St. Vincent de Paul

Born in 1581 to a Gascon peasant family at Ranquine, now called Saint-Vincent-de-Paul, Landes, Vincent was ordained priest at the early age of 19 after being educated by the Franciscans at Dax, then finishing his education at Toulouse University. There is a story that early in his life Vincent was captured and enslaved while visiting Marseilles, he was supposed to have spent two years in Tunisia before escaping to Avignon, this story seems to have no basis of truth at all. His real life, although not so melodramatic, was, in fact much more worthwhile and meaningful.

In fact, early in his life, Vincent was made a court chaplain, his true conversion to the Christian faith was occasioned by being wrongly accused of theft. In 1609 he was associated with Pierre, later cardinal, de Berulle and became tutor to the children of the

Gondi family. In 1617 he was made parish priest of Chatillon-les-Dombes. All through his life Vincent combined his apostolate among the rich and fashionable with utter devotion to the poor and oppressed. As chaplain to the Gondi family he was able to help the prisoners in the galleys and in 1622 gave missions to the convicts at Bordeaux.

In 1625 he founded his own congregation of priests, the Vincentians, who would live from a communal fund, they would renounce all church preferments and devote their lives to the faithful in smaller towns and villages. Its purpose was to re-establish a flexible apostolic life among the diocesan clergy. In 1633 the order was given the Paris priory church of Saint-Lazare, from then on Vincent's order was also known as Lazarists. In the same year Vincent founded the Sisters of Charity, the first unenclosed congregation of women to be entirely devoted to the care of the poor and the sick, in this he fulfilled the original plan of Francis de Sales , which had been transformed into a more traditional type of order by the Roman Church. Vincent's order, led by Louise de Marilac, it's first superior was an immense success especially in providing hospital care for the poor.

Even in his lifetime Vincent became a much loved legend. The rich, the poor, the clergy and the much abused convicts all experienced the charisma and selfless devotion of a man totally consumed by the love of God and his neighbour. Rich women collected funds and helped practically in his many good works. He provided abundant alms for war victims in Lorraine and he sent missionaries to Poland, Ireland and Scotland and the Isles. From 1643 he became influential at the court of Anne of Austria, during her regency, she greatly valued his advice, except when he tried to persuade her to dismiss her favourite. Cardinal Mazarin. During all his activities he kept a watchful eye out for signs of Jansenism, a heresy he was greatly opposed to. Vincent died in 1669 just short of his eightieth birthday. He was canonised by Clement XII in 1737 and was made patron saint of all charitable societies by Leo XIII.

John Hayward