St. Eugene de Mazenod

A long time ago, in a country called France, a little boy named Eugene de Mazenod was born on August 1, 1781. Eugene’s family had a big, fancy house and plenty of nice things, but they didn’t have what mattered most—peace and happiness. His parents argued a lot, and when Eugene was still young, they separated. This made him very sad and lonely.

When the French Revolution began, it was dangerous for Eugene’s family, so they had to run away to another country called Italy. They had to move again and again, and they didn’t have much money. Eugene missed his mom and his home, and sometimes he got angry or grumpy.

But God was watching over Eugene. A kind priest named Father Bartolo Zinelli lived nearby and started teaching him. Father Zinelli helped Eugene learn about Jesus, Mary, and how to pray. Eugene began to feel God’s love in his heart.

When Eugene grew up, he came back to France. He had money again and thought he wanted to live an easy, fun life. But one day, while sitting quietly in church on Good Friday, Eugene looked at Jesus on the Cross and realized how much Jesus loved him. Eugene began to cry and said in his heart,

“Jesus, You gave everything for me. I want to give everything for You.”

That was the day Eugene’s life changed forever!

He decided to become a priest and serve the poor—especially those who didn’t know Jesus’ love. Father Eugene saw that many people had forgotten about God after all the wars. So, he started visiting poor villages and teaching the people about Jesus, Mary, and the Mass.

Soon, other priests wanted to help him. They formed a group called the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. “Oblates” means people who give their lives to God. They went out to share Jesus’ love all over the world—in Canada, Africa, England, the United States, and many other places!

Father Eugene later became a bishop, a special leader in the Church. As Bishop of Marseille, he built churches, helped families, cared for children and immigrants, and encouraged his priests. He always told them:

“Never let yourself be beaten down by difficulties.”

Even when life was hard, Bishop Eugene trusted Jesus and kept going. He said,

“We are not defined by the tragedies of our lives. We find our meaning in being children of God.”

Bishop Eugene loved the Mass and the Eucharist very much. He celebrated Mass every day, even when he was traveling. He told his priests that when they prayed at Mass, they were all united together in Jesus’ love, no matter how far apart they were.

When Bishop Eugene grew old and sick, he was still brave and joyful. Before he died on May 21, 1861, he asked the people around him to pray the “Salve Regina”—a prayer to Our Lady, Mary.

Saint Eugene showed that even when families are broken or life feels hard, God can bring something beautiful out of the pain. God used Eugene’s sadness to help him understand others who were hurting.

Saint Eugene de Mazenod is now the patron saint of families who are hurting or broken, reminding us that God can heal every heart.

Saint Eugene de Mazenod, pray for us!