Saint John Eudes
Norman priest who founded two congregations and worked to train better priests
- Rank
- Saint
- Kind
- Priest, Founder
- Life
- 1601 – 1680
- Era
- 17th century
- Feast
- 19 August
- Countries
- France
Life story
John Eudes was born on 14 November 1601 at Ri in Normandy, France, and studied at the Jesuit school in Caen. In 1623 he joined the Oratory founded by Pierre de Bérulle, and he was ordained a priest in 1625. During the plague outbreaks of 1627 and 1631 he volunteered to nurse the sick and bury the dead, living apart from his confrères so as not to infect them.
From then on he gave much of his life to parish missions, preaching more than a hundred of them across France, Paris and Versailles among them. In 1641, in Caen, he founded the Order of Our Lady of Charity, opening a refuge for women who wished to leave prostitution.
He believed priests needed better training. In 1643 he left the Oratory to found the Congregation of Jesus and Mary, usually called the Eudists, whose main task was to open and run seminaries. The congregation opened seminaries in Caen, Rennes and elsewhere. He also wrote a Mass and Office for the feasts of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Heart of Mary, devotions he promoted for many years.
He died in Caen on 19 August 1680. The Church beatified him in 1909 under Pius X and canonised him in 1925 under Pius XI.
Works and witness
- Nursed plague victims in Normandy (1627, 1631)
- Preached over a hundred parish missions across France
- Founded the Order of Our Lady of Charity in Caen in 1641
- Founded the Congregation of Jesus and Mary (Eudists) in 1643 to train priests
- Wrote a Mass and Office for the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Heart of Mary
Saints from the same country
References
- Martyrologium Romanum
- Decrees of beatification (1909) and canonisation (1925)
- Biographies of the Eudist congregation
Written by Anawim from documented history. Some details about ancient saints rest on tradition and are marked as such.