Jean Eudes
Encyclopedia
Jean Eudes was a French
missionary, founder of the Congregation of Jesus and Mary and of the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity of the Refuge
, and author of the Propers for Mass and Divine Office of the Sacred Heart
s of Jesus and Mary
.
, was a brother of the French historian François Eudes de Nézeray. At the age of fourteen he took a vow of chastity
.
After studying with the Jesuits at Caen
he joined the Oratorians on 25 March 1623. His masters and models in the spiritual life were Pierre de Bérulle
and the mystic
Charles de Condren. He was ordained a priest on 20 December 1625 and began his priestly life with heroic labours for the victims of the plague, which was ravaging the country.
Father Eudes became famous as a missionary. He was called by Jean-Jacques Olier
"the prodigy of his age".
In 1641 he founded the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity of the Refuge, to provide a refuge for prostitutes who wished to do penance. The society was approved by Pope Alexander VII
on 2 January 1666. It later also included a convent which in 1829 influenced Saint Mary Euphrasia Pelletier
who modeled her worldwide missions after Eudes.
With the approbation of Cardinal de Richelieu and a great number of others, Father Eudes severed his connection with the Oratory to establish the Congregation of Jesus and Mary (Eudists) for the education of priests and for missionary work. This congregation was founded at Caen on 25 March 1643, and was considered a most important and urgent work.
Father Eudes, during his long life, preached not less than 110 missions, three at Paris, one at Versailles, one at St-Germaine-en-Laye, and the others in different parts of France. Normandy
was the principal theatre of his apostolic labours. In 1674 he obtained from Pope Clement X
six bulls of indulgence
s for the Confraternities of the Sacred Heart
already erected or to be erected in the seminaries.
He also established the Society of the Heart of the Mother Most Admirable
-- which resembles the Third Orders of St. Francis
and St. Dominic. This society now numbers from 20,000 to 25,000 members. Father Eudes dedicated the seminary chapels of Caen and Coutances to the Sacred Hearts. The feast of the Holy Heart of Mary
was celebrated for the first time in 1648, and that of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in 1672, each as a double of the first class with an octave.
The Mass and Office proper to these feasts were composed by Father Eudes, who thus briefly preceded his contemporary the Saint Marguerite Marie Alacoque
in establishing the devotion to the Sacred Hearts. For this reason, Pope Leo XIII
, in proclaiming his virtues heroic in 1903, gave him the title of "Author of the Liturgical Worship of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Holy Heart of Mary".
He believed in the unity of the hearts of Jesus and Mary and wrote:
Father Eudes wrote a number of books remarkable for elevation of doctrine and simplicity of style. His principal works are:
He died at Caen on 19 August 1680.
by Pope Leo XIII
on 6 January 1903. The miracles proposed for his beatification
were approved by Pope Pius X
on 3 May 1908, and he was beatified on 25 April 1909. St. John Eudes was canonized in 1925. His feast day is August 19, the day of his death.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
missionary, founder of the Congregation of Jesus and Mary and of the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity of the Refuge
Sisters of Our Lady of Charity of the Refuge
Sisters of Our Lady of Charity of the Refuge is a Roman Catholic monastic order, founded in 1641 by St. Jean Eudes, at Caen, France.Moved by pity for abandoned women living a life of sin, Father Eudes at first attempted to unite the penitent among them and place them under the care of good and...
, and author of the Propers for Mass and Divine Office of the Sacred Heart
Sacred Heart
The Sacred Heart is one of the most famous religious devotions to Jesus' physical heart as the representation of His divine love for Humanity....
s of Jesus and Mary
Immaculate Heart of Mary
The Immaculate Heart of Mary originally The Sacred Heart of Mary is a devotional name used to refer to the interior life of Mary, her joys and sorrows, her virtues and hidden perfections, and, above all, her virginal love for God, her maternal love for her Son, Jesus, and her compassionate love for...
.
Biography
John Eudes, born at Ri, OrneRi, Orne
Ri is a commune in the Orne department in north-western France....
, was a brother of the French historian François Eudes de Nézeray. At the age of fourteen he took a vow of chastity
Chastity
Chastity refers to the sexual behavior of a man or woman acceptable to the moral standards and guidelines of a culture, civilization, or religion....
.
After studying with the Jesuits at Caen
Caen
Caen is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie region. It is located inland from the English Channel....
he joined the Oratorians on 25 March 1623. His masters and models in the spiritual life were Pierre de Bérulle
Pierre de Bérulle
Pierre de Bérulle was a French cardinal and statesman, one of the most important mystics of the 17th century in France, and founder of the French school of spirituality, who could count among his friends and disciples St. Vincent de Paul and St...
and the mystic
Christian mysticism
Christian mysticism refers to the development of mystical practices and theory within Christianity. It has often been connected to mystical theology, especially in the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions...
Charles de Condren. He was ordained a priest on 20 December 1625 and began his priestly life with heroic labours for the victims of the plague, which was ravaging the country.
Father Eudes became famous as a missionary. He was called by Jean-Jacques Olier
Jean-Jacques Olier
-Early life:At Lyon, where his father had become administrator of justice, he made a thorough classical course under the Jesuits ; he was encouraged to become a priest by St. Francis de Sales, who predicted his sanctity and great services to the Ccatholic Church. He studied philosophy at the...
"the prodigy of his age".
In 1641 he founded the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity of the Refuge, to provide a refuge for prostitutes who wished to do penance. The society was approved by Pope Alexander VII
Pope Alexander VII
Pope Alexander VII , born Fabio Chigi, was Pope from 7 April 1655, until his death.- Early life :Born in Siena, a member of the illustrious banking family of Chigi and a great-nephew of Pope Paul V , he was privately tutored and eventually received doctorates of philosophy, law, and theology from...
on 2 January 1666. It later also included a convent which in 1829 influenced Saint Mary Euphrasia Pelletier
Mary Euphrasia Pelletier
- Biography :She was born in the island of Noirmoutier, France of pious parents, on 31 July 1796, and received in baptism the name of Rose Virginie. She entered the community of "Our Lady of Charity of the Refuge" of Tours , in 1814, and made her profession in 1816, taking the name of Mary Saint...
who modeled her worldwide missions after Eudes.
With the approbation of Cardinal de Richelieu and a great number of others, Father Eudes severed his connection with the Oratory to establish the Congregation of Jesus and Mary (Eudists) for the education of priests and for missionary work. This congregation was founded at Caen on 25 March 1643, and was considered a most important and urgent work.
Father Eudes, during his long life, preached not less than 110 missions, three at Paris, one at Versailles, one at St-Germaine-en-Laye, and the others in different parts of France. Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
was the principal theatre of his apostolic labours. In 1674 he obtained from Pope Clement X
Pope Clement X
Pope Clement X , born Emilio Bonaventura Altieri, was Pope from 29 April 1670 to 22 July 1676.-Early life:Emilio Altieri was born in Rome, the son of Lorenzo Altieri and Victoria Delphini, a Venetian lady...
six bulls of indulgence
Indulgence
In Catholic theology, an indulgence is the full or partial remission of temporal punishment due for sins which have already been forgiven. The indulgence is granted by the Catholic Church after the sinner has confessed and received absolution...
s for the Confraternities of the Sacred Heart
Sacred Heart
The Sacred Heart is one of the most famous religious devotions to Jesus' physical heart as the representation of His divine love for Humanity....
already erected or to be erected in the seminaries.
He also established the Society of the Heart of the Mother Most Admirable
Immaculate Heart of Mary
The Immaculate Heart of Mary originally The Sacred Heart of Mary is a devotional name used to refer to the interior life of Mary, her joys and sorrows, her virtues and hidden perfections, and, above all, her virginal love for God, her maternal love for her Son, Jesus, and her compassionate love for...
-- which resembles the Third Orders of St. Francis
Francis of Assisi
Saint Francis of Assisi was an Italian Catholic friar and preacher. He founded the men's Franciscan Order, the women’s Order of St. Clare, and the lay Third Order of Saint Francis. St...
and St. Dominic. This society now numbers from 20,000 to 25,000 members. Father Eudes dedicated the seminary chapels of Caen and Coutances to the Sacred Hearts. The feast of the Holy Heart of Mary
Immaculate Heart of Mary
The Immaculate Heart of Mary originally The Sacred Heart of Mary is a devotional name used to refer to the interior life of Mary, her joys and sorrows, her virtues and hidden perfections, and, above all, her virginal love for God, her maternal love for her Son, Jesus, and her compassionate love for...
was celebrated for the first time in 1648, and that of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in 1672, each as a double of the first class with an octave.
The Mass and Office proper to these feasts were composed by Father Eudes, who thus briefly preceded his contemporary the Saint Marguerite Marie Alacoque
Marguerite Marie Alacoque
Marguerite Marie Alacoque or Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque was a French Roman Catholic nun and mystic, who promoted devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in its modern form.-Early life:...
in establishing the devotion to the Sacred Hearts. For this reason, Pope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII , born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci to an Italian comital family, was the 256th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, reigning from 1878 to 1903...
, in proclaiming his virtues heroic in 1903, gave him the title of "Author of the Liturgical Worship of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Holy Heart of Mary".
He believed in the unity of the hearts of Jesus and Mary and wrote:
"You must never separate what God has so perfectly united. So closely are Jesus and Mary bound up with each other that whoever beholds Jesus sees Mary; whoever loves Jesus, loves Mary; whoever has devotion to Jesus, has devotion to Mary."
Father Eudes wrote a number of books remarkable for elevation of doctrine and simplicity of style. His principal works are:
- "Le Royaume de Jésus"
- "Le contrat de l'homme avec Dieu par le Saint Baptême"
- "Le Mémorial de la vie Ecclésiastique"; "Le Bon Confesseur"
- "Le Prédicateur Apostolique"
- "Le Cœur Admirable de la Très Sainte Mère de Dieu". This last is the first book ever written on the devotion to the Sacred Hearts.
He died at Caen on 19 August 1680.
Veneration
His virtues were declared heroicHeroic virtue
Heroic virtue is a phrase coined by Augustine of Hippo to describe the virtue of early Christian martyrs and used by the Roman Catholic church. The Greek pagan term hero described a person with possibly superhuman abilities and great goodness, and "it connotes a degree of bravery, fame, and...
by Pope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII , born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci to an Italian comital family, was the 256th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, reigning from 1878 to 1903...
on 6 January 1903. The miracles proposed for his beatification
Beatification
Beatification is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a dead person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in his or her name . Beatification is the third of the four steps in the canonization process...
were approved by Pope Pius X
Pope Pius X
Pope Saint Pius X , born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto, was the 257th Pope of the Catholic Church, serving from 1903 to 1914. He was the first pope since Pope Pius V to be canonized. Pius X rejected modernist interpretations of Catholic doctrine, promoting traditional devotional practices and orthodox...
on 3 May 1908, and he was beatified on 25 April 1909. St. John Eudes was canonized in 1925. His feast day is August 19, the day of his death.
Source
Further reading
- Life Of The Venerable John Eudes by Charles De Montzey, Cousens Press 2008, ISBN 1409705374 http://books.google.com/books?id=uuZVWTXYATMC&pg=PA134&dq=god+United+eudes+jesus+mary&cd=7#v=onepage&q=sacred%20heart&f=false