“Who was Timon-David?” I wonder. Avenue Timon-David bears his name. It is located in Marseille’s 13th arrondissement. Let’s explore the story of this avenue and the man behind its name.
Joseph-Marie Timon-David was born in Marseille in 1823. He came from a wealthy, Christian family. They had endured the French Revolution’s hardships. Joseph’s father was often away during his childhood. Tragedy struck when Joseph was only ten years old. His father died. Then cholera ravaged Marseille.
In 1835, Joseph’s mother sent him to Collège Saint-Michel in Friborg, Switzerland. The school deeply impacted him. He encountered religious educators and absorbed their methods. Collège Saint-Michel became his model for education.
Bishop Eugene de Mazenod sent Timon-David to Paris in 1842. He attended the Saint Sulpice seminary. There, Joseph became an ultramontanist. He reacted against the Gallicanism of the time. He met Dom Guéranger there too. Guéranger opened him to the liturgy’s beauty.
Before ordination, meetings in Paris and Marseille revealed the working class’s spiritual needs. He became a priest in June 1846. His parishioners were mostly working-class youth. He noticed their lack of religious education. Following Bishop Alexandre-Raymond Devie’s example, Timon-David simplified religious teaching. He emphasized “education through the heart.”
Timon-David dedicated twenty-three years to young workers. He adopted methods from Jean-Joseph Allemand. Allemand trained bourgeois youth. Timon-David aimed to draw young workers from dangerous activities. So he started a young men’s club. It featured a brass band and theatrical productions. Winter lectures covered topics like Mass attendance. Timon-David sought to instill virtues. His style was joyful.
On November 1 1847, Timon-David opened “the work of the working class youth”. He collaborated with Allemand’s Institute of Youth Work. Under Father John of the Sacred Heart’s guidance, he named it “Work of the Sacred Heart.” Devotion to the Sacred Heart defined Timon-David’s life.
Bishop Eugene de Mazenod urged Timon-David to establish a religious congregation. It would serve this work. On November 20 1852, he founded the Timon David Fathers in Marseille. The bishop recognized both the work and the community. He dedicated them to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The community faced challenges. It truly began in 1859. Meanwhile, the work expanded. In 1857, Bishop Mazenod made Timon-David a canon.
The year 1859 proved pivotal. The community stabilized. His methods for guiding youth became known. Many French priests sought to evangelize young workers. Timon was urged to publish his methods. Priests came from across France to observe his approach. Timon prioritized his community and the young people. He traveled France explaining his method. He promoted Christian education. He encouraged young people to pursue holiness.
In 1864, he opened the School of the Sacred Heart. It broadened the work’s educational impact. Inspired by Saint Joseph Calasanz, he opened a new house in Marseille. The community faced ten years of difficulties with Mazenod’s successors. Recognition as a clerical Congregation of pontifical right ended these trials on July 8 1876.
Timon continued his work with royalist ideas. He opened houses in Aix and Béziers. The community grew slowly. He died on April 10 1891, in Marseille. He knew his life’s work would continue. He remained faithful to serving working-class youth.
Avenue Timon-David honors his legacy. It serves as a reminder of his dedication. Joseph-Marie Timon-David devoted himself to Marseille’s young workers. Now you know a little bit more about the man behind the name of this avenue.