Key teaching moments in the life of St. Vincent de Paul.

1. The Life of St. Vincent de Paul
as Parable

2. The
Beginnings:
1581-1609

3. Dealing with our roots and shame
The
Word:
Mark
5:25-­‐34;
2
Corinthians
4:5-­‐15
• Born
in
Pouy,
France,
third
of
six
children
of
poor,
peasant
family
• April
24,
1581
• Studies
humani9es
in
Dax,
theology
in
Toulouse
• 1595-­‐1600
• Shame
over
father
and
humble
origins

4. The poverty of our first motives
The
Word:
Mark
10:35-­‐45
• Vincent
ordained
September
23,
1600
by
84
year
bishop
in
Chateau
l’Eveque
• Dimissorial
leKers
falsely
tes9fy
he
had
proper
canonical
age
of
24

5. “The disfigured and desolated . . .
Holy Spouse of the Savior”
v 1597:
“Over
one
hundred
and
forty
bishoprics
and
forty-­‐three
sees
are
vacant
.
.
.
Not
many
of
them
[the
bishops]
are
intelligent,
.
.
.
and
hence
the
number
of
ignorant,
mendicant
priests
.
.
.
.”
v 1643:
“Concubinage
and
drunkenness
among
the
clergy
were
widespread
.
.
.
.
and
looked
upon
as
common
prac9ce.”
The
Word:
Revela=on
21

6. Dealing with scandal
v 1600-­‐1604:
Returned
to
Toulouse
to
pursue
baccalaureate
in
theology
v 1605-­‐1607:
disappears;
the
account
of
the
Barbary
pirates
v 1607-­‐1608:
in
Avignon
and
Rome
The
Word:
Ma>hew
18:5-­‐9

7. The
Formative
Years:
1609-1617

8. Vital importance of a good spiritual
director and friend
v 1608:
arrives
in
Paris
seeking
a
benefice;
meets
Pierre
de
Berulle,
member
of
the
par2
devot
v 1609:
falsely
accused
of
the
v 1610:
leKer
to
mother,
“But
I
have
such
trust
in
God’s
grace,
that
He
will
bless
my
efforts
and
will
soon
give
me
the
means
of
an
honorable
re9rement
so
that
I
may
spend
the
rest
of
my
days
near
you.”
The
Word:
Acts
9:23-­‐28;
11:21-­‐26;
13:1-­‐5

9. The process of metanoia, conversion
v 1610:
becomes
almoner
for
Marguerite
de
Valois,
repudiated
wife
of
Henri
IV
v 1610:
leKer
to
mother,
“But
I
have
such
trust
in
God’s
grace,
that
He
will
bless
my
efforts
and
will
soon
give
me
the
means
of
an
honorable
re9rement
so
that
I
may
spend
the
rest
of
my
days
near
you.”
v 1611-­‐1615:
endures
tempta9on
against
faith;
resolu9on
comes
from
decision
to
dedicate
full-­‐9me
to
service
of
the
poor
The
Word:
Mark
1:14-­‐20

10. Learning to honor the many gifts of the
Body of Christ
v 1612:
becomes
pastor
of
small
parish
of
Clichy
near
Paris
–
“This
[stay
at
Clichy]
gave
me
so
much
consola9on
and
made
me
so
happy
.
.
.
[to
be]
a
parish
priest
in
the
midst
of
such
goodhearted
people.
.
.
.
One
day
his
Eminence,
Cardinal
de
Retz,
asked
me,
‘Well,
sir,
how
are
you?‘
I
told
him,
‘My
Lord,
I
am
so
happy
that
I
cannot
express
it!’ ‘Why?’ ‘Because
I
have
such
good
people
.
.
.
.
‘”
The
Word:
1
Corinthians
12

11. Walking in faith, taking things one step
at a time
1612-­‐1617:
begins
residing
at
home
of
Philippe-­‐Emmanuel
de
Gondi,
general
of
the
galleys
of
France
–
involved
in
educa9on
of
de
Gondi
children,
spiritual
direc9on
of
me
de
Gondi,
catechizing
of
household
servants
The
Word:
Genesis
18:1-­‐15;
The
Book
of
Ruth

12. Apostolic
Fruitfulness:
1617-1660

13. Attentiveness to detail,
“events and circumstances”
v 1617:
death
bed
confession
of
farmer
in
Gannes
v January
25,
1617:
preaches
sermon
on
“General
Confession”
in
Folleville
The
Word:
Luke
21:1-­‐4;
Mark
8:1-­‐9

14. The Reign of God comes slowly
v Lent
1617:
flees
to
Cha9llon-­‐les-­‐Dombes
from
the
de
Gondi
estates
v August
to
December
1617:
established
first
“Confraternity
of
Charity”
for
the
assistance
of
the
poor
sick
v December
1617:
urged
by
Madame
de
Gondi
and
Berulle,
returns
to
de
Gondi
family;
begins
to
distance
himself
from
Berulle
and
consults
more
frequently
with
Andre
Duval
v 1618-­‐1624:
devoted
to
preaching
of
missions
and
establishing
of
Confraterni9es
of
Charity
on
the
de
Gondi
proper9es
The
Word:
Ma>hew
13:31-­‐33;
Mark
4:26-­‐29

15. The
first
Rule
–
and
all
subsequent
Rules
-­‐-­‐
of
the
Confraternity
of
Charity
are
personal,
par+cular,
and
detailed.
“The
one
whose
turn
it
is
.
.
.
will
prepare
the
meal,
take
it
to
the
sick
and,
drawing
near
them,
will
greet
them
joyfully
and
charitably.
She
will
place
the
liKle
tray
on
the
bed,
and
place
on
it
a
small
napkin,
an
eye-­‐cup,
a
spoon,
and
a
piece
of
bread.
She
will
have
the
sick
people
wash
their
hands
and
will
say
the
blessing
over
the
food;
she
will
put
the
soup
in
a
bowl,
arranging
everything
on
the
liKle
tray.”
The
Word:
1
Corinthians
13
Not how “much” but
how it is done

16. The Central Place of the Poor
v 1623:
returns
for
visit
to
Pouy;
renounces
all
desire
for
future
wealth;
endures
extreme
tempta9on
for
three
months
v 1624:
retreat
at
Soissons
–
received
the
grace
of
“indifference”
–
“took
away
the
pleasure
and
the
hurry”
–
regarding
the
founda9on
of
the
mission
v April
17,
1625:
founda9on
of
the
Congrega9on
of
the
Mission
for
the
“purpose
of
preaching
missions
to
poor
country
people.”
v 1625:
Vincent
meets
Louise
de
Marillac
v 1633:
approval
of
Congrega9on
of
Mission
by
Urban
VIII
v November
29,
1633:
first
Daughters
of
Charity
begin
living
with
Louise
de
Marillac
The
Word:
Ma>hew
19:13-­‐15;
25:31-­‐46;
1
Corinthians
1:26-­‐31

17. Overwhelming importance of example
and witness of life
v 1619:
mee9ng
St.
Francis
de
Sales
v 1620:
the
here9c
at
Montmirail
–
“I
cannot
believe
[in
the
Church
of
Rome]
while
the
Catholics
in
the
countryside
are
abandoned
into
the
hands
of
some
vicious
and
ignorant
pastors….
On
the
other
hand,
the
ci9es
are
filled
with
priests
and
friars
who
do
absolutely
nothing….
Do
you
want
to
convince
me
that
this
is
under
the
direc9on
of
the
Holy
Spirit?
I
cannot
believe
it.”
v 1631:
pre-­‐ordina9on
retreats
v 1633:
beginning
of
“Tuesday
Conferences”
v 1636:
establishment
of
first
of
18
seminaries
The
Word:
Ma>hew
5:1-­‐16