St. John Eudes
Feast day: August 19
Born on a farm in Normandy, France, John joined the Congregation of the Oratory and was ordained at 24. He worked tirelessly for the sick and the poor, especially caring for victims of the plague that struck Normandy in 1625 and 1631. John founded the Congregation of Jesus and Mary, also called the Eudists. Reforming and starting seminaries, he opposed the heresy of Jansenism and helped spread devotion to the Sacred Heart. He also organized an order of nuns to care for former prostitutes. John died in 1680 and was canonized in 1925. He is patron of Eudists and of missionaries.
Collect
O God, who wonderfully chose the Priest Saint John Eudes
to proclaim the unfathomable riches of Christ,
grant us, by his example and teachings,
that, growing in knowledge of you,
we may live faithfully by the light of the Gospel.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
