"O Jesus, living in Mary, come and live in your servants"

Father Emmanuel Goulard was born in 1973, and ordained a priest for the diocese of Albi (southern France) in 2001. He joined the Society of the Priests of Saint Sulpice (Compagnie des Prêtres de Saint Sulpice) in 2013, and is currently rector of the seminary at Issy-les-Moulineaux in the Hauts-de-Seine region, near Paris.

The Compagnie des Prêtres de Saint Sulpice was founded in the 17th century by Father Jean Jacques Olier, then parish priest of Saint-Sulpice church in Paris, at a time when there existed no solid formation programs for young diocesan priests in France. "Monsieur Olier" opened the first seminary in France to improve the training of future priests. Today, Sulpicians priests work as vocation directors and accompany other priests in their ministry.

For Father Goulard, this prayer written by Fr. Olier, in which he asks Jesus to come and live in us as he lived in his Mother, the Virgin Mary, particularly inspires him:

"O Jesus, living in Mary, come and live in your servants, in your spirit of holiness, in the fullness of your strength, in the perfection of your ways, in the truth of your virtues, and in communion with your divine mysteries. Prevail over every enemy power, in your Spirit, for the glory of the Father. Amen"

Avec Marie Prier pour les prêtres, issue # 9, Christmas 2021, Father Emmanuel Goulard’s story (Adapted)