Produced by David McClamrock
SAINT VINCENT DE PAULc. 1581-1660
By F.A. [Francis Alice] Forbes
"Blessed is he that understandeth concerning the needy and the poor:the Lord will deliver him in the evil day."—Psalm 40:2
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me. Wherefore he hath anointed me topreach the gospel to the poor, he hath sent me to heal the contriteof heart, to preach deliverance to the captives, and sight to theblind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach theacceptable year of the Lord, and the day of reward."—Luke 4:18-19
Nihil Obstat: Francis M. Canon Wyndham
Censor Deputatus
Imprimatur: Edmund Canon Surmont
Vicar General
Westminster
July 2, 1919
Originally published in 1919 by R. & T. Washbourne, Limited, London,as Life of St. Vincent de Paul in the series Standard-bearers ofthe Faith: A Series of Lives of the Saints for Young and Old.
"Extend mercy towards others, so that there can be no one in needwhom you meet without helping. For what hope is there for us if Godshould withdraw His mercy from us?"—St. Vincent de Paul
1. A Peasant's Son
2. Slavery
3. A Great Household
4. The Galleys
5. Mission Work
6. The Grey Sisters
7. The Foundlings
8. At Court
9. The Jansenists
10. Troubles in Paris
11. "Confido"
"Dearly beloved, let us love one another, for charity is of God. Andevery one that loveth, is born of God, and knoweth God. He that lovethnot, knoweth not God: for God is charity."—1 John 4:7-8
A MONOTONOUS line of sand hills and the sea; a vast barren landstretching away in wave-like undulations far as eye can reach; marshand heath and sand, sand and heath and marsh; here and there astretch of scant coarse grass, a mass of waving reeds, a patch ofgolden-brown fern—the Landes.
It was through this desolate country in France that a little peasantboy whose name was destined to become famous in the annals of hiscountry led his father's sheep, that they might crop the scantypasture. Vincent was a homely little boy, but he had the soul of aknight-errant, and the grace of God shone from eyes that were neverto lose their merry gleam even in extreme old age.
He was intelligent, too, so intelligent that the neighbors said thatJean de Paul was a fool to set such a boy to tend sheep when he hadthree other sons who would never be good for anything else. There wasa family in the neighborhood, they reminded him, who had had a brightboy like Vincent, and had put him to school—with what result? Why,he had taken Orders and got a benefice, and was able to support hisparents now that they were getting old, besides helping his brothersto get on in the world. It was well worthwhile pinching a little forsuch a result as that.
Jean de Paul listened and drank in their arguments. It would be afine thing to have a son a priest; perhaps, with luck, even aBishop—the family fortunes would be made forever.
With a good deal of difficulty the necessary m