July 26, 2025 • 11 mins
Explore the extraordinary life of St. Vincent De Paul, a man of humility, compassion, and generosity whose impact resonates even today. Born around 1581 and living until 1660, Vincents early life was shaped by his own experience of slavery, having been captured by Turkish pirates and sold in Tunis. His escape in 1607 led him to a life of service, becoming a priest and devoting his ministry to the poor. In 1625, he founded the Congregation of the Mission, a society of missionary priests known as Vincentians or Lazarists. Alongside Louise de Marillac, he established the Daughters of Charity, a group dedicated to nursing the sick, whose work in hospitals during several plagues is well-documented. Listen to the tale of this remarkable individual, and discover the lasting legacy of his profound spiritual journey.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Chapter three of Life of Saint Vincent de Paul. This
is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the
public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit
LibriVox dot org. Life of Saint Vincent de Paul by
Francis Alice Forbes, Chapter three, A great household. Vincent remained
(00:27):
two years in the house of father de Berulle, in
the hope of obtaining permanent work the administration of a
poor country parish. Was he maintained the only thing he
was fit for. But de Berulle thought otherwise. This humble priest,
he predicted one day to a friend, will render great
service to the church and will work much for God's glory.
(00:50):
Saint Francis, to Sales, who made Vincent's acquaintance while he
was with de Berulle, was of the same opinion. He
will be the holiest priest of his time, he said
one day as he watched him. As for Vincent, he
was completely won by the gentle serenity of Saint Francis,
and took him as a model in his relations with others.
(01:11):
I am, by nature a country clode, he would say
in after years, and if I had not met the
Bishop of Geneva, I should have remained a bundle of
thorns all my life. At last, Vincent's desire seemed about
to be fulfilled. A friend of de Berulle's cure of
the country parish of Clichy, near Paris, announced his intention
(01:34):
of entering the oratory, and, at de Berulle's request, chose
Vincent de Paul as his successor. Here amidst his beloved,
poor Vincent was completely happy in him. The sick and
the infirm found a friend such as they had never
dreamed of, and any son of poor parents who showed
a vocation for the priesthood was taken into the presbytery
(01:57):
and taught by Vincent to himself. The parish church, which
was in great disrepair, was rebuilt. Old standing quarrels were
made up. Men who had not been to the sacraments
for years came back to God. Such was the influence
of the Cure of Clichy that the priests from the
neighboring parishes came to learn the secret of his success
(02:18):
and to ask his advice. Vincent was looking forward to
a life spent in earnest work among his people. When
a summons from Father de Berulle recalled him suddenly to Paris.
Nothing less than the resignation of his beloved Clichy was
now asked of him by this friend to whom he
owed so much. One of the greatest noblemen of France,
(02:40):
Monsieur de Gondi, Count of Joannie and General of the
King's Galleys, was in need of a tutor for his children,
and had commissioned Father de Berulle to find him what
he wanted. De Berulle decided at once that Vincent de
Paul was the man for the position, and that, as
he was evidently destined to do great work for God God,
(03:00):
it would be to his advantage to have powerful and
influential friends. Although the prospect of such a post filled
the humble parish priest with consternation, he owed too much
to de Berulle to refuse. Setting out from Clichy with
his worldly goods on a hand barrow, he arrived at
the Oratory, from whence he was to proceed to his
(03:21):
new abode. The house of Mensieur de Gondi was one
of the most magnificent in Paris. The count one of
the bravest and handsomest men of his day, was in
high favor at court, while his wife, at a time
when the lives of most of the great ladies of
the court were anything but edifying, was remarkable for her
fervor and piety. The de Gondi children, unfortunately, did not
(03:44):
take after their parents, and the two boys whose education
Vincent was to undertake and whose character he was to form,
were described by their aunt as regular little demons. The
youngest of the family, the famous or rather infamous Cardinal
de Retz, was not yet born, but Vincent's hands were
sufficiently full without him. I should like my children to
(04:09):
be saints rather than great noblemen, said Madame de Gondi
when she presented the boys to their tutor, But the
prospect seemed remote enough. The violent temper and obstinacy of
his chargers were a great trial to Vincent, who used
to say in later life that they had taught him,
cross grained, as he was by nature, how to be
gentle and patient. The position of a man of low
(04:32):
birth as tutor in that princely household was not without
its difficulties. Vincent was a dependent but there was a
quiet dignity about him which forbade liberties with the servants,
and there were many of every grade. He was always
cordial and polite, losing no chance of winning their confidence
that he might influence them for good. His duties over,
(04:55):
he would retire to his own room, refusing, unless especially
sent for, to mix with the great peace people who
frequented the house. Madame de Gondy, with a woman's intuition,
was the first to realize the sanctity of her son's tutor,
and resolved to put herself under his direction. Knowing enough
of his humility to be certain that he would refuse
(05:15):
such a request, she applied to Father de Berulle to
use his influence in the matter, and thus obtained her desire.
At Vincent's suggestion, she soon afterwards undertook certain works of charity,
which were destined to be the seed of a great enterprise.
The count, too began to feel the effects of Vincent's
(05:36):
presence in his household. It was the age of dueling,
and hundreds of lives were lost in this barbarous practice.
De Gondi was a famous swordsman, and although the life
he led was a great deal better than that of
the majority of his contemporaries. The possibility of refusing to
fight when challenged, or of refraining from challenging another when
his honor was at stake, had never occurred to him.
(05:58):
Vincent had been some time at the de Gondis when
it came to his ears that the Count intended to
fight a duel on a certain day, and he resolved,
if possible, to prevent it. De Gondi was present at
Mass in the morning and remained on afterwards in the chapel, praying,
probably that he might prevail over his enemy. Vincent waited
till everyone had gone out, and then approached him softly. Monsieur.
(06:23):
He said, I know that you intend to fight a duel,
and I tell you, as a message from my Savior,
before whom you kneel, that if you do not renounce
this intention, his judgment will fall on you and yours.
The Count, after a moment's silence, promised to give up
his project, and faithfully kept his word. It was the
(06:43):
greatest sacrifice I could have been asked of a man
into Gondy's position, and it was a thing unheard of
at the time for a priest to lay down the
law to a great nobleman. But the influence of sanctity
is strong, and the count was noble. For him it
was the beginning of a better life. The de Gondis
usually spent part of the year at their country house
(07:05):
in Picardy, where they had large estates. Here, the love
of the poor, which Vincent had fostered and Madame de Gondi,
was in its element, and she delighted in visiting her tenants,
tending the sick with her own hands, and seconding all
Monsieur Vincent's plans for their welfare. It happened one day
that Vincent was sent to the bedside of a dying
(07:26):
peasant who had always borne a good character and was
considered an excellent Christian. The man was conscious, and Vincent moved,
no doubt by the direct inspiration of God urged him
to make a general confession. There was much need, for
he had been concealing for long years several mortal sins,
which he was ashamed to confess, profaning the sacraments and
(07:49):
deceiving all who knew him. Moved with contrition by Monsieur
Vincent's words, he confessed his crimes, acknowledging his guilt also
to Madame de Gondi. Who came came to visit him.
After Vincent had departed, ah Madame, he cried, if I
had not made that general confession, my soul would have
been lost for all eternity. The incident made a lasting
(08:13):
impression on both Vincent and the Countess. Here was a
man who for years had been living in deceit and
making an unworthy use of the sacraments. How many others
might be in like case? It was a terrible thought,
ah Monsieur. Vincent cried, the great Lady, how many souls
are being lost? Can you do nothing to help them?
(08:36):
Her words found an echo in Vincent's heart. Next Sunday,
he preached a sermon in the parish church on the
necessity of general confession. It was the first of the
famous Mission sermons, destined to do so much good in France.
While he spoke, Madame de Gondi prayed, and the result
far surpassed their expectations. So great were the crowds that
(08:58):
flocked to confession that Vincent since was unable to cope
with them, and had to apply to the Jesuits at
Amien's for help. The other villages on the estate were
visited in turn, with equal success. Vincent used to look
back in later life to this first mission sermon as
the beginning of his work for souls. The result of
(09:20):
all this, for the preacher, however, was a certain prestige,
and his humility took alarm. Monsieur and Madame de Gondi
now treated their son's tutor with the reverence due to
a saint. His name was on the lips of everybody,
and yet, as Vincent sadly acknowledged to himself, the work
for which he had been engaged was a failure. The
(09:41):
little demons were as headstrong and violent as ever, it
was only on their parents that he had been able
to make any impression. Fearful of being caught in the
snare of worldly honors, he resolved to seek safety in flight.
Father de Berulle had sent him to the house of
Monsieur de to him did he appeal in his distress
(10:04):
his work as a tutor had been a failure. He
told him he could do nothing with his pupils, and
he was receiving honor which he in no way deserved.
He ended by begging to be allowed to work for
the poor in some humble and lonely place, and de
Berulle decided to grant his wish. The country parish of
Chatillon was in need of workers. Was the answer. Let
(10:27):
him go there and exercise his zeal for souls. The
only remaining difficulty was to get away from the Great House.
Dreading the outcry that he knew would follow the announcement
of his resolution and the arguments that would be used
against him, Vincent departed, declaring simply that personal affairs had
called him away from Paris. Only when he had been
(10:52):
already established for some time in his new parish did
it dawn on the de Gondis that his absence was
not to be merely temporary. They were in desperation. Madame
de Gondi did nothing but weep, while her husband applied
to every one whom he thought to have any influence
of Vincent to persuade him to return. If he has
(11:12):
not the gift of teaching children, he wrote to a friend,
it does not matter. He shall have a tutor to
work under him. He shall live exactly as he likes.
If he will only come back, get de Berulle to
persuade him. I shall be a good man some day,
ends this great nobleman, pathetically, if only he will stay
with me. End of chapter three,
Chapter three of Life of Saint Vincent de Paul. This
is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the
public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit
LibriVox dot org. Life of Saint Vincent de Paul by
Francis Alice Forbes, Chapter three, A great household. Vincent remained
(00:27):
two years in the house of father de Berulle, in
the hope of obtaining permanent work the administration of a
poor country parish. Was he maintained the only thing he
was fit for. But de Berulle thought otherwise. This humble priest,
he predicted one day to a friend, will render great
service to the church and will work much for God's glory.
(00:50):
Saint Francis, to Sales, who made Vincent's acquaintance while he
was with de Berulle, was of the same opinion. He
will be the holiest priest of his time, he said
one day as he watched him. As for Vincent, he
was completely won by the gentle serenity of Saint Francis,
and took him as a model in his relations with others.
(01:11):
I am, by nature a country clode, he would say
in after years, and if I had not met the
Bishop of Geneva, I should have remained a bundle of
thorns all my life. At last, Vincent's desire seemed about
to be fulfilled. A friend of de Berulle's cure of
the country parish of Clichy, near Paris, announced his intention
(01:34):
of entering the oratory, and, at de Berulle's request, chose
Vincent de Paul as his successor. Here amidst his beloved,
poor Vincent was completely happy in him. The sick and
the infirm found a friend such as they had never
dreamed of, and any son of poor parents who showed
a vocation for the priesthood was taken into the presbytery
(01:57):
and taught by Vincent to himself. The parish church, which
was in great disrepair, was rebuilt. Old standing quarrels were
made up. Men who had not been to the sacraments
for years came back to God. Such was the influence
of the Cure of Clichy that the priests from the
neighboring parishes came to learn the secret of his success
(02:18):
and to ask his advice. Vincent was looking forward to
a life spent in earnest work among his people. When
a summons from Father de Berulle recalled him suddenly to Paris.
Nothing less than the resignation of his beloved Clichy was
now asked of him by this friend to whom he
owed so much. One of the greatest noblemen of France,
(02:40):
Monsieur de Gondi, Count of Joannie and General of the
King's Galleys, was in need of a tutor for his children,
and had commissioned Father de Berulle to find him what
he wanted. De Berulle decided at once that Vincent de
Paul was the man for the position, and that, as
he was evidently destined to do great work for God God,
(03:00):
it would be to his advantage to have powerful and
influential friends. Although the prospect of such a post filled
the humble parish priest with consternation, he owed too much
to de Berulle to refuse. Setting out from Clichy with
his worldly goods on a hand barrow, he arrived at
the Oratory, from whence he was to proceed to his
(03:21):
new abode. The house of Mensieur de Gondi was one
of the most magnificent in Paris. The count one of
the bravest and handsomest men of his day, was in
high favor at court, while his wife, at a time
when the lives of most of the great ladies of
the court were anything but edifying, was remarkable for her
fervor and piety. The de Gondi children, unfortunately, did not
(03:44):
take after their parents, and the two boys whose education
Vincent was to undertake and whose character he was to form,
were described by their aunt as regular little demons. The
youngest of the family, the famous or rather infamous Cardinal
de Retz, was not yet born, but Vincent's hands were
sufficiently full without him. I should like my children to
(04:09):
be saints rather than great noblemen, said Madame de Gondi
when she presented the boys to their tutor, But the
prospect seemed remote enough. The violent temper and obstinacy of
his chargers were a great trial to Vincent, who used
to say in later life that they had taught him,
cross grained, as he was by nature, how to be
gentle and patient. The position of a man of low
(04:32):
birth as tutor in that princely household was not without
its difficulties. Vincent was a dependent but there was a
quiet dignity about him which forbade liberties with the servants,
and there were many of every grade. He was always
cordial and polite, losing no chance of winning their confidence
that he might influence them for good. His duties over,
(04:55):
he would retire to his own room, refusing, unless especially
sent for, to mix with the great peace people who
frequented the house. Madame de Gondy, with a woman's intuition,
was the first to realize the sanctity of her son's tutor,
and resolved to put herself under his direction. Knowing enough
of his humility to be certain that he would refuse
(05:15):
such a request, she applied to Father de Berulle to
use his influence in the matter, and thus obtained her desire.
At Vincent's suggestion, she soon afterwards undertook certain works of charity,
which were destined to be the seed of a great enterprise.
The count, too began to feel the effects of Vincent's
(05:36):
presence in his household. It was the age of dueling,
and hundreds of lives were lost in this barbarous practice.
De Gondi was a famous swordsman, and although the life
he led was a great deal better than that of
the majority of his contemporaries. The possibility of refusing to
fight when challenged, or of refraining from challenging another when
his honor was at stake, had never occurred to him.
(05:58):
Vincent had been some time at the de Gondis when
it came to his ears that the Count intended to
fight a duel on a certain day, and he resolved,
if possible, to prevent it. De Gondi was present at
Mass in the morning and remained on afterwards in the chapel, praying,
probably that he might prevail over his enemy. Vincent waited
till everyone had gone out, and then approached him softly. Monsieur.
(06:23):
He said, I know that you intend to fight a duel,
and I tell you, as a message from my Savior,
before whom you kneel, that if you do not renounce
this intention, his judgment will fall on you and yours.
The Count, after a moment's silence, promised to give up
his project, and faithfully kept his word. It was the
(06:43):
greatest sacrifice I could have been asked of a man
into Gondy's position, and it was a thing unheard of
at the time for a priest to lay down the
law to a great nobleman. But the influence of sanctity
is strong, and the count was noble. For him it
was the beginning of a better life. The de Gondis
usually spent part of the year at their country house
(07:05):
in Picardy, where they had large estates. Here, the love
of the poor, which Vincent had fostered and Madame de Gondi,
was in its element, and she delighted in visiting her tenants,
tending the sick with her own hands, and seconding all
Monsieur Vincent's plans for their welfare. It happened one day
that Vincent was sent to the bedside of a dying
(07:26):
peasant who had always borne a good character and was
considered an excellent Christian. The man was conscious, and Vincent moved,
no doubt by the direct inspiration of God urged him
to make a general confession. There was much need, for
he had been concealing for long years several mortal sins,
which he was ashamed to confess, profaning the sacraments and
(07:49):
deceiving all who knew him. Moved with contrition by Monsieur
Vincent's words, he confessed his crimes, acknowledging his guilt also
to Madame de Gondi. Who came came to visit him.
After Vincent had departed, ah Madame, he cried, if I
had not made that general confession, my soul would have
been lost for all eternity. The incident made a lasting
(08:13):
impression on both Vincent and the Countess. Here was a
man who for years had been living in deceit and
making an unworthy use of the sacraments. How many others
might be in like case? It was a terrible thought,
ah Monsieur. Vincent cried, the great Lady, how many souls
are being lost? Can you do nothing to help them?
(08:36):
Her words found an echo in Vincent's heart. Next Sunday,
he preached a sermon in the parish church on the
necessity of general confession. It was the first of the
famous Mission sermons, destined to do so much good in France.
While he spoke, Madame de Gondi prayed, and the result
far surpassed their expectations. So great were the crowds that
(08:58):
flocked to confession that Vincent since was unable to cope
with them, and had to apply to the Jesuits at
Amien's for help. The other villages on the estate were
visited in turn, with equal success. Vincent used to look
back in later life to this first mission sermon as
the beginning of his work for souls. The result of
(09:20):
all this, for the preacher, however, was a certain prestige,
and his humility took alarm. Monsieur and Madame de Gondi
now treated their son's tutor with the reverence due to
a saint. His name was on the lips of everybody,
and yet, as Vincent sadly acknowledged to himself, the work
for which he had been engaged was a failure. The
(09:41):
little demons were as headstrong and violent as ever, it
was only on their parents that he had been able
to make any impression. Fearful of being caught in the
snare of worldly honors, he resolved to seek safety in flight.
Father de Berulle had sent him to the house of
Monsieur de to him did he appeal in his distress
(10:04):
his work as a tutor had been a failure. He
told him he could do nothing with his pupils, and
he was receiving honor which he in no way deserved.
He ended by begging to be allowed to work for
the poor in some humble and lonely place, and de
Berulle decided to grant his wish. The country parish of
Chatillon was in need of workers. Was the answer. Let
(10:27):
him go there and exercise his zeal for souls. The
only remaining difficulty was to get away from the Great House.
Dreading the outcry that he knew would follow the announcement
of his resolution and the arguments that would be used
against him, Vincent departed, declaring simply that personal affairs had
called him away from Paris. Only when he had been
(10:52):
already established for some time in his new parish did
it dawn on the de Gondis that his absence was
not to be merely temporary. They were in desperation. Madame
de Gondi did nothing but weep, while her husband applied
to every one whom he thought to have any influence
of Vincent to persuade him to return. If he has
(11:12):
not the gift of teaching children, he wrote to a friend,
it does not matter. He shall have a tutor to
work under him. He shall live exactly as he likes.
If he will only come back, get de Berulle to
persuade him. I shall be a good man some day,
ends this great nobleman, pathetically, if only he will stay
with me. End of chapter three,
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