John Eudes was born in Ri, a small farming village in the Normandy region of northwestern France. His parents were devout Catholics that made a pilgrimage to the Church of Notre-Dame de la Recouvrance following John’s birth to dedicate their son to God. Their devotion paid off, as John developed a strong Catholic faith from a young age.
After being educated by a holy priest, John made his First Communion and received Confirmation around the age of twelve. It is said that he appeared like an angel in divine ecstasy on that day. Overjoyed, he soon after made a personal vow of chastity, dedicating his life to God, just as his parents had done for him upon his birth. As a teenager, John was sent to the larger city of Caen, about thirty miles to the north, where he was educated by the Jesuits. The Jesuits, a new and respected order, were known for their excellent teaching. In Caen, John completed his philosophical studies and deepened his devotion, particularly toward the Holy Eucharist and the Blessed Virgin Mary. His devotion was so profound that his peers referred to him as “the devout Eudes.” After completing his philosophical studies, John’s father wanted him to return home and settle down. However, John explained that he had dedicated his life to God and pleaded to be allowed to continue his studies. His father relented, and John returned to Caen for theological studies under the Jesuits. After completing his studies, John joined the French Oratory of Pierre de Bérulle in Paris and was ordained a priest one year later at the age of twenty-four.
After his ordination in 1625, Father Eudes fell gravely ill and was bedridden for almost a year. Once he recovered, he was sent to Aubervilliers, just outside Paris, for further theological studies. In 1627, his father informed him of a plague that had broken out in a village near his hometown. Father Eudes quickly ministered to the physical and spiritual needs of the victims, particularly encouraging them to turn to their loving mother in Heaven and to rely upon her intercession. When another nearby town experienced the same plague a few years later, he did the same. This time, out of fear that he would become infected and in turn infect others in the Oratory, he lived for a time in a barrel in an open field while ministering to the sick, unconcerned for his own well-being.
In 1633, Father Eudes began earnest preaching. He preached parish missions that would sometimes last for weeks or even longer. His sermons emphasized the mercy of God, and he rallied a large number of priests to hear confessions. He himself was an effective confessor who embodied the Heart of Christ to sinners. One parish after another was gradually transformed. During his missions, he developed a deep compassion for sinners trapped in cycles of sin, particularly prostitutes. To address their needs, he founded the Order of Our Lady of Charity of the Refuge in 1641, with the assistance of three Visitation sisters. The purpose of this order was to provide spiritual and material aid to repentant prostitutes who needed help to change their ways.
After ten years of preaching missions, Father Eudes began to notice that although people initially changed after a mission, they quickly fell back into their sins without ongoing spiritual support and guidance. To remedy this, Father Eudes turned his attention to the formation of the clergy. He realized he couldn’t single-handedly evangelize and offer ongoing spiritual support to everyone, and so, in 1643, he left the Oratory and founded the Society of Jesus and Mary, later known as the Eudists. The aim of this new congregation was to provide for the formation of seminarians and parish missions. Over the next thirty years, Father Eudes founded six major seminaries in France at Caen, Coutances, Lisieux, Rouen, Évreux, and Rennes. These seminaries not only formed seminarians but also welcomed priests for further education, formation, and retreats, and offered teachings to the laity.
Devotion was at the heart of Father Eudes’ ministry, and his most enduring legacies are his promotion of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Holy Heart of Mary. In 1648, with the permission of the local bishop, he instituted a feast in honor of the Holy Heart of Mary, fostering a realization of the love that the Blessed Mother had for her Son and for all people. Father Eudes later composed a Mass and Office in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which he celebrated with the bishop’s permission for the first time in 1670. His goal was to reveal the infinite and personal love of Christ Jesus for His people. Providentially, in 1673, a French nun and mystic, later to be a saint, named Sister Margaret Mary Alacoque began to have visions of Jesus, in which He conveyed the importance of devotion to His Sacred Heart.
Saint John Eudes emerged as one of many saints within the Church in France during a time of spiritual renewal, using the weapons of personal devotion, prayer, adoration, frequent Communion, and Confession. Hearts were transformed, not just minds. To ensure that this renewal would be ongoing, he dedicated himself and his newly founded order to the formation of priests, providing good shepherds who emulated the Heart of Jesus to God’s people.
“Saint John Eudes.” My Catholic Life! 7 May 2024. https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/august-19-saint-john-eudes-priest .
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