Pierre Goursat

The life of Pierre Goursat took a decisive turn in the early 1970s, when he was 57 years old. In November 1971, he discovered the existence of the Charismatic Renewal through Father Jean-Paul Réjimbal, a Canadian priest.

On the weekend of February 11–13, 1972, he participated in a retreat at Troussures (Oise), organized by Father Henri Caffarel. It was there that Pierre Goursat and Martine Catta (then Martine Laffitte, a young medical intern) asked for and received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Bound by a profound grace of fraternal communion, they decided to pray together daily. In May 1972, they initiated a first prayer group in Paris, which began with only five people. Within a year, this group gathered more than 500 participants. Other prayer assemblies formed rapidly and adopted the name "Emmanuel," in reference to the prophecy of Isaiah: "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel, which means God with us."

In 1975, Pierre Goursat had the intuition to organize a gathering of Charismatic Renewal prayer groups at Paray-le-Monial, in Burgundy, the site of the apparitions of the Heart of Jesus to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque in the 17th century. This sanctuary, then somewhat neglected, experienced a spectacular revival thanks to these summer sessions, which quickly attracted thousands of pilgrims from all over the world. In 1985, Bishop Armand Le Bourgeois of Autun officially entrusted the animation of the Sanctuaries of Paray-le-Monial to the Emmanuel Community. In October 1986, Pope John Paul II made a pastoral visit there and met with Pierre Goursat, praising the work accomplished.

The Emmanuel Community, which brings together lay people (married or single), consecrated persons, and priests, was recognized by the Holy See on December 8, 1992, as an International Association of the Faithful of pontifical right.

Pierre Goursat distinguished himself throughout his life by a profound humility and a total detachment from honors. Despite his role as the founder of an international work, he refused to be put in the spotlight, preferring to sit discreetly at the back of assemblies. Dressed very simply, often wearing a worn ushanka and an old scarf, he was sometimes mistaken for a homeless person. His life was punctuated by long hours of daily Eucharistic adoration, often at night, from which he drew his strength and missionary zeal. In 1985, feeling his strength declining, he withdrew from the governance of the Emmanuel Community, leaving the office of moderator to others. He spent the final years of his life in silence, prayer, and hidden adoration. He passed away peacefully on March 25, 1991, the feast day of the Annunciation, in Neuilly-sur-Seine, at the age of 76.

The reputation of holiness of Pierre Goursat led the Emmanuel Community to request the opening of his cause for beatification. With the agreement of Cardinal André Vingt-Trois, Archbishop of Paris, the diocesan phase of the inquiry was officially introduced on January 7, 2010. Father Francis Kohn was appointed postulator of the cause.

During this phase, a historical commission and an ecclesiastical tribunal collected numerous testimonies and analyzed his writings. The diocesan inquiry was officially closed in Paris on December 19, 2015. The file, comprising approximately 12,000 pages, was then transferred to Rome, where the Roman phase officially opened on November 15, 2016, at the Congregation (now Dicastery) for the Causes of Saints.

On December 18, 2024, Pope Francis approved the decree recognizing the heroic virtues of Pierre Goursat, thereby declaring him Venerable. This major step confirms that the founder of the Emmanuel lived the Christian virtues to an extraordinary degree and proposes him as a model of holiness for the universal Church.

Pierre Goursat's spirituality rests on an inseparable triptych: Adoration, Compassion, and Evangelization. For him, Eucharistic adoration is the primary source; from the intimate encounter with Christ is born compassion for the poor and the "wounded of life," which naturally leads to the joyful proclamation of the Gospel. He thus opened a path of holiness accessible to all in ordinary life. His legacy is immense. The Emmanuel Community is today present in nearly 60 countries on five continents, bringing together more than 12,000 members, including approximately 300 priests. It manages numerous apostolic initiatives, parishes, schools of evangelization, as well as the international solidarity NGO Fidesco, founded in 1981 to send volunteers to serve in developing countries.