He was born on the July 23, 1824 at Vellexon, a small village in Franche-Comté (in the east of France), into a Christian family, country people of humble background.

His father was an agricultural labourer and also worked at the blast furnaces attached to the ironworks in the region.

There he experienced the difficulties of all those who arrive in a big city without experience, without friends, and feeling homesick, at a loss, he fell ill. Every day he went to the Basilica of Notre-Dame-des-Victoires.

[1] Mother M. Eugénie de Jésus, foundress of the Religious of the Assumption, advised him to go see Father Emmanuel d'Alzon, who needed teachers.

Coming from a working-class background, my parents were rural workers, I already had some inkling of it ; however, I wasn't in the family home very much.

It was at Nîmes, when Fr d'Alzon was at the height of his activity as a man initiating charitable works, that I really understood what you call "the hardships afflicting workers" and a possible response to bring to them.

Sent to Paris in October 1863, join the community of the Rue François 1er, and helped Father Ricard.

A simple man, he entered easily into contact with people, gained the trust of all by his kindness and understanding.

[4] He settled successively in various temporary accommodations before establishing them in April 1870 in the 15th arrondissement at 57 rue Violet, which became the motherhouse of the new congregation.

He set up a foundation in the United States in 1891, then another in Rome in 1896, and met Pope Leo XIII in private audience on that occasion.

After a two-day illness, he died in Paris on Easter Monday, April 3, 1899, the anniversary of his priestly ordination.