View source for Abelly Table of Contents

Index of [[Abelly: Book One]]: links to all chapters in Book One

The Life of the Venerable

Servant of God

Vincent de Paul

Founder and First Superior General

of the

Congregation of the Mission

(Divided Into Three Books)


by

Louis Abelly, Bishop of Rodez

BOOK ONE


NCP

New City Press

Edited by 
John E. Rybolt, C.M.

Translated by 
William Quinn, F.S.C. 

Notes by 
Edward R. Udovic, C.M. and John E. Rybolt, C.M.

Introduction by 
Stafford Poole, C.M. 


Index
translated and edited
from the Pémartin edition of 1891,
with additional annotations, by 
Edward R. Udovic, C.M.


Published in the United States by New City Press
86 Mayflower Avenue, New Rochelle, New York 10801
(c) 1993, Vincentian Studies Institute


The original edition of Abelly contained as a frontispiece an engraving by René Lochon, based on the portrait by Simon François de Tours of Vincent de Paul in choir dress.  Below the portrait is a quatrain, the translation of which is: 

If you wish to see in a single face
the portrait of two great saints
Paul and Vincent are depicted here;
but for his spirit, read this work.

<dl>
<dt>TABLE OF CONTENTS
<dd>INTRODUCTION........................................ 
<dd>ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.............................. 
<dd>DEDICATION.............................. 
<dd>FOREWORD........................................ 
<dd>APPROBATIONS.............................. 
<dd>EXTRACT FROM THE ROYAL PRIVILEGE.................... 
</dl>


== BOOK ONE. His Life ==


*CHAPTER ONE. [[Abelly:_Book_One/Chapter_One | The Church in France, at the Time of the Birth of Vincent de Paul]]
*CHAPTER TWO. [[Abelly:_Book_One/Chapter_Two |The Birth and Education of Vincent de Paul...]] 
*CHAPTER THREE. [[Abelly:_Book_One/Chapter_Three |Studies and Promotion to the Clerical State]]
*CHAPTER FOUR. [[Abelly:_Book_One/Chapter_Four |Vincent de Paul is Captured by Pirates and Taken to Barbary]]
*CHAPTER FIVE. [[Abelly:_Book_One/Chapter_Five |Monsieur Vincent's Return to France His First Stay in Paris]] 
*CHAPTER SIX. [[Abelly:_Book_One/Chapter_Six |Monsieur Vincent Appointed Pastor of Clichy Where he Serves as a Good Shepherd]]
*CHAPTER SEVEN. [[Abelly:_Book_One/Chapter_Seven |His Associations with the de Gondi House.. ]]
*CHAPTER EIGHT. [[Abelly:_Book_One/Chapter_Eight |A General Confession Made by a Peasant Occasions Monsieur Vincent's First Mission, and This in Turn Leads to Others]]
*CHAPTER NINE. [[Abelly:_Book_One/Chapter_Nine |Vincent Secretly Withdraws from the de Gondi House but Later Returns There]]
*CHAPTER TEN. [[Abelly:_Book_One/Chapter_Ten |The Beginnings of the Confraternity of Charity for the Sick Poor]]
*CHAPTER ELEVEN. [[Abelly:_Book_One/Chapter_Eleven |The Conversion of Several Heretics whom Monsieur Vincent Brought Back to the Catholic Church]]
*CHAPTER TWELVE. [[Abelly:_Book_One/Chapter_Twelve |The Marvelous Change Brought About in the Life of a Noble Person under Monsieur Vincent's Spiritual Direction]]
*CHAPTER THIRTEEN. Different Works of Piety that Monsieur Vincent Was Involved with After His Return to the de Gondi Household 
*CHAPTER FOURTEEN. After Appointment as Royal Chaplain of the Galleys, Monsieur Vincent Visits Provence and Guienne to Provide Physical and Spiritual Help to the Convicts
*CHAPTER FIFTEEN. He Provides for the Physical and Spiritual Necessities of the Poor of Macon, with Excellent Results.. 
*CHAPTER SIXTEEN. He is Chosen by the Blessed Francis de Sales, Bishop of Geneva, and by Mother de Chantal as the First Spiritual Father and Superior of the Religious of the Visitation of Saint Mary in Paris
*CHAPTER SEVENTEEN. He is Appointed Head of the College des Bons Enfants, and Later Makes the First Foundation of the Congregation of the Mission
*CHAPTER EIGHTEEN. Madame de Gondi Passes from This Life to a Better One Monsieur Vincent Goes to the College des Bons Enfants
*CHAPTER NINETEEN. Monsieur Vincent's Dispositions of Body and Soul and his Manner of Acting
*CHAPTER TWENTY. The Birth and Establishment of the Congregation of the Mission
*CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE. Some Remarkable Statements of Monsieur Vincent Regarding the Spirit of Humility and the Other Virtuous Dispositions He Wished to See as the Foundation of His New Congregation
*CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO. The Establishment of the Priests of the Congregation of the Mission at Saint 
*CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE. Account of the Great Good Accomplished in the Church by the Founding of the Congregation of the Mission, of which Monsieur Vincent Was the Prime Mover First, the Establishment of the Confraternity of Charity for the Corporal and Spiritual Help of the Sick Poor 
*CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR. The Establishment of the Daughters of Charity, Servants of the Sick Poor 
*CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE. The Ordination Retreats for the Benefit of Those Wishing to Receive Holy Orders 
*CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX. Spiritual Retreats for Various Groups of People
*CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN. Spiritual Conferences for Clergy 
*CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT. The Establishment of the Hospitals in Paris and Marseilles for the Galley Slaves 
*CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE. The Founding of a Group of Women to Serve in the Hotel Dieu Hospital of Paris and for Other Works of Charity in Paris and Elsewhere
*CHAPTER THIRTY. The Establishment of a Foundling Hospital. 
*CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE. The Founding of Several Seminaries for Clergy 
*CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE (BIS). Monsieur Vincent's Collaboration with Father Olier in Various Pious Works
*CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO. Some Help Given by Monsieur Vincent to the late Commander de Sillery and to the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, commonly called the Knights of Malta
*CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE. Missions Given in the Army in 1636, and the Rules Given by Monsieur Vincent to the Missionaries for this Service 
*CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR. The Establishment of the First Internal Seminary, at Saint Lazare, for the Congregation of the Mission
*CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE. Monsieur Vincent Devotes Himself to the Poor of Lorraine during the War and Takes Particular Care of Some Gentlemen and Ladies, Refugees in Paris
*CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX. Services Provided by Monsieur Vincent to the Late King, Louis XIII of Glorious Memory, in His Last Illness, for the Spiritual Good of his Soul
*CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN. Monsieur Vincent is Appointed to the Council for Ecclesiastical Affairs of the Kingdom During the Regency of the Queen Mother
*CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT. Monsieur Vincent's Help in Establishing the Congregation of the Daughters of the Cross and for the Spiritual Good of its Members
*CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE. Monsieur Vincent's Experiences During the Troubled Times of 1649 What Occurred During Several Trips He Made at that Time
*CHAPTER FORTY. Monsieur Vincent Works for the Relief of the Poor of the Frontier Regions Devastated by the War, Especially Champagne and Picardy
*CHAPTER FORTY-ONE. The Death of the Prior of Saint Lazare Monsieur Vincent's Appreciation of Him 
*CHAPTER FORTY-TWO. The Help Given by Monsieur Vincent to the Poor of Paris and Several Other Places During the Troubled Times of 1652 and Later 
*CHAPTER FORTY-THREE. Monsieur Vincent in Service to the King and Kingdom during the Troubled Times Beginning in 1652 
*CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR. Monsieur Vincent's Opposition to the Errors of Jansenism.
*CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE. The Home for the Aged Poor Begun at Paris by Monsieur Vincent The General Hospital for the Poor Begun by Him in that Same City
*CHAPTER FORTY-SIX. A Census of the Houses of the Congregation of the Mission Founded During the Lifetime of Monsieur Vincent 
*CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN. Monsieur Vincent Gives the Rules to his Congregation What He Said on this Occasion
*CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT. Other Works of Piety in Which Monsieur Vincent was Involved Besides His Usual Duties
*CHAPTER FORTY-NINE. A Reflection on the Pains and Afflictions Endured by Monsieur Vincent
*CHAPTER FIFTY. Monsieur Vincent's Illnesses and the Saintly Use He Made of Them
*CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE. His Preparation for Death 
*CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO. Events Surrounding the Death of Monsieur Vincent

== LOUIS ABELLY, HIS LIFE AND WORKS ==
{{:Louis Abelly, His Life and Works}}

== EDITORIAL INTRODUCTION ==

{{:Abelly Texte Editorial Introduction}}

==ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS==

The editor wishes to acknowledge with thanks the contributions of the following to this work.  First to the late Brother William Quinn, F.S.C., whose persistence, even in ill health, brought the tedious work of translation to a conclusion.  Next, to the members of the Vincentian Studies Institute and to its sponsors, the Vincentian provincial superiors in the United States.  The members' quiet work of reviewing and correcting has lightened the editorial work, and the encouragement and financial support of the provincials has smoothed the way.  Special thanks are also due to several Vincentian confreres in Paris: To Fathers André Dodin, Georges Baldacchino, Raymond Chalumeau, and especially Paul Henzmann, all of whom researched small details and generously offered their expert opinions.  Many others contributed to clarification of obscure points of theology, history, and geography.  Father Daniel Schulte, C.M., contributed greatly to the accuracy of the work through his computer analysis of the text.  Thanks, too, to the helpful and faith-filled staff of New City Press. 



== DEDICATION ==



=== TO THE QUEEN MOTHER OF THE KING ===


Madame,

The favorable reception Your Majesty <Ftn: Queen Anne of Austria, mother of Louis XIV.> always gave to Monsieur Vincent during his lifetime and the kindness with which you have honored his memory since his death gives me hope that you would accept this work which is but a sketch of the life and virtues of this great servant of God. <Ftn: After the death of Louis XIII in 1643, his wife, Anne of Austria, became regent and instituted the Council of Conscience to advise her on ecclesiastical affairs. She appointed Saint Vincent to this body. Later, Louis XIV, in his letter to Pope Clement XI supporting Vincent's beatification, testified that his mother had recognized Vincent's virtues and that she had shown this by great marks of confidence. According to Louis, at Vincent's death, his mother had exclaimed, "What a loss for the Church and for the poor!"> I have attempted to trace his career with as much fidelity as humanly possible. There is little in his life to make it striking enough to be suitable for presentation to such a great princess as yourself. But I believe that to the degree that it is simple and straightforward the more it will truly reflect its subject, and even more favorably will it be accepted by Your Majesty. You will more surely recognize Monsieur Vincent in its pages if he is presented in his everyday clothes, that is to say, in his humility, his simplicity and his usual direct speech and action. Even though Monsieur Vincent during his life had taken every care to hide the marvelous graces he had received from God, I have succeeded in allowing him to speak after his death by citing several letters I have been able to gather, reflecting those occasions when his charity overcame his natural reticence about himself. 

Should Your Majesty deign to give me audience I shall have the honor of recalling several matters which will without doubt confirm his reputation. They will console you greatly, for you will recognize the great things he accomplished for God and for the building up of the kingdom of Jesus Christ during the regency. These took place not only by your authorization and support but even more so by your zeal, your concern and your generous support. What should be a source of joy for you is that all the great enterprises started by Monsieur Vincent still function, better than ever, under the wise guidance of our incomparable monarch who shines like the sun, vivifying all parts of his kingdom, who is very mindful to use all his strength of mind and inexhaustible zeal to preserve true religion and solid piety in all parts of the kingdom.

The innocence and sanctity of him whose life we write, Madame, assure us that he is in heaven with his God. We believe that he is imploring unceasingly God's goodness to shower his blessings upon our great prince, Your Majesty and all the royal household. What particularly obliges him to this intercession is his recognition of the favors he received from your hands, and continues to receive in the person of the priests of his Congregation. 

While he lived on earth, even during most perilous and difficult times, he was ever faithful to the king and devoted to his service. Since the virtues of the saints never die and especially their charity lives on, we can confidently assert that in heaven Monsieur Vincent retains this same affection and zeal to obtain from God all sorts of blessings upon the king, Your Majesty and all that you hold dear. It surely is no small consolation to know that you have a faithful servant. To put it more fittingly, you have an assured intercessor and protector, like another Jeremiah <Ftn: An allusion to the vision of Judas Maccabeus (2 Mac 15:13-16) who had seen Jeremiah in heaven praying for the people and for the holy city.> continually prostrate before the adorable majesty to pray for what he sees in the light of glory to be truly salutary for Your Majesty and helpful to the achievement of your just desires. 

For myself, Madame, having been showered with favors from the king without ever having merited them, and having experienced the effects of your own good will, I recognize myself unable to thank Your Majesty enough. I beg you that I may borrow from him whose life I write, to help fulfill this duty of gratitude, and following his example and with the favor his faithful services have earned, I declare, with the greatest possible respect, 

Your Majesty, 

Your very humble, obedient, faithful servant, and subject, 

Louis, bishop of Rodez. 

Index of [[Abelly: Book One]]: links to all chapters in Book One

== FOREWORD ==
{{:Abelly Texte Foreword}}

== APPROBATIONS ==

<Ftn: These approbations are reproduced above all because they are from two prelates who were friends of Saint Vincent. The bishop of Evreux was Henri Cauchon de Maupas du Tour, 1600-1680, first chaplain to Anne of Austria, and then bishop of Le Puy. In 1661 he was named bishop of Evreux. On November 23, 1660, nearly two months after the saint's death, he pronounced the funeral oration at the official memorial service sponsored by the members of the Tuesday Conferences, held at Saint Germain l'Auxerrois in Paris.>


=== Approbation of the Archbishop of Auch ===

We, Henri de la Mothe, doctor of the University of Paris and archbishop of Auch, declare that we have read the book entitled Life of the Venerable Servant of God Vincent de Paul, written by Monsieur Louis Abelly, bishop of Rodez. In it we have found nothing but what is edifying and which may not serve as an example for all classes of persons to imitate. Its subject and his life's work is described with such force, such sincerity and in such vivid colors that it is not necessary to have known him intimately or to have spoken with him familiarly. He can be found in this book even better than in life, for he kept himself hidden from the eyes of men, to reveal himself to God alone. We judge that this book should be published and read by everyone.

Done at Paris, this thirtieth day of August, 1664.<br/>
Henri de la Mothe [Houdancourt], archbishop of Auch.


=== Approbation of the Bishop of Evreux ===
 
The Church has long endured the cruelty of tyrants, but also the shame of the reproaches made by the prophets against the leaders of the people. Ezekiel complained that the flock of the Lord was dispersed for want of a shepherd. Zechariah called the negligent shepherd an idol since he was useless for guarding his flock which he abandoned in times of stress. The Fathers of the Church lamented the same deplorable evil. Saint Gregory of Nazianzus, among others, while expressing his astonishment at seeing how the good shepherd patiently endured all the rigors of the seasons to assure the safety of the sheep whose guardian he was, could only grieve at the sight of the sheepfold of the Savior of the world exposed to the attack of wolves for want of true shepherds. Souls, whom he calls simply thinking sheep, instead of having true pastors are at the whim of mercenaries who abandon the sheep at the first sign of difficulty. 

The Sovereign Pastor who watches over his Church has raised up for us in the person of Monsieur Vincent a faithful servant, filled with zeal for his glory and burning with love for the salvation of souls. We have only to read this story of his life, written by the bishop of Rodez, to be convinced of this. I attest that I have read and even reread the books so filled with doctrine and piety the bishop has given the public in the past. I have studied them even in a spirit of admiration. I urge the faithful to read and meditate upon his latest work which cannot help being very useful in impressing on their hearts a true and solid devotion.

Given at Evreux on the feast of Saint Bernard, April 20, 1664.<br/>
Henri, bishop of Evreux.

== EXTRACT FROM THE ROYAL PRIVILEGE ==


By the grace and privilege of the king, it has been permitted to Florentin Lambert, a bookseller in Paris, to print or to have printed, to sell and to distribute throughout the kingdom, a book entitled The Life of the Venerable Servant of God Vincent de Paul, Founder and First Superior General of the Congregation of the Mission, by Monsieur Louis Abelly, Bishop of Rodez; and to do this in the size, character and as many times as he judges it proper, for the period of twenty consecutive years. It is forbidden to all printers, booksellers and others to print, to have printed, to sell, or to distribute this book in whatever way and manner, and under whatever possible pretext, without the agreement of Lambert, or of those so entitled, under pain of confiscation of copies, arbitrary fine, expenses, damages and interest, according as it has been further specified in this privilege, granted at Paris May 19, 1664. And the twenty-second year of our reign. Signed: BARDON

Registered in the volume of the guild of printers and booksellers of this city, August 19, 1664.<br/>
E. Martin, Syndic<br/>
Printing completed for the first time, September 10, 1664.<br/>
Copies have been furnished.

Index of [[Abelly: Book One]]: links to all chapters in Book One

[[Category:Abelly]]