There is much that one could say about Vincent de Paul’s relationship with women. Among his closest friends and collaborators were two women saints, Jane Frances de Chantal and Louise de Marillac. Other women played … Read More
The Liberation of the poor: the Vincentian Rule to Make the Gospel of Jesus Christ Effective (4)
Vincent de Paul builds up the Kingdom of God We read the following in one of Saint Augustine’s sermons: Help the hungry, the naked and the needy; help strangers and those in bondage. They will … Read More
The Liberation of the poor: the Vincentian Rule to Make the Gospel of Jesus Christ Effective (3)
Jesus proclaims the Kingdom of God Jesus of Nazareth is the messenger of God’s good news. With him the era of God’s incarnation in the world becomes a reality. Therefore, Jesus’ life, his person, his … Read More
The Liberation of the poor: the Vincentian Rule to Make the Gospel of Jesus Christ Effective (2)
Evangelization is the communication of good news In both the secular world as well as the religious world, the word “evangelize” has always meant the proclamation of good news, the proclamation of victory. When the … Read More
Providence Revisited
Lead, kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom, Lead thou me on. . . . Keep thou my feet; I do not ask to see The distant scene; one step enough for me. John Henry Newman … Read More
The Liberation of the poor: the Vincentian Rule to Make the Gospel of Jesus Christ Effective (1)
Introduction We can say that coming to evangelize the poor does not simply mean to teach them the mysteries necessary for their salvation, but also to do what was foretold and prefigured by the prophets … Read More
Experiencing God in the Poor
Spiritual writers have described growth in the spiritual life by means of such analogies as the castle, the ladder, and the ascent of a mountain. St Thomas used the analogy of the stages of human … Read More
Vincentian Praxis
Last year, I was asked to write a brief description of Vincentian spirituality. Having given the subject some thought, I suggested that it involved three main components, compassion, friendship and prayer. I’m quite sure that … Read More
Some lesser-known human qualities of the Saints of the Vincentian Family
It is easy to forget how human the saints are. Their biographies, their canonization processes, and even their fans tend to focus on their spiritual gifts. The danger is we make the saints too ethereal, … Read More
Saint Vincent as Spiritual Adviser
It is unfortunate that no one who had Vincent as his spiritual adviser has left a journal or detailed notes of the advice which he received. Our knowledge of the sort of advice Vincent gave … Read More













