The Letters of
Saint Peter Julian Eymard
Translated from the
French
by Sr. Catherine Marie
Caron, S.S.S.
To translate the thoughts of a saint is an awesome task. The risk of losing a profound intuition in the literal translation of words is ever-present. But the risk is worth effort, nonetheless, in the hope that English readers will be able to benefit to a degree which would otherwise not be possible.
For the first time, the letters of Saint Peter Julian Eymard are being presented in English, and for the first time in any language, they are being presented chronologically. The purpose is an attempt to reconstitute the life and letters of our Founder in as close a combination as possible. This will be as close to an autobiography as we can obtain posthumously. The originals show a remarkable flexibility of relationships. He adjusted to every person. His use of vocabulary, style, and form vary sometimes very sharply from one person to the next. It is hoped that this characteristic has not been lost in the translation.
Here and there between the letters, biographical information is inserted to help place the letters in their context of life and events. Over 2,100 letters have been taken from five published and three unpublished collections, reorganized chronologically, completed with footnotes, and interspersed with a chronology of events and a list of topics taught in retreats and conferences.
To read Saint Peter Julian's letters is to get to know him from within, and to find a friend and spiritual guide. The trivial details of daily life transport us to the lifestyle of the 1800s in a France beset by class struggle and revolution. We find a man who befriended every class of society. I pray that all readers will discover in Peter Julian Eymard the man, a friend. and a saint with whom to study, learn, be guided, struggle and teach.
Volume 1 1828-1852
Volume 2 1853-1857
Volume 3 1858-1861
Volume 4 1862-1864
Volume 5 1865-1866
Volume 6 1867-1868