St Vincent de Paul

The greatest inspiration of all modern philanthropy - work for the poor, the unemployed, the sick - must surely be St Vincent de Paul, perhaps the most popular and revered saint throughout the world.

The secret of his heroic sanctity must surely be those most challenging words of Christ: 'Whatever you did to one of these, my least brethren, you did it to me'.

And those 'least brethren' for Vincent were often the galley slaves, the most abject criminals, little children dying of starvation. In a word, a life of total dedication and constant service, regardless of self.

Road to sanctity

All this heroic sanctity was not achieved overnight but evolved slowly after many almost incredulous trials in early manhood.

His background was very poor and he was even ashamed of his humble origins. He studied for the priesthood, had ambitions for a bishopric, was ordained in Toulouse and then returning home by sea, was captured by Turkish pirates and taken to Tunis.

Like other slaves, he was paraded round the town and over a period of time sold to three owners, the last being an apostate Italian, one of whose three wives took pity on Vincent and helped him to escape to France.

He lived in extreme poverty in Paris, experiencing at first hand the plight of the destitute.

Then he was suddenly sent as tutor to the sons of the Count de Gondi, general of the galleys. In this luxurious and most powerful milieu, Vincent became a 'celebrity' to his horror, so he fled from the palace to a very modest parish.

During the horrendous plague, he made some astonishing conversions even among the immensely wealthy nobles.

Practical care of the needy

Vincent realised the immense potential of women in the work of the Church, not in cloisters but among the people. In 1617 he wrote a simple Rule of Life for Women and this became the origin of the French Daughters of Charity.

Even the powerful Count de Gondi became a priest when his wife died. Now Vincent would begin his real life's work - but he was 50 years old.

Count de Gondi, now a simple, devout priest, had been general of galleys, which were manned by criminals chained to the boats and stripped to the waist in order to be flogged, a veritable hell.
Vincent, who knew the filth and wickedness of Paris prisons, equipped a hospital to care for these often diseased men and was appointed chaplain-general to the galleys in 1619. To learn the plight of the galley slaves, it has been alleged he became one himself for a time to learn from within.

He had started the French Daughters of Charity in 1617 - now he initiated a congregation Of Priests whom he called Lazarists, to carry on his grand schemes.

His compassion was universal. He recalled the towns and the tens of thousands of paupers lying in the streets and he could never forget his own enslavement in Tunis immediately after ordination. At least 40,000 Christian slaves existed in North Africa.

His Lazarus priests were despatched all over the world to help the needy.

Worldwide apostolate

Well ahead of his time, Vincent realised the immense Potential of the lay apostolate - men and women. Women who had wished to dedicate their lives to God had been forced by tradition and Popular 0pinion to do so within closed Convents.

Vincent brought them Out of their enclosure and created both the Daughters of Charity and the Ladies of Charity who, without becoming sisters, devoted their lives, as far as possible, to serve the needy.

He told the Daughters they must know no convent but the sick room, no cloister but the street.

And miraculously all sorts of wealthy nobles, appalled by the sham of so much pseudo religion, flocked to his call.

In spite of his constant humility and self-effacement, Vincent became a celebrity. The king, Louis XIII (father of Louis XIV, the 'Sun King') desired to die in Vincent's arms.

Another priest, Cardinal Richelicu, Prime Minister of France for 18 years, immensely wealthy and powerful, has left no spiritual, enduring monument - so transitory and ephemeral is all political power as opposed to the spiritual.

Worn out by hard work and austerity, Vincent died on September 27, 1660, seated in his chair at 4 am, the precise hour at which for so long he had risen to pray.

Work perpetuated

The saintly, brilliant layman, Frederic Ozanam, born in 1813, organised and perpetuated throughout the world the great work begun by Vincent de Paul.

This most intelligent man sacrificed so much - a Doctor of Law, Doctor of Letters, Professor of Commercial Law and finally he held a Chair for life in the Sorbonne.

As a young man of 20, Ozanam founded the Society of St Vincent de Paul which now exists all over the world, with about one million active members in 120 countries.

These dedicated, selfless laypeople are the unseen pillars of the Church, giving of their best to help Christ's needy brothers and sisters.

In this context I recall the magnificent words of St Cyprian to his early Christians, many of them slaves:

We are philosophers not in word but in deed. We don't say great things - but we live them …lives of charity, love and service for Christ.

That phrase encapsulates and summarises the spiritual genius of St Vincent de Paul and the inspiration that motivates his multitude of followers throughout the world - a veritable spiritual empire.