27 September Saint Vincent de Paul
A life of service to the poor and the least ones
“God loves the poor, consequently, he loves those who love the poor”, Saint Vincent de Paul often said to his collaborators. Born in Pouy, a small town in Landes, France, on 24 April 1581, to a peasant family, he never forgot that as a child he tended pigs and cows. His father sent him to Dax to study at the College of the Cordeliers, directed by the Franciscans, in the hopes that he could receive an education that would help with the family’s expenses.
To be released from poverty, he decided to become a priest. Thanks to the financial aid of some benefactors, he was able to complete his ecclesiastical studies, and on 23 September 1600, he was ordained a priest. He later moved to Paris where he served as Chaplain and Almoner of Marguerite of Valois, Queen consort of France and Navarre. His meeting with Pierre de Bérulle, founder of the Oratory of France, led him to what he described as “my conversion”.
In 1612, he was appointed Curate of Clichy, on the outskirts of Paris, where he took care of the sick and the poor. During that time, he met Saint Francis de Sales, an encounter that marked his life, and led him to learn how to soften his fiery character with tenderness.
He then served as tutor to the noble Gondi family, who managed the royal galleys, and was appointed Chaplain of the galleys. While he was in this position, he witnessed the misery of so many people forced to live in inhumane conditions on the ships.
Troubled by the physical and moral condition of people in the countryside, he set aside his career ambitions, and dedicated himself entirely to the poor and the abandoned. He was moved to the rural parish of Châtillon-sur-Dombes, now known as Châtillon-sur-Chalaronne, where on 20 August 1617, he was informed about an entire family that was sick and had nothing to eat. He went to the pulpit of the Church and called everyone to show charity, and take care of that family. On that occasion, he understood that it was not enough to simply show solidarity among peasants. Something more was needed, something new to meet the many necessities of those in need.
Three days later, on 23 August, he founded a lay association to assist the poor. The Confraternities of Charity were born. At the beginning, their membership included men and women, but in time membership became limited to women. The volunteers were called to serve the poor. They later took on the name of Ladies of Charity. Because the Gondis wanted Saint Vincent to also care for the spiritual condition of the peasants who lived on their properties, Vincent decided to establish a group of clerics to be formed specifically for rural ministry. On 17 April 1625, the Gondis signed a contract with Vincent, with which they gave him a pension in financial support of his project for the Congregation of the Mission. His spiritual sons were called Lazarists because they hailed from the priory of Saint Lazarus in Paris. The Motto chosen for these clerics was “He has sent me to bring the Good News to the poor”.
On 29 November 1623, he founded the “little” company of the Daughters of Charity, with Saint Louise de Marillac. He did not wish the Daughters to be cloistered. He did not want them to make vows, or to live in the safety of convents with grilles and parlours. He wanted them to be free and available for service to the least ones. Their lives were to be simple, without a proper chapel and with a house that was similar to those of the poor. The founder was not afraid to send his Daughters wherever they were needed, even at the cost of risking their lives. They were sent to battlefields, prisons, hospitals and areas where criminal activities took place. The experience of the Daughters of Charity had a significant impact on the evolution of female consecrated life, and over the centuries, became a model for many Institutes with an active life.
Because of his works of charity and assistance, Louis XIII chose Vincent as his councilor and entrusted himself to him before he died. His zeal for the salvation of souls spurred him to send his priests on Mission in areas where spiritual ignorance was widespread. His love for souls was as big as his love for the corporeal needs of the poor.
Vincent died on 27 September 1660, uttering “Jesus” as his last word. He was buried in the Church of Saint Lazarus in Paris. His mortal remains are currently in the Chapel of Saint Vincent de Paul in Paris. He was proclaimed a Saint on 16 June 1737 by Clement XII. He is the Patron Saint of nurses, slaves, convicts, prisoners and Catholic charitable societies.