Cnr avenue du Docteur Tagnard & rue Saint-Jean, La Mure, France [ Map ]
Formerly the parish church at La Mure, Chapelle St Pierre-Julien Eymard is known locally as the ‘old church’ to distinguish it from the ‘new church’ in the centre of the township (Église Notre Dame de l’Assomption).
The oldest sections of the building date from the eleventh century when a Benedictine priory was located on the site. After parts of the church were quarried for stone during the French Wars of Religion (1562-98), the nave and tower were rebuilt in circa 1606.
La Mure parish is now in the pastoral care of the Blessed Sacrament Congregation. In recent years, the old church associated with the Congregation’s founder has undergone internal restoration and modernisation changes which have included replacement of the former altar and removal of the traditional altar rails in front of the sanctuary.
Significance
On 5 February 1811, Peter Julian Eymard was baptised in this church by the local pastor Fr Joseph Second. The stone font used in Eymard’s baptism ceremony survives and was reputed to be an object of veneration for him whenever he returned to La Mure in later life.
In his youth, Eymard was an altar-server at this church and he made his first Holy Communion here on Passion Sunday, 16 March 1823, soon after his twelfth birthday. On 2 August 1868, the day after his death, a funeral service was held for Eymard at this church before his burial in the cemetery nearby.
LINKS
Parish of St Peter Julian Eymard, La Mure, Parish website (French)
Parish of St Peter Julian Eymard, Diocese of Grenoble Vienne (French)
Eymardian Places 