Saint Vincent dePaul

July 19 Feastday

St. Vincent was born of poor parents in the village of Pouy in Gascony, France, about 1580. He enjoyed his first schooling under the Franciscan Fathers at Acqs. Such had been his progress in four years that a gentleman chose him as sub preceptor to his children, and he was thus enabled to continue his studies without being a burden to his parents.  In 1596, he went to the University of Toulouse for theological studies, and there he was ordained priest in 1600. In 1605, on a voyage by sea from Marseilles to Narbonne, he fell into the hands of African pirates and was carried as a slave to Tunis. His captivity lasted about two years, until Divine Providence enabled him to effect his escape. After a brief visit to Rome he returned to France, where he became preceptor in the family of Emmanuel de Gondy, Count of Goigny, and General of the galleys of France. In 1617, he began to preach missions, and in 1625, he lay the foundations of a congregation which afterward became the Congregation of the Mission or Lazarists, so named on account of the Prioryof St. Lazarus, which the Fathers began to occupy in 1633. It would be impossible to enumerate all the works of this servant of God. Charity was his predominant virtue. It extended to all classes of persons, from forsaken childhood to old age. The Sisters of Charity also owe the foundation of their congregation to St. Vincent. In the midst of the most distracting occupations his soul was always intimately united with God. Though honored by the great ones of the world, he remained deeply rooted in humility. The Apostle of Charity, the immortal Vincent de Paul, breathed his last in Paris at the age of eighty.    He is the patron of charitable societies.

Imitating the Virtue of Saint Vincent dePaul as taught by our own Lord and Savior Feed the Hungry Give Drink to the Thirsty These two works of mercy start out with the many little things we can do for others such as providing a hot meal or a cold cup of water for a loved one. Our care is extended to our community through programs for the elderly, the sick, and the needy. These programs would be ineffective without food donations, cash contributions, and volunteered time. Mercy can be expressed through our support of national and religious relief organizations, as well as being involved in self-help projects and supporting small businesses that benefit the needy Clothe the naked Our Savior Jesus Christ told us in the Gospels that if a person has two coats he should give one away. Perhaps the need to clothe the naked isn’t apparent in your immediate neighborhood, but it does exist elsewhere. Contribute to your local shelter, maternity clothing drop-off centers, and Bishops’ appeals for the needy and refugees in your area. Shelter the homeless The unemployed living in abandoned cars or on the streets are in desperate straits, and agencies which help them need both material and spiritual support. Aging relatives may become homeless when they are forced to leave their homes or apartments. They’re often made to feel unwelcome or ignored in the homes of their kin. Remember the refugees transplanted to a foreign country, tenants forced out of their apartments by fire or eviction, the battered wife or unwed mother on her own; they are all homeless and in need of shelter, companionship, and help in resettlement. Comfort the imprisoned Helping captives or the imprisoned is not limited to joining a prison ministry or volunteer organizations. Some people are imprisoned within the walls of their own homes -- such as the handicapped, the sick, the elderly, the new mother with little or no help. For them, comfort may be provided by a visit, a shopping trip, a helping hand once a week, or merely a short chat on the telephone. Visit the sick Hospital calls or a weekly visit to a nursing home are sometimes viewed with the concern, “Am I really helping?” Put yourself in their place. A short visit to a hospital room, a prayer said at a neighbor’s bedside, or time and talent shared at a local nursing home are sources of blessing for the person being visited and for those who volunteer Bury the Dead Plague-ridden bodies no longer litter the streets. Modern funeral practices have taken the details of caring for the dead out of our hands. But the personal expression of sympathy, a hug or handshake at the vigil or funeral service, or any assistance to a grieving family are important to them. Religious ceremonies remember the dead and celebrate their passing into eternal life. We are also expected to support the living in their sorrow. There is not one of us who will not grieve the loss of a loved one at some time, so let’s show we care and make others’ burdens a little lighter.

Vincent de Paul died in Paris in 1660. In 1737 he was canonized by Pope Clement XII. His bones are encased in a wax figure, and rest in a reliquary in the chapel of the Vincentian Fathers in Paris. His still incorrupt heart is enclosed on the altar of his shrine  in the motherhouse of the Sisters of Charity in Paris.