19/08/2025                                                                            
                                    
                                                                            
                                            SAINT OF THE DAY
St. John Eudes was born on November 14, 1601, in Ri, Normandy, France. At 14, he enrolled in the Jesuit college in Caen and later joined the Congregation of the Oratory of France in 1623, choosing a life of faith over his parents' wishes for him to marry. He was ordained in 1625 and committed himself to caring for those afflicted by the plague in Normandy.
Celebrated for his powerful preaching and skill in confession, John Eudes opposed the Jansenism movement. In 1641, he helped establish a refuge in Caen for women seeking a fresh start.
Two years later, in 1643, he left the Oratorians to found the Congregation of Jesus and Mary, known as the Eudists, aiming to improve clergy education and undertake missionary work, though he encountered difficulties in securing Papal approval.
Undeterred by obstacles, he founded seminaries in multiple French dioceses and, in 1666, obtained Papal approval for the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity of the Refuge. He also encouraged devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Holy Heart of Mary, creating prayers and a Mass to honor these devotions.
St. John Eudes passed away on August 19th and was canonized in 1925. His feast day is celebrated annually on this date.