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French missionary and founder of the Eudists and
of the Congregation of Our Lady of Charity; author of the liturgical worship
of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary; b. at Ri, France, 14 Nov., 1601; d.
at Caen, 19 Aug., 1680. He was a brother of the French historian, François
Eudes de Nézeray. At the age of fourteen he took a vow of chastity. After
brilliant studies with the Jesuits at Caen, he entered the Oratory, 25 March,
1623. His masters and models in the spiritual life were Fathers de Bérulle
and de Condren. He was ordained priest 20 Dec., 1625, and began his
sacerdotal life with heroic labours for the victims of the plague, then
ravaging the country. As a missionary, Father Eudes became famous. Since the
time of St. Vincent Ferrer, France had probably not seen a greater. He was
called by Olier "the prodigy of his age". In 1641 he founded the
Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Refuge, to provide a refuge for
women of ill-fame who wished to do penance. The society was approved by Alexander
VII, 2 Jan., 1666. With the approbation of Cardinal de Richelieu and a great
number of others, Father Eudes severed his connection with the Oratory to
establish the Society of Jesus and Mary for the education of priests and for
missionary work. This congregation was founded at Caen, 25 March, 1643, and
was considered a most important and urgent work.
Father Eudes, during his long life, preached not
less than one hundred and ten 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 Clement X six Bulls of indulgences 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 were composed by Father Eudes,
who thus had the honour of preceding the Blessed Margaret Mary 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". 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. His virtues
were declared heroic by Leo XIII, 6 Jan., 1903. The miracles proposed for his
beatification were approved by Pius X, 3 May, 1908, and he was beatified 25
April, 1909.
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