St. Vinent de Paul

Slide 1: 

The Apostle of Charity St. Vincent de Paul

BORN in 1581 : 

BORN in 1581 Vincent was born in Gascony, in the south of France, in 1581 He was the third child of a family of four sons and two daughters. He had a solid peasant family capable of making ends meet only through hard work and devotion.

Entrance of Priesthood. : 

Entrance of Priesthood. Inspired by his father, His father encouraged and helped him toward the his life in priesthood. He was ordained on September 23, 1600 at the age of twenty. His chief reasons for becoming a priest was his desire to get an office in the Church from which he could obtain enough money to retire early, return home, and provide for his family.

Drive Towards God. : 

Drive Towards God. His early hopes for advancement came to nothing. In 1608, Vincent moved to Paris, where he came under the influence of Father (later Cardinal) Pierre de Bérulle, whom he took as his spiritual director, and Father André Duval, a professor of the Sorbonne, who was to be his "wise man" for the next three decades. This marked a turning point in Vincent's spiritual journey: ambition was receding, and attention to God and vocation were advancing.

Confraternity of Charity : 

Confraternity of Charity Very conscious that the poor were not being helped, Vincent felt called to a more pastoral ministry. With Bérulle's help, he became the parish priest in Châtillon-les-Dombes in the southeast of France, helping his fellow priests to a more faithful way of life, as well as ministering to and teaching the people. In August 1617, as he was preparing for Sunday Mass, a parishioner brought news of the illness and destitution of an entire family in the parish. He preached on their need, and that afternoon the people responded in overwhelming numbers by carrying them food and supplies. Vincent then called a meeting of interested women, and urged them to put order into their generosity by taking turns. With rules drawn up by Vincent, they established a group which became the first Confraternity of Charity.

Daughters of Charity formed in 1639 : 

Daughters of Charity formed in 1639

Closer To His Faith : 

Closer To His Faith During this period, Vincent experienced a twofold conversion. First, he was being converted to the poor, who were becoming the center of his life. Second, he was also being converted to his priesthood, seeing it not as a career, but as a personal relationship with Jesus. However, his "conversion" does not seem to rest on one dramatic moment, but rather on a gradual opening to the power of God's grace working in him, and allowing him to see his world more clearly in the light of Christ.

At the Age of 79 : 

At the Age of 79 Vincent continued his work until his death on September 27, 1660. "At the moment of his death, he surrendered his beautiful soul into the hands of the Lord, and seated there, he was handsome, more majestic and venerable to look at than ever." – witness of 1660.

His work is still alive today through his foundation which serves the poor. : 

His work is still alive today through his foundation which serves the poor. St. Vincent de Paul

Presentation by Patrick Joyce and Jennifer Ross : 

Presentation by Patrick Joyce and Jennifer Ross