Marian Spirituality and the Vincentian Charism

1. MarianSpiritualityand
theVincentianCharism

2. Spirituality
• The specific way in which a person
is rooted in God
• The specific way in which a person
relates to the world
• A way of seeing Christ and being in
Him that directs the individual’s
energies in the service of the
kingdom
Ukrainian text: “What you did for the least of my brothers, you did to me.”

3. MarianSpirituality
Finding the inspiration to follow Christ in Mary
• Mary - perfect disciple of Christ
and the first Christian by her
attitudes
• Serves as a challenge and
inspiration to embody Christian
attitudes and values

4. VincentianCharism
• Gift of the Spirit shared by all who
follow St. Vincent de Paul and St.
Louise de Marillac in the various
institutions and associations which
have arisen under their inspiration
and who endeavor to live out,
maintain, deepen, and constantly
develop this gift in harmony with
the Body of Christ which is in
continuous growth

5. MarianSpirituality
Within the Vincentian Charism
• Mary’s life
• The Church’s faith
• Mary in the life of Vincent and
Louise
• Experience of the Vincentian
Family since the apparitions to St.
Catherine Labouré

6. MaryinthelifeofVincent
• Story of the young Vincent placing a
picture of the Virgin in the hollow of
an oak tree to offer her the homage
of his prayers
• Frequently visited the ruined
sanctuary of Our Lady of Buglose
• Celebrated his first Mass at a church
dedicated to Our Lady (1600)
• Made a pilgrimage to Notre Dame de
Buglose with his family (1623)
Vincent de Paul is presented by Mary to Jesus in heaven

7. MaryinthelifeofVincent
• Participated in a pilgrimage to
Chartres (1639)
• Usually ends his letters with the
phrase “In the love of Our Lord and
His holy Mother”
• Proposed Mary to be the patroness
of the Confraternities of Charity
• Sang the Salve Regina during his
captivity, and attributed his release
to the help of the Mother of God
continued

8. MaryinthelifeofVincent
• During the time of St. Vincent we have
Catholic reactions to the Protestant
Reformation (called the Counter-
Reformation) which brought about an
increase in, and oftentimes excessive
devotion to, Mary
• St. Vincent tried to be careful not to
commit these mistakes which may explain
why in the more than 8,000 pages of his
letters and conferences, we only find two
hundred references to the Virgin Mary
continued

9. MaryinthelifeofVincent
• Vincent accepted that the
Daughters of Charity would be
consecrated to the Virgin Mary and
urged them to say the Rosary and
Angelus
• Vincent recommended that the
members of the Congregation of
the Mission have a special devotion
to the Blessed Virgin
continued
Vincent de Paul presenting Daughter of Charity seminary
sisters (novices) and directress to Mary, with visible heart;
original in Daughter of Charity house, Turin

10. VincentSuggestedMaryasaModel
and focused on three events in her life:
• The Immaculate Conception
• The Annunciation
• The Visitation
Vincent de Paul presents his works to Mary, Jesus, Joseph

11. MaryinthelifeofLouise
• Contrary to that of St. Vincent,
Mary’s presence in St. Louise’s
writings and correspondences are
rich, abundant and sometimes
written in a systematic way
• She presents Mary as God’s
collaborator in the Incarnation, full
of grace, mother of the Company,
etc.

12. ExperienceoftheVincentian
Familysincetheapparitionto
St.CatherineLabouré
• St. Catherine and the message of the Medal
of the Mother of God (1830) has had a
significant influence on the life of all the
groups in the Vincentian Family. At the time
of the apparitions the CM and DC and the
Confraternities of Charity were practically
dispersed, and more or less fragmented.
• The Miraculous Medal and its Marian
Spirituality are important in understanding
the rebirth of former Vincentian
foundations after the devastation of the
French Revolution.

13. Groupswhohaverooted
themselvesintheapparitions
toSt.CatherineLabouré
• Vincentian Marian Youth
• Association of the Miraculous
Medal
• Children of Mary
Beginning of Children of Mary in St. Louis en l'Ile, Paris.

14. St.JohnGabriel
Perboyre(1802-1840)
• Found strength to witness Christ by
his life in devotion to the Virgin
Mary. He propagated the
Miraculous Medal in China,
convinced that “the entire world be
filled with Mary’s mercy.”

15. BlessedFrederic
Ozanam(1813-1853)
• Died on the Feast of the Virgin
Mary, a feast to which he had great
devotion throughout his entire life.
He himself carried a medal and took
an interest in communicating the
conversion of Ratisbonne through
the intercession of the Virgin of the
Medal. He established the
Immaculate Conception (December
8) as the feast day of the Society of
St. Vincent de Paul

16. “LetustakeOurLadyasthemodelforourdailylivesandbearinmind
thatthebestwaytohonorherisbyimitatinghervirtues.Weshould
particu1arlyhonorherpuritysincewearethespousesofJesusChrist.
WeshouldalsoimitateherhumilitywhichledGodtodogreatthingsin
her.Followingtheexampleshegaveusbylivingapartfromherparents
asaveryyoungchild,wemustbedetachedfromallthings.Inallofour
actions,letuspracticethesevirtues,ofwhichMaryhasgivenusthe
example,andbeghertoofferthemtoherSoninourname.”
St.LouisedeMarillac
SpiritualWritings,p.785

17. From a presentation by Rolando F. Limjoco, Jr., C.M., based on:
Marian Spirituality and the Vincentian Charism by Corpus Delgado, C.M., 2002.
Available online at
https://vincentians.com/en/marian-spirituality-and-the-vincentian-charism/
and
The Blessed Virgin Mary in the Spiritual Experience of Saint Vincent
by Jean Pierre Renouard, C.M.
Available online at
https://wiki.famvin.org/en/
The_Blessed_Virgin_Mary_in_the_Spiritual_Experience_of_Saint_Vincent
Images: Depaul Image Archive