St. Eugene de Mazenod

St. Eugene de Mazenod was born in Aix-en-Provence in France on Aug. 1, 1782. There was constant fighting in his family and interference from relatives when St. Eugene was a child. His parents eventually divorced. In 1790, St. Eugene had to flee with his family to escape the French Revolution. He spent the next 11 years in Italy. St. Eugene became a parish priest in 1811, ministering to the poor, the sick, the young and the imprisoned. St. Eugene formed the Oblates of Mary Immaculate with approval from Pope Leo XII. He became a bishop, founded many parishes and restored many churches. He doubled the number of priests in his diocese and eventually became archbishop of Marseille. He died May 21, 1861. St. Eugene de Mazenod is patron saint of dysfunctional families.