Pierre Goursat converted to Catholicism at the age of 19. His friend, Cardinal Emmanuel Suhard, archbishop of Paris, helped him discover his vocation as a consecrated lay person.

His Art studies helped him form the Catholic Circle of Intellectuals and to evangelize through books, magazines and film, where he worked as an adviser to different directors of the Catholic Office of Film. In 2009 the cause for his beatification began.

Fr. Jean Baptiste Edart
Emmanuel Community
“Many of his years growing up were spent in adoration and working as a film critic always thinking about evangelization. In the 60s he went through a moment of desperation at seeing society being ruined. He asked God for help, yelling: Do something!”

In 1972 Pierre Goursat heard about the Charismatic Renewal in the United States. It was the start of the Emmanuel Community.

Fr. Jean Baptiste Edart
Emmanuel Community
“They started a small prayer group, with just three people. After one year they were 300. The Emmanuel Community grew quickly. During that first year they recognized a common calling, an experience of community, of brotherhood.”

That is how the Community began and now it is on five continents. The majority of its members are laity, families or couples, but there are also consecrated laity and diocese priests.

Fr. Jean Baptiste Edart
Emmanuel Community
“All of the members of the Emmanuel Community have the same requirements but live them according to their personal situation: A long period of Eucharistic adoration, normally one hour. Daily Mass, a prayer of praise at the start of the day and each week or every five days, a gathering with the Community to pray together.”

According to Father Jean Baptiste Edart, the Emmanuel Community is a way to present the conclusions from the Second Vatican Council.

Fr. Jean Baptiste Edart
Emmanuel Community
“It is a real way to remember the Council. The Emmanuel Community tries to give answers to society. For this reason we are present in the economic world, in the political environment, in the cultural world...we want to offer all kinds of answers because we are in the world.”

Answers for married couples, singles, priests or religious and which are always in accord with the teachings of the Church. Answers that the Emmanuel Community, thanks to its founder, Pierre Goursat, have provided to the world and the Church for more than 30 years.