Vincentian Family Saints
This is a the beginning of a section devoted to Saints of the Vincentian Family.
An initial list of saintly role models would include...
St. Vincent de Paul
St. Joan Antida
Blessed Frédéric Ozanam
St. Francis Clet
Blessed John Charles Caron
Blessed Nicholas Colin
Fr. Tom Davitt, CM has presented much background material on Saints of the Vincentian Family during various workshops at the International Formation Center (CIF) in Paris.
A sample of some of his insights on how saints in the Congregation of the Mission serve as role models...
Popular missions: I refer here to parish missions preached in one’s own country. Many confreres are engaged today in this ministry. Justin De Jacobis was ordained in 1824 and did not leave for Ethiopia until 1839. That means he had fifteen years of priestly ministry in Italy. For most of that time he was engaged in preaching parish missions. John Henry Gruyer was also mainly engaged in this ministry, and John Gnidovec in the short period between joining the Congregation and being ordained a bishop also gave missions. He did not take the additional name Francis until he became a bishop
Retreats: Another form of ministry in which many confreres are engaged to a greater or lesser degree is giving retreats to various groups. The three men already mentioned gave retreats as well as missions. Perhaps some of the others did as well.
Major Seminaries: Francis Clet was a professor of moral theology, Pierre-René Rogue taught dogma, and John Gabriel Perboyre taught theology ; his letter does not say which branch. Louis-Joseph François was rector of a seminary.
Theology courses for lay people: Pierre-René Rogue.
Minor Seminaries and Secondary Colleges: John Gabriel Perboyre and John Gnidovec were engaged in this type of ministry, and both were superiors in such houses as well.
Vincentian Internal Seminary: Francis Clet, John Gabriel Perboyre, Justin De Jacobis and John Gnidovec were directors of the internal seminary.
Missions ad gentes: Francis Clet, John Gabriel Perboyre and Justin De Jacobis. Francis and Justin were also involved in the administration of such missions.
Internal administration of the CM: Louis-Joseph François was Secretary General, Francis Clet was an elected delegate to a general assembly, and John Gabriel Perboyre was secretary of a commission.
Parish ministry: John Henry Gruyer and Pierre-René Rogue.
Dialogue with pagans: Francis Clet and John Gabriel Perboyre.
'Dialogue with Orthodox Christians: Justin De Jacobis, Ghebre-Michael, John Francis Gnidovec.
Dialogue with Islam: John Francis Gnidovec.
Clandestine ministry during time of persecution: Pierre-René Rogue.
Ministry through foreign languages: Francis Clet, John Gabriel Perboyre, Justin De Jacobis, John Francis Gnidovec. It is interesting to note that there is contemporary evidence that neither of the two men in China ever got a good knowledge of the language, while Justin and John Francis acquired very good knowledge of more than one of the foreign languages needed for their ministry.
Ministry of writing: The outstanding example here is Louis-Joseph François, but Justin De Jacobis also achieved much by this means.
