The Servants' religious congregation is the women's branch of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, founded by Peter Eymard over one hundred forty years ago. Marguerite Guillot was born December 4, 1815 in Chasselay, Rhône, the youngest child of Jean and Jeanne Boin Guillot. In February 1840, she recovered from a bout of typhoid fever and the family made a pilgrimage to Our Lady of Fourviere in Lyons in thanksgiving. In December 1845 she joined the Third Order of Mary, and in 1853 became the directress. Father Eymard was the group's spiritual director. Guillot collaborated with Eymard and became the first superior general for the congregation, which was approved by Pope Pius IX in 1871. The Congregation of the Servants of the Blessed Sacrament marks July 31, 1859 as the date of foundation. Mother Guillot founded houses in Angers, and Lyons. She died July 7, 1885.
Congregation
From France, the Congregation spread throughout the world. In 1903 a house was opened in Canada, in Brazil in 1912, and in Australia in 1950. The first house in the United States was established in Waterville, Maine, in April 1947, by six sisters from the Canadian foundation. In June 1956 a second American foundation was established in Pueblo, Colorado. The sisters maintain continuous adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in their communities. In 2009, due to lack of vocations, the American sisters asked the help of the sisters in the Philippines so the Congregation could continue its Eucharistic presence and mission in Pueblo. Four sisters came. In January 1996, a tragedy occurred at the Sisters' convent, located in Waterville, Maine. A mentally ill man broke into the convent in the middle of a winter storm, and attacked four of the nine Sisters who lived there. Two, including the Mother Superior were killed, while another was so severely injured that she had to be placed in a nursing home. The nuns who survived the attack have since died. The individual was committed to what was then Augusta Mental Health Institute, now Riverview Psychiatric Hospital, but in June 2013 was granted unsupervised time in the community, despite objections from prosecutors.
Apostolate
Their houses are located in France, Canada, Brazil, Holland, the United States, Australia, Italy, the Philippines, Vietnam and Congo. The congregation's generalate is in Sherbrooke, Quebec. The congregation is centered on the person of Christ in the Eucharistic Mystery and dedicated to his love and glory. The celebration of the Eucharist, the Liturgy of the Hours and Eucharistic adoration give form to their mission of prayer. Eucharistic Adoration has the priority of their time and attention. However, they also engage in other ministries, such as serving as extraordinary Eucharistic ministers to the sick and elderly. The patroness of the congregation is Mary, under the title of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament.
