The Life Fr. Jean-Emile Anizan
The Call: Jean-Emile Anizan was born on January 6, 1853 in Artenay, a small village near Orleans, France. His father, who is doctor, is Jean and his mother, who works in the village post office, is Eulalie. He has two sisters, named Marie and Leonide, and a younger brother, called Jules. Jean Emile was baptized in the parish of Artenay. He earned his primary education at the elementary school in his village. At age 9, he enters Sainte-Croix (Holy Cross) College, a minor seminary, at Orleans.
He made his First Communion in May of 1866 at the age of 13. At this moment, he did not yet consider entering the priesthood but begins to discover the love of Jesus, whom he considers a close and faithful companion, and to develop an intimate relationship by calling Him, “My Jesus, my sweet Jesus.”
Of this experience he writes in his retreat notebook, “Finally, I’ve received blessed absolution, and tomorrow I’ll receive my God for the first time! Oh, I’m so happy! Yes, tomorrow I’ll be happy as the saints, happy as God himself. Oh thank you, my Savoir! And that’s how this beautiful day ended. Ah! Yes I want to keep you in my heart as long as possible!”
On April 23, 1871, at age of 18, he joined the Conference of St. Vincent de Paul – a small group of youths and adults who regularly visit the poorest families of the area, and inspired by the life and teachings of St. Vincent de Paul. Anizan discovers in the poor neighborhood the difficulties of the families of workers and the existence of many poor. These visits make him realize the need for a popular apostolate according to the spirit of St. Vincent de Paul. However, he gradually noticed the gap that exists between the Church and the people.
At this moment, he was still uncertain of his vocation, asking himself as he writes: “What must I do? Should I be a priest, a military or civil doctor, or a soldier?” In spite of his doubts, but with the prodding of Bishop Dupanloup of the Diocese of Orleans, Anizan enters the St. Sulpice Seminary at Issy-les-Moulineaux near Paris in September 1872. He enters the seminary through obedience to his spiritual director but he will go through a crisis of discouragement.
On December 22, 1877, Anizan was ordained a priest at St. Sulpice Parish in Paris. Bishop Dupanloup sent him to Olivet, a small village just outside Orleans, as a Parish Vicar.
The Trial and the Light
The years between 1878 and 1886 have been difficult years – a time of darkness and struggle-for Anizan due to his continuous desire to enter religious life and to give himself service to the poor. In 1885, he wrote: “When I meet a laborer, adult or child, if he only knew what I feel for him… I have love and sympathy for him.”
Seeing the new situation and listening to such a desperate cry, the new Bishop of Orleans gave him the permission to leave the Diocese. Right then in June 1886, he wrote to the Superior of the Brothers of St. Vincent de Paul, saying: “How I rejoice in giving myself entirely to God and to the disinherited of this world.” In November of the same year Anizan began his novitiate in the Brothers of St. Vincent de Paul at the Vaugirard neighborhood of Paris.
On October 31, 1887, in the second year of novitiate, he was sent as chaplain at St. Anne Charity in Charonne, one of the poorest neighborhoods of Paris, a large workers’ sector of 350,000 people who are victims of unjust labor conditions. At the age of 34, Anizan discovered that it is worthwhile to live in a poor area, where he would remain for 7 years were perhaps the happiest of his life. He often visited the homes of poor families to assist them in their needs, to hear confession and give communion to the sick and the old, and to console them in their sufferings.
On December 8, 1888, Anizan pronounced his temporary vows in the Vaugirard chapel. In 1894, Anizan left Charonne after being chosen as First Assistant of the Brothers of St. Vincent de Paul.
During this time, he suffered in not being of direct contact with the people. And in 1898, he was named Vice-President of the Union of Catholic Workers of France.
On September 29, 1907, he was elected General Superior of the congregation. Anizan has an immense apostolic life. His passion for the working world and for the disinherited will give him strength and hope to move ahead with an evangelization project that will bring a violent rejection from some of his brothers in the congregation.
On January 22, 1914, denunciations by some members of the congregation lead to Anizan’s deposition as General Superior by Vatican. During Pius X’s pontificate, the so-called “modernism” was condemned. Anizan was accused of “social modernism” because he had supported the creation of some labor unions that were judged non-Catholic. These were the painful times of his life, which lead to his most significant retreat in March 1914 in a Carthusian monastery with his spiritual director, Fr. Dom Pollien.
Military Chaplaincy
However, the First World War broke in on August 3, 1914. Thus on August 6, 1914, Anizan left for Verdun, Damloup, in Eastern France near the German border, as a volunteer military chaplain. During 18 months, at the risk of his own life, he helps the soldiers to overcome hate and desperation through the Sacrament of Penance, caring for the wounded and praying for the dead.
On December 1, 1914, in his letter to one of his best friends, he said: “I have offered myself to become a true Son of Charity. But I thirst in becoming genuinely so and in all the full extent of the word.” This is the first time that he used the term “Son of Charity” before the foundation of the congregation
In February 1916, the doctors recommended his return to Paris due to pneumonia. In October, he was instead assigned as pastor of Notre-dame Auxiliatrice Parish, a workers’ neighborhood, at Clichy, on the outskirt of Paris. It was here that Anizan prepared the groundwork for the new Religious congregation.
He made his First Communion in May of 1866 at the age of 13. At this moment, he did not yet consider entering the priesthood but begins to discover the love of Jesus, whom he considers a close and faithful companion, and to develop an intimate relationship by calling Him, “My Jesus, my sweet Jesus.”
Of this experience he writes in his retreat notebook, “Finally, I’ve received blessed absolution, and tomorrow I’ll receive my God for the first time! Oh, I’m so happy! Yes, tomorrow I’ll be happy as the saints, happy as God himself. Oh thank you, my Savoir! And that’s how this beautiful day ended. Ah! Yes I want to keep you in my heart as long as possible!”
On April 23, 1871, at age of 18, he joined the Conference of St. Vincent de Paul – a small group of youths and adults who regularly visit the poorest families of the area, and inspired by the life and teachings of St. Vincent de Paul. Anizan discovers in the poor neighborhood the difficulties of the families of workers and the existence of many poor. These visits make him realize the need for a popular apostolate according to the spirit of St. Vincent de Paul. However, he gradually noticed the gap that exists between the Church and the people.
At this moment, he was still uncertain of his vocation, asking himself as he writes: “What must I do? Should I be a priest, a military or civil doctor, or a soldier?” In spite of his doubts, but with the prodding of Bishop Dupanloup of the Diocese of Orleans, Anizan enters the St. Sulpice Seminary at Issy-les-Moulineaux near Paris in September 1872. He enters the seminary through obedience to his spiritual director but he will go through a crisis of discouragement.
On December 22, 1877, Anizan was ordained a priest at St. Sulpice Parish in Paris. Bishop Dupanloup sent him to Olivet, a small village just outside Orleans, as a Parish Vicar.
The Trial and the Light
The years between 1878 and 1886 have been difficult years – a time of darkness and struggle-for Anizan due to his continuous desire to enter religious life and to give himself service to the poor. In 1885, he wrote: “When I meet a laborer, adult or child, if he only knew what I feel for him… I have love and sympathy for him.”
Seeing the new situation and listening to such a desperate cry, the new Bishop of Orleans gave him the permission to leave the Diocese. Right then in June 1886, he wrote to the Superior of the Brothers of St. Vincent de Paul, saying: “How I rejoice in giving myself entirely to God and to the disinherited of this world.” In November of the same year Anizan began his novitiate in the Brothers of St. Vincent de Paul at the Vaugirard neighborhood of Paris.
On October 31, 1887, in the second year of novitiate, he was sent as chaplain at St. Anne Charity in Charonne, one of the poorest neighborhoods of Paris, a large workers’ sector of 350,000 people who are victims of unjust labor conditions. At the age of 34, Anizan discovered that it is worthwhile to live in a poor area, where he would remain for 7 years were perhaps the happiest of his life. He often visited the homes of poor families to assist them in their needs, to hear confession and give communion to the sick and the old, and to console them in their sufferings.
On December 8, 1888, Anizan pronounced his temporary vows in the Vaugirard chapel. In 1894, Anizan left Charonne after being chosen as First Assistant of the Brothers of St. Vincent de Paul.
During this time, he suffered in not being of direct contact with the people. And in 1898, he was named Vice-President of the Union of Catholic Workers of France.
On September 29, 1907, he was elected General Superior of the congregation. Anizan has an immense apostolic life. His passion for the working world and for the disinherited will give him strength and hope to move ahead with an evangelization project that will bring a violent rejection from some of his brothers in the congregation.
On January 22, 1914, denunciations by some members of the congregation lead to Anizan’s deposition as General Superior by Vatican. During Pius X’s pontificate, the so-called “modernism” was condemned. Anizan was accused of “social modernism” because he had supported the creation of some labor unions that were judged non-Catholic. These were the painful times of his life, which lead to his most significant retreat in March 1914 in a Carthusian monastery with his spiritual director, Fr. Dom Pollien.
Military Chaplaincy
However, the First World War broke in on August 3, 1914. Thus on August 6, 1914, Anizan left for Verdun, Damloup, in Eastern France near the German border, as a volunteer military chaplain. During 18 months, at the risk of his own life, he helps the soldiers to overcome hate and desperation through the Sacrament of Penance, caring for the wounded and praying for the dead.
On December 1, 1914, in his letter to one of his best friends, he said: “I have offered myself to become a true Son of Charity. But I thirst in becoming genuinely so and in all the full extent of the word.” This is the first time that he used the term “Son of Charity” before the foundation of the congregation
In February 1916, the doctors recommended his return to Paris due to pneumonia. In October, he was instead assigned as pastor of Notre-dame Auxiliatrice Parish, a workers’ neighborhood, at Clichy, on the outskirt of Paris. It was here that Anizan prepared the groundwork for the new Religious congregation.