John Eudes (1601–1680)

Biography

Faith is lived in the Eudes-Corbin family. The father and mother pray the Divine Office every day. The Lord blesses them with seven children. At the age of fourteen he entered a Jesuit school, who would direct him towards good deeds. Later he felt attracted to priestly life and communicated this to his parents, who received the news with great joy. He was ordained a priest in 1620. In 1622 the Berulle Oratory was founded in Caen. Soon John discovered the wonders of those priests who "breathed nothing but holy things, leaving the profane to the profane and who carried deeply engraved in themselves the authority of God, the holiness of God and the light of God." He will always remember with great joy the day and moment in which he was welcomed to be part of this Oratory. Divine Providence always guided his steps and wanted in those years of great splendor for France that this man, without any pretension on his part, influenced the progress of that great nation, much more than other great and powerful people. One of the things that concerned him most was to train the clergy with dignity. "HERE IS," he says, "THE FUTURE OF THE CHURCH BOTH IN FRANCE AND IN THE WHOLE WORLD." He leaves the Oratory very much against himself and dedicates himself to the training of the clergy. His primary apostolate is to spread devotion to the Sgdos everywhere. Hearts of Jesus and Mary. For this reason he founded the Institute of Jesus and Ma. Approval from Rome comes. Many difficulties, slander, persecutions come to him. He never forgets his martyrdom vow that he made in 1636. He died on August 19, 1680. His palm of bloodless martyrdom was a fact.