Eugene de Mazenod was born on August 1, 1782, at Aix-en-Provence, France, on the eve of the French Revolution. His father, Charles, was of the noble class; his mother, very wealthy. At the age of eight, young Eugene had to flee France as it was rumored that the revolutionaries intended putting to death the sons of nobles. His exile lasted eleven years.

At Turin, he made his first communion and was confirmed; in Venice, he came under the influence of an exemplary family, the Tinallis. Saint Eugene later wrote, “It was there that I discovered my vocation to the priesthood.” In a later move to Sicily, he became part of the luxury and grandeur of the court at Palermo.

Returning to Aix-en-Provence as a very worldly young man of twenty, Eugene sought to re-establish the family fortune by marrying into wealth. First he could not find a woman rich enough, and then, the woman he intended to marry died!