop in 1837, the nephew was named to succeed the uncle on the decease of the latter in 1837. Bishop Eugene de Mazenod's career as bishop of Marseilles, which continued until his death on May 21, 1861, was that of a wonderfully active apostolic leader. He continued to direct the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, even after the 1840s when they expanded into the Americas, Africa and Asia. He also accepted the headship of the Holy Family Sisters of Bordeaux. These responsibilities brought him into contact with the British Isles, with the Oxford Movement, and early ecumenical trends. But it was in his own diocese that Bishop Eugene became a most influential figure. Marseilles was stricken with many spiritual and material ailments as the result of the French Revolution and later political turmoil. Mazenod reorganized the diocese well, giving it permanent stability. Sensitive to the needs of the poor, he established various religious and social organizations planned to help them help themselves. He remained to the end an excellent and influential preacher, and he preached standards of behavior that were common sense rather than rigoristic. Although a nobleman in status (named in 1856 a senator in France's Second Empire), this lively (and sometimes stormy) prelate felt most at home when joshing with the admiring fishwives in their own Provencal dialect. Even in imperial France he remained a democratic figure. Pope John Paul II canonized this shrewd apostolic man on December 3, 1995. He was the first French bishop to be declared a saint since 1588. The Holy Father must have seen in him the port of bishop needed by the Church as it enters the third millennium.

--Father Robert F. McNamara

Saint Eugene was an impetuous Mediterranean, caught as a child in the stormy upheavals of the French Revolution. He was born at Aix-en-Provence on August 1st, 1782, the son of Marie-Rose Joannis and Charles-Antoine De Mazenod. He inherited his father's native intelligence, strength of character and integrity. From his mother, he received insight and gentleness of heart.

Early Years

When he was only nine he was force to flee with his father from the fury of the nobility bashers. Their lives were in constant turmoil. They sought refuge successively in Nice, (an Italian territory at the time), Turin, Venice, Naples, and finally, Palermo. In the midst of this turmoil, young Eugene managed to learn Italian, an asset which would serve him very handily in the years to come. At the end of all these adjustments he had also become familiar with the German Language. In whatever language he studied, this young man always rose to the top of his class. He was not, however, beyond a deep personal religious and moral crisis. When this troubled him in Venice, he sought out a saintly priest, Don Bartolo Zinelli, who inspired in him early thoughts of the priesthood.

His Vocation

At the age of 20 Eugene returned to France. The exile was over. It didn't take him long to succumb once again to those same inane pleasures of the aristocracy which had lead to his earlier crisis in Italy. But God's Providence watched over this man who was destined to nurture a violently troubled church. The shallowness of the high life wearied him after a while, and two proddings by others towards a loveless marriage didn't help. Attraction to prayer reappeared. On Good Friday, 1807, he was touched by a special grace that drew him back to his previous fervor. This time it was a radical conversion. Once again thoughts of the priesthood began to materialize. Not even his mother's fierce opposition could alter his decision. He was ordained on December 21st, 1811, at the age of 29. From that time he renounced the prestige and comforts that his mother could offer. Free from wealth, he focused on ministry to the poor, beginning with youth, prisoners, and refuges. This nobleman preached to the simple folks of Aix in their own Provencal dialect.

A Few Dates

Father de Mazenod gathered a few priestly companions, and in 1816 founded the Society of the Missionaries of Provence. Their purpose was to reintroduce the Gospel to the peasants. On February 17th, 1826, Pope Leo XII approved their Constitution and Rules and gave them the title of Oblates of Mary Immaculate. On October 14th, 1832, Eugene was ordained bishop with the see of Icosia. ON December 24th, 1837, Pope Gregory XVI appointed him Bishop of Marseille. In 1841 the new religious society began to reach out beyond France. A first missionary was sent to England. Soon after, six Oblates arrived in Montreal, on December 2nd, 1841. Bishop de Mazenod died in Marseille on May 21st, 1861, at the age of 78.

On May 22nd, 1935, his writings, contained in 25 volumes, were formally presented in Rome and approved. this was the first sign of hope for a favorable outcome to a project that had been ongoing for many years. On January 14th, 1936, Pope Pius XI signed the decree that introduced the cause of Bishop de Mazenod in the Roman court. On December 12th, 1936, 75 years after his death, the body of Bishop de Mazenod was exhumed, and found to be intact. In 1970, Pope Paul VI promulgated the decree of heroic virtues. On October 19th, 1975, Blessed Eugene was beatified by Pope Paul VI. On December 3rd, 1995, he was canonized by Pope John Paul II, the first French bishop to be so recognized since 1588.