John Eudes

Saint John Eudes (1601-1680) was a French priest, preacher, and founder of several religious congregations. Born in Ri, Orne, he joined the Oratory of France in 1623. He became a popular missionary, traveling throughout France to preach parish missions. In 1643, he left the Oratory to found the Congregation of Jesus and Mary (the Eudists), a society of priests dedicated to the formation of the clergy and to missions. In 1641, he had already founded the Order of Our Lady of Charity for repentant women, from which Mother Mary Euphrasia Pelletier would later found the Sisters of the Good Shepherd. John Eudes is particularly known for his major role in promoting and systematizing the devotion to the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, writing treatises and composing liturgical offices in their honor. His spirituality was centered on the life and mystery of Christ. He was canonized in 1925.