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 EUCRATES

596

EUDISTS

gion, sive Rituale Grsecorum, 2nd ed., Venice, fol., 1720); this is still the standard work of reference for Byzantine rites.

Adrian Fortescue.

Eucrates. See Moschus, John.

Eudaemonism. See Hedonism.

Eudes, Jean, Blessed, French missionarj' 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, U Nov., 1001 ; d. at Caen, 19 Aug., 1680. He was a brother of tlie French historian, Francois Eudes de Mezeray. -4t 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 Berulle and de Condren. He was ordained priest 20 Dec, 1625, and began his sacerdotal life with he- roic labours for the victims of the plague, then ravag- ing the country. As a missionarj', Father Eudes became famous. Since the time of St. ^'incent Fer- rer, France had probably not seen a greater. He was called by Olier ''the prodigy of his age". In 16-11 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 approba- tion of Cardinal de Richelieu and a great number of others. Father Eudes severed his connexion 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, 16-13, and was considered a most important and urgent work (see Eudists).

Father Eudes, during his long life, preached not less than one hundred and ten missions, three at Paris, one at Versailles, one at St-Germain-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 devo- tion 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 Jesus"; "Le contrat de I'homme avec Dieu par le Saint Bapteme"; " Le Memorial de la vie Ecclesiastique"; "Le Bon Confesseur"; " Le Prcdicateur .Apostolique"; " Le Coeur Admirable de la Tres Sainte Mere 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 pro- po.scd for his beatification were approved by Pius X, 3 May, 1908, and he was beatified 25 April, 1909.

(Euvres Complilr.i du IVn. J. Eudes (1905 — ); Montiony, Vic du R. P. Jean Eudr.i (P.-iria. 1827); Hkiumbou RG, Le Pere Elides, ses vrrlu.i ( Paris. 1869); Martine, Vie du P. Eudes (Caen, 1880); BounY, Vie du V. Jean Eudes (Paris); ,Ioly. Le VVn, Pere Eudes (Paris, 1907); Le DorA, Le Plre Eudes. Premier Apdlre des Sacr/a CiTurs de Jesus el de Marie (Paris, 1870); Les Sacria Caurs el le V. P. Eudes (Paris, 1891); Ohy, Let Origines

de X6ire Dame de ChariU (AbbeWlle, 1891); Nilles, De Ralioni- bus iestorum SS. Cordium Jesu et Mariw (Innsbruck, 1889).

Charles Lebrdn.

Eudists, or Society or Jesus and Mary, an eccle- siastical society instituted at Caen, France, 25 March, 1643, by the Venerable Jean Eudes. The principal works of the society are the education of priests in seminaries and the giving of missions. The end ■which Father Eudes assigned to his society made him decide not to introduce religious vows. He was per- suaded that, better than religious, priests, finding in the very dignity with which they were invested the reason and means of rising to eminent perfection, were in a position to inspire \'oung clerics with a high idea of the priesthood and of the sanctity which it required. He also felt that bishops would not so willingly give their seminaries over to priests who were not entirely subject to them. Father Eudes shared the opinions of Cardinal de Berulle and Father Olier, who did not think it proper to admit religious vows in the orders which they founded. Even St. Vincent de Paul did so only after great hesitation and on the condition, rati- fietl by the sovereign pontiff, that the Priests of the Mission should not form a religious order, properly so called, but an ecclesiastical society.

The Society of Jesus and Mary is not, therefore, a religious order, but an ecclesiastical body untler the immediate jurisdiction of the bishops, to aid in the formation of the clergy. It is composed of priests, and of postulants who are admitted after a probation of three years and three months. There are also lay brothers employed in temporal affairs, but who do not wear the ecclesiastical habit. To develop the spirit of Jesus Christ in the members of the society, Father Eudes caused to be celebrated every year in his seminaries the feast of the Holy Priesthood of Jesus Christ and of all Holy Priests and Levites. After the feast of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary it is one of the principal in the community. The solemnity begins on 13 November and is celebrated with an octave. It thus serves as a preparation for the renewal of the clerical promises on 21 Novem- ber, the feast of the Presentation of the Blessed \'ir- gin. As early as 1649 Father Eudes had prepared an Office proper to the feast. Some years later the feast and office were adopted by the Sulpician Fathers. Although not a religious order, the Society of Jesus and Mary is subject to discipline which does not dif- fer from that of orders with simple vows. The ad- ministration is modelled on that of the Oratory to which Father Eudes had belonged for twenty years. The supreme authority resides in a general assembly which names the superior general and which is called, at intervals, to control his administration. It alone can make permanent laws. In the intervals between the general .assemblies, the superior general, named for life, exercises full authority in matters spiritual and temporal. He has the right to name and depo.se local superiors, to fix the personnel of each house, to make the annual visit, to admit, and, in case of neces- sity, to dismiss, subjects, to accept or to give up foundations, and, in general, to perform, or at least to authorize, all important acts. He is aided by assis- tants, named by the general assembly, who have a deciding vote in temporal affairs, and a consulting vote only in other cjuestions.

During the lifetime of Father Eudes, the society founded seminaries at Caen (1643), Coutances (1650), Lisieux (1653), Rouen (1658), Evreux (1667), and Rennes (1670). The.se were all "grand" seminaries; Father Eudes never thought of founding any other. He admitted, however, besides clerical students, priests with newly granted benefices who came for further study, those who wished to make retreats, and even lay students who followed the cotir.ses of the Faculty of Theology. After his death directors were