HERITAGE: BACK TO OUR ROOTS

St Vincent de Paul

The Vincentian Family has a large number of "heroes" and "heroines" peppered through its history all concerned with living out the Great Commandment: "To love God and to love one's neighbour - especially the one most in need!"

The great, great, great grandfather of today's worldwide, multicultural Vincentian Family is St Vincent de Paul himself.

Life

Vincent de Paul was born in the village of Pouy, South West France in 1581. As a boy he lived among the poor and experienced the conditions under which they lived. In 1600 he became a priest. For a time he sought to escape from the poverty of his origins, but with the help of spiritual directors he felt himself called to deeper holiness and, through the events of his life, was finally led by divine providence to a firm determination to dedicate himself to the salvation of the poor.

Charism

While he was exercising his ministry in Gannes and, on the 25th of January 1617, in Folleville, he saw that the evangelization of the poor was an urgent need. He himself holds that this was the origin of his vocation, and of the Congregation of the Mission.

When, in August of the same year in Chatillon-les-Dombes, he founded "La Charite" [The Confraternities of Charity] to assist the sick who lacked all help, he discovered for himself, and showed others, the close link that exists between the evangelization and the service of the poor.

Gradually his religious development led to contemplating and serving Christ in the person of the poor. The vision of Christ, sent by the Father to evangelize the poor, was central to his life and ministry.

Hearing the call of people in the world of his own day, learning to listen with an ever more intense love of God and of poor people who were burdened with hardships of all kinds, Vincent felt himself called to alleviate sufferings of every sort.

Louise de Marillac - great friend and collaborator

In the course of his work in Paris, Vincent de Paul met Louise de Marillac and became her spiritual director. Her husband, a court attendant, had died after only twelve years of marriage. At Pentecost, 1623, Louise received a revelation from the Holy Spirit which banished her doubts and made clear her future in consecrated life. In time, Vincent asked Louise to visit the growing Confraternities of Charity, to supervise their leaders and to encourage their teamwork and ties with the local priests The collaboration of Vincent and Louise resulted in great gifts of innovations in ministry that continue to bless the world today.