Proclaim
Nurture faith
Proclaim the Gospel through witness, prayer, teaching, and pastoral ministry. Accompany communities and meet people in their everyday lives.
← HomeOur History
Congregation of Jesus and Mary
Our History
and Mission
With a big heart and great love.
Since 1643, the Congregation of Jesus and Mary has carried a twofold mission: to proclaim the Gospel and form priests after the Heart of God, serving the Christian life of all the baptized.
John Eudes · 1601–16801643 · A founding vision
Proclaim the Word.
Form pastors.
In 1643, John Eudes gathered a small group of companions to support the Christian life of the baptized. He entrusted them with two complementary commitments: to share the Word of God and to form priests animated by the love of God.
The Congregation of Jesus and Mary, commonly known as the Eudists, was born from this inspiration. Moved by the love of Jesus, John Eudes carried in his heart the hardships and needs of the men and women of his time. Following his example, the Eudists seek boldly to open paths that help the Kingdom of Jesus grow in diverse cultures and contexts.
Discover his writings →Two complementary commitments
Evangelize and form
Accompany
Form to serve
Contribute to the formation of priests and laypeople, and support their discernment and commitment. Seminaries, spiritual centers, and educational institutions are places where this mission is carried out.
This twofold apostolic purpose is set out in Articles 10 and 23 of the Congregation’s Constitutions.
A society of apostolic life
Fraternity at the heart of the mission
Priests, deacons, and laypeople, whether incorporated or associated, share in prayer, experience, and apostolic commitment. Community life helps each person grow in charity and serve alongside others. It offers mutual support, discernment, and sharing: the mission is nourished by prayer and by the experience of living together.
Associates bring their experience and share in the Eudist spiritual heritage. The diversity of vocations, generations, and cultures enriches this family and its presence in the world. Incorporated members and associates each bring their gifts to a common apostolic commitment in a spirit of shared responsibility.
Parishes and chaplaincies
Accompany communities and individuals on their journey of faith, proclaim the Word, and engage with the realities of everyday life.
Formation and education
Serve in seminaries, support the initial and ongoing formation of priests, form laypeople, and accompany Catholic education.
Spiritual life
Welcome, pray, and share in spiritual centers and fraternal gatherings. The witness of daily life, prayer, and teaching all contribute to renewing the faith.
An international family
One shared purpose,
many horizons
In Europe, Africa, the Americas, and the Philippines, the Eudists adapt their service to the needs of local churches. Each community contributes to a shared mission, enriched by its culture. Associates share in the Eudist spiritual heritage and contribute their apostolic experience.
Eudists
500The Congregation has nearly 500 Eudists in 20 countries, including 120 in formation. 800 associates, laypeople, priests, and permanent deacons who share responsibility for the Congregation’s spiritual heritage, fraternal life, and apostolic experience.
Students
100,000Minuto de Dios University (UNIMINUTO), founded in 1992 by Fr. Rafael García-Herreros, has more than 100,000 students. It operates in nearly every department of Colombia, with a foundation in Côte d’Ivoire and projects in Togo and Peru.
Communities
72The Congregation has 72 local communities sharing in the mission: incorporated members, those in probation, and associates serving in the formation of seminarians, priests, and laypeople, in the Congregation’s own institutions or in collaboration with dioceses.
Homes
50,000By 2005, Minuto de Dios had built more than 50,000 homes. By 2017, Minuto de Dios had also rebuilt 154,622 homes, sponsored 641 children and supported 60,000 microenterprises.
Figures adapted from the Congregation’s presentation. They reflect the periods covered by that publication; the housing figures date from 2005 and 2017.
One vocation, many faces
The joy of being Eudists
“We want to show the proud and joyful face of who we are as Eudists, with the great richness of our differences across Provinces and generations. We want to embody with joy what it means to be Eudist—as an incorporated member or an associate, as a man or a woman, in our diverse cultures and social situations—welcoming the other person’s contribution as a revelation of my own identity.”
Our communities around the world
Provinces and Vicariates
Province of France
When Saint John Eudes died on August 19, 1680, the Congregation of Jesus and Mary had about forty members, who would later be called Eudists. At that time, they ran six seminaries in Normandy and Brittany and led parish missions. In 2022, the Eudists in France lived in eight communities, serving priestly formation, education, parish ministry, spiritual life, and many diocesan needs.
Visit the website ↗Province of Colombia
The Eudist Province of Colombia spans six countries: Mexico, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic in Central America; and Colombia, Brazil, and Ecuador in South America. The Eudists lead spiritual centers and parishes, where they help form lay missionary disciples and contribute to the initial and ongoing formation of diocesan priests.
Visit the website ↗Vicariate of North America
The Eudists played a leading role in the religious and social history of North America. Their influence was felt through the establishment of religious communities, the formation of priests, parish missions, and the founding of houses and seminaries. They left a lasting mark on the Church in Canada and helped preserve the French language in Quebec and Acadia.
Visit the website ↗Province of Venezuela
In Venezuela, the Eudists live out their mission in several ways: proclaiming the Gospel through teams of lay missionaries, serving on diocesan seminary teams, animating basic Christian communities, and taking on parish responsibilities.
Visit the website ↗Province of Africa
The Eudists have been present in Africa since 1958. Today they have communities in Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, Togo, Burkina Faso, and Kenya. Their ministries include initial and ongoing priestly formation, spiritual centers, works of mercy in health care and with children, higher education in vocational and agroecological fields, and parish ministry.
Visit the website ↗Minuto de Dios
The Minuto de Dios foundation was established by the Eudist priest Rafael García-Herreros to serve a wide range of needs. The Eudists contribute to primary, secondary, and university education, as well as to immediate relief after disasters and long-term solidarity efforts such as building entire neighborhoods and supporting small businesses. They run support centers for people living with HIV, operate radio and television networks, and proclaim the Gospel through the grace of the Charismatic Renewal. They also work for peace and the country’s reconstruction and serve in parishes. The Province is present in Colombia, Nicaragua, and Peru.
Visit the website ↗Vicariate of the Philippines
The Vicariate of the Philippines was established when it separated from the Province of North America. From 2006 to January 2024, North American Eudists worked with Filipinos to develop this mission of evangelization and formation. It now includes several incorporated members and seminarians.
Visit the website ↗