As a charming young priest, Vincent made many wealthy friends; he became chaplain to a queen and moved through the comfortable and luxurious aristocratic spheres of society. His life took a dramatic turn, when travelling home from Marseilles to collect a substantial donation, he was captured by Turkish pirates and sold into slavery by Muslim slavers. He escaped prison after two years, with his slave master, who eventually converted to Catholicism.
Returning to Paris, everywhere he looked he saw the hungry, the homeless, war refugees, neglected elderly and orphans, and devoted himself to their care. He also had special care for the spiritually abandoned. He observed that many people didn’t know how to make a good confession. So, he preached a parish mission on the topic that was so spiritually moving, stirring so many people to repentance, that Jesuits from a nearby town had to help with all the confessions.
For Vincent, care for the poor and a vibrant spiritual life went hand in hand. His spirituality and devotion to the poor, attracted many young men and priests, and so he formed a new religious order called the Congregation of the Mission. Members patterned themselves upon Christ, took the Gospel to the rural poor, and helped educated priests in their practical duties.
A wealthy friend helped Vincent form the Vincentians—a congregation of priests who took vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience and devoted themselves to work among the poor. Over time, Vincent established many confraternities of charity for the spiritual and physical relief of the poor and sick. Out of these groups grew the Vincentian nuns or Daughters of Charity who have served in our own diocese since 1865.
He also invited the wealthy women of Paris to fund his missionary projects. He founded several hospitals, collected relief funds for victims of war, and even ransomed slaves from North Africa.
He gave retreats to his fellow priests to help combat the spirit of worldliness which had made some of them lax in their spiritual lives. Many of them were inadequately trained, especially for hearing confessions. Priests can be needy too! So He and His Congregation helped to offer special training to make them better confessors.
Pope Leo XIII named him patron of all charitable societies. This includes of course, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul founded in 1833, almost 200 years after his death, which was founded by his admirer and devotee, Frederic Ozanam. St. Vincent’s bones and heart are perfectly incorrupt, and can be visited in the Church of St. Vincent de Paul in Paris.
His apostolate can be summarized in his saying: “It is not sufficient for me to love God if I do not love my neighbor…I belong to God and to the poor.”
Like St. Vincent, may we respond generously to those in physical and spiritual need for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
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That all Christians may grow in charitable attentiveness to the needs of the poor in our midst.
For the members of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul as they celebrate the feast of their patron this week, for increased membership among their ranks and many blessings upon their charitable works.
That young people will be blessed with good Christian example from their parents and fellow Christians, and that the word of God might be cherished, studied, and practiced in every Christian home.
For all the needs of the sick and the suffering, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, the underemployed and unemployed, immigrants and refugees, victims of natural disaster, war, and terrorism, for all those who grieve the loss of a loved one, and those who will die today, for their comfort, and the consolation of their families.
For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, for the repose of Bishop Anthony Pilla, who will be buried tomorrow, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.
Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord
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