A member of a Catholic religious congregation founded in France in the 17th century, dedicated to priestly education and missionary work.
From French Eudiste, derived from the name of Saint John Eudes (Eudès in French), the founder of the congregation. The term combines the saint's name with the suffix -ist to indicate followers or members.
Saint John Eudes was so focused on reforming the priesthood that he founded a whole congregation dedicated to it—the Eudists became especially important in training missionaries to spread Catholicism during the Age of Exploration.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.