Venerable Marie-Eugène de l'Enfant-Jésus

Marie-Eugene de L'Enfant-Jésus, OCD (born Henri Grialou; 2 December 1894 – 27 March 1967) was a French Catholic priest and a Discalced Carmelite. He joined the Carmelites just after his ordination. Grialou held several positions of leadership within his congregation and was an extensive traveler as a manager of a range of different Carmelite convents and monasteries across the world. He was the founder of the Secular Institute of Notre-Dame de Vie. Grialou was also a noted spiritual writer and wrote at great length on the Carmelite charism as well as on a range of Carmelite luminaries. Grialou's life was driven with his devotion to the Carmelite charism and to the spreading and promotion of evangelical zeal. His motto in life was "traditus gratiae Dei" (surrendered to the grace of God). He ensured that Carmelite teachings and its charism was promoted among the faithful. He was proclaimed to be Venerable on 19 December 2011 after Pope Benedict XVI signed a decree that acknowledged the fact that Grialou lived a life of heroic virtue. One miracle required for beatification received the approval of Pope Francis on 3 March 2016; his beatification was celebrated on 19 November 2016 in Avignon and Cardinal Angelo Amato presided over the celebration on the pope's behalf. Henri Grialou was born on 2 December 1894 in Le Gua as one of five children to Auguste Grialou (1860-1904) and Marie Miral; his father died of pneumonia just before Grialou turned ten. He had four siblings: there was Marius as the first and then Fernande with Angèle and Berthe (d. 2 January 1958) following. In his childhood his sole desire was to become a priest but became more concrete towards the end of his childhood. From September 1905 until September 1907 he received a free education from the Fathers of the Holy Spirit in Suzio and in Langogne. His mother worked hard to send him for his studies in October 1908 into the minor seminary in Graves; his father died of tuberculosis in August 1904.