Saint of the day - August 19
John Eudes was a French Roman Catholic priest and the founder of both the Order of Our Lady of Charity in 1641, and Congregation of Jesus and Mary, also known as The Eudists, in 1643. He was also a professed member of the Oratory of Jesus until 1643. John authored the proper for the Mass and Divine Office of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin.
He was born at Ri, Normandy, France, on November 14, 1601, the son of a farmer. Despite his parents' wish that he marry, he joined the Congregation of the Oratory of France in 1623 and was ordained in 1625. During severe plagues in 1627 and 1631, he volunteered to care for the stricken in his own diocese, administering the sacraments and ensuring the dead received a proper burial. To avoid infecting his colleagues during this time, he lived in a huge cask in the middle of a field.
In 1633 he began preaching parish missions. John became a noted preacher and confessor with a flair for evangelization and his missions often lasted from several weeks to several months. He preached missions across France, including Paris and Versailles, while earning recognition as a popular evangelist and confessor. John Eudes was also a prolific writer and wrote on the Sacred Hearts despite opposition from the Jansenists.
In 1641 John founded a refuge for fallen women with Madeleine Lamy. He resigned from the Oratorians in 1643 and founded the Congregation of Jesus and Mary (the Eudists) at Caen. It was composed of secular priests and was dedicated to upgrading the clergy by establishing effective seminaries and to preaching missions.
He was also quite concerned about the spiritual improvement of priests and realized that the seminaries needed improvement. He founded several seminaries in the region including in Rennes. In 1674 he received six papal bulls of indulgences from Pope Clement X for confraternities and seminaries dedicated to the Sacred Hearts.
John founded seminaries at Lisieux in 1653 and Rouen in 1659. He continued giving missions and established new seminaries at Evreux in 1666 and Rennes in 1670. He shared with St. Mary Margaret Alacoque the honor of initiating devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Holy Heart of Mary. He composed the Mass for the Sacred Heart in 1668.
Pope Leo XIII gave him the title of "Author of the Liturgical Worship of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Holy Heart of Mary". Eudes dedicated the chapels of the Caen and Coutances seminaries to the Sacred Heart. The feast of the Immaculate Heart of the Mother of God was celebrated for the first time on 8 February 1648 and that of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on 20 October 1672. He composed various rosaries and prayers dedicated to the Sacred Heart.
John died at Caen on August 19th and was canonized by Pope Pius XI on 31 May 1925.
Other Saints of the Day
1. Saint Andrew the Tribune
2. Saint Bertulf of Bobbio
3. Saint Magnus of Avignon
4. Saint John Yano
5. Saint Namadia
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