St. Vincent’s Legacy: A Federation of Charity

Last year’s Feast of St. Vincent de Paul, September 27, inaugurated the year that ends with the 350th anniversary of his death in 1660.

As the Saint faced death he must have looked back in thanks for what God’s grace accomplished through him – the works for the poor, the reform of the clergy and the foundation of associates in charity: the Congregation of the Mission, the Daughters of Charity and the Ladies of Charity. As
a man with such an impressive legacy to pass on, he also must have wondered how long his works would fare after his death. If Providence wanted them to remain, they would continue; if not, they would disappear.

And continue they did! In fact, within the three-and-a-half centuries since Vincent’s death, his works have multiplied enormously. Along the way in the19th century, two ma-jor actors appeared on the scene to augment the Vincentian mission: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, who strove to introduce ultimately the Daughters of Charity into the New World; and in France, Frederic Ozanam, who founded the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.

In the 20th century there came an awareness that the scope of the mission reached beyond the boundaries of official organizational membership. There are multitudes of devotees in this category – such as communities based on St. Vincent’s Rules, and others without any official affiliation, but who individually in their daily lives live out the Saint’s charism. These people, along with official members, fit beneath the umbrella of what has come to be called “the Vincentian Family,” who,
if counted, would add up to six figures of people in ministry to the poor.

In short, the Vincentian Family is a federation of charity. They are folks of like mind and shared values who work alongside each other and thereby enjoy support and companionship. Together, they represent a huge army advancing against the world’s ills, especially poverty and injustice. Vincent has to be pleased and (uncharacteristically) proud that his works continue so abundantly and that he has so many disciples to ensure his
mission flourishes.

By Father Jack Melito, CM