Vincentian · 2016-10-10 · This resource reflects their many contributions to our formation and our ser-vice. ... The Vincentian Mission is a special charism in the Church, a spirit

VincentianSpirituality and Formation

for

Ladies of Charityof the United States of America

A member of the International Association of Charities (AIC)

Spirituality Committee of the Board LCUSA2nd Edition 2016

© Ladies of Charity USA 850 Main StreetKansas City, MO [email protected]

Cover Art: “Three Saints,” Artist: Iandry Randriomandroso© Vincentian Center for Church and Society, St. John’s University, Queens, NY 11439, used with permission.

FORWARD

Pope Paul VI in his encyclical on Evangelization says the greatest form of evangelization is WITNESS. We preach much louder by the way we live our

lives than anything else.

The spirituality document of the Ladies of Charity is the blueprint for this effective witness. It is with great pride that I compliment the Ladies for their

wonderful work on this document. Much time, thought and effort was invested into this project and all Ladies of Charity should be proud of the result.

This document will serve to remind us that the heart of any organization is its commitment to spiritual growth and development.

The future success of the Ladies of Charity will rely on the implementation of this work.

Thank you for the witness you give.

Thank you for the beautiful document you have given to the Church. God bless all of you.

Sincerely, Rev. Richard Gielow, CM

Vincentian Spiritual Advisor, LCUSA. 1987-present

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The Ladies of Charity USA are very grateful for the love and support of the Daughters of Charity, Province of St. Louise, the Seton Provincialate, and the Sisters of Charity.

This resource reflects their many contributions to our formation and our ser-vice. We are especially indebted to those who have served as National Vincentian Spiritual Moderators and those who have served as Spiritual Moderators in our Associations across the United States. We also wish to express our gratitude to the priests of the Congregation of the Mission who have served as Spiritual Ad-visors and friends throughout our history.

The finalization of this document is as a result of the work of a dedicated Spir-ituality Committee of LCUSA and especially Sr. Claire Debes, DC.

We are also grateful for funding made available through a Ministry Grant from Mission and Ministry, Inc., a ministry of the Daughters of Charity.

TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: THE LADIES OF CHARITY

Organization ........................................................................................................ 1The Mission, Motto, Seal ................................................................................... 3The Ladies of Charity Association Meeting ..................................................... 4The Vincentian Spiritual Moderator ................................................................. 6The Crucifix .......................................................................................................... 7The Commitment ............................................................................................... 8

CHAPTER 2: OUR FOUNDER, SAINTS AND FAMILYSt. Vincent de Paul .............................................................................................11St. Louise de Marillac ........................................................................................13Elizabeth Ann Seton..........................................................................................15 Catherine Harkins .............................................................................................16The Vincentian Family .....................................................................................18Essentials of the Vincentian Family ................................................................23

CHAPTER 3: THE SPIRITUAL LIFEPrayer ..................................................................................................................25The Eucharist ......................................................................................................25Devotion to Mary ..............................................................................................28Vincentian Discernment ..................................................................................29Apostolic Reflection ..........................................................................................30Spiritual Practices .............................................................................................38

CHAPTER 4: SPIRITUAL REFLECTIONS—GOING DEEPERIntroduction .......................................................................................................41The Founding Stories of the Ladies of Charity ..............................................43Vincentian Laity in the Church Today ...........................................................48The Vincentian Mission ....................................................................................52The Vincentian Way ..........................................................................................57Elements of a Vincentian Family Group ........................................................61The Virtues of a Lady of Charity .....................................................................63The Virtue of Humility .....................................................................................66The Virtue of Simplicity ....................................................................................70The Virtue of Vincentian Charity ....................................................................73Join Justice with Charity ...................................................................................77Marian Spirituality and the Vincentian Charism ..........................................82

Appendix iReception and Consecration of New Members ............................................87Installation of Officers.......................................................................................90Installation and Consecration of Vincentian Spiritual Moderators............93

Appendix iiRule of Châtillon ................................................................................................95

Appendix iiiAdditional Resources ......................................................................................105

CHAPTER 1THE LADIES OF CHARITY

- The Foundation-

The Ladies of Charity was the first of the great foundations of St. Vincent de Paul. At the time, St. Vincent was pastor at Châtillon-les-Dombes in the Diocese of Lyons, France. Before Mass on a Sunday in August 1617, Francoise Baschet a parishioner, told Vincent of a family living on a farm close by who had become ill and was in dire need. St. Vincent was so affected by the recounting of their suffering and he told the story with such feeling to his congregation that many went to the family with food and other necessities. After Vespers, St. Vincent went to the farm and there he saw the abundance of provisions donated in response to his appeal. He realized the efficacy of his words. “These good people are exercising great charity,” he said, “but it is not well regulated. This poor family will have too many provisions at one time and some of them will be spoiled and wasted; in a short time these persons will be reduced to their former state of need. Would it not be possible to convince these good women to give themselves to God to serve the poor permanently?”

This event was the beginning of the Confraternities of Charity, as the Ladies of Charity were first called. Vincent gathered the women he had encountered three days later on August 23, 1617 and others they brought with them. They worked out a schedule, each taking a day to care for the family. Not only did they care for this family, but others as well. Vincent outlined rules that received the approbation of the Archbishop of Lyons, and this resulted in the formation of the first Association of the Ladies of Charity. It was canonically erected December

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8, 1617, the feast of the Immaculate Conception. These “rules” are a carefully written way of life which blends prayer, spiritual reflection and service.

When St. Vincent left Châtillon-les-Dombes to enter the house of the de Gondi family, he did not delay in establishing similar associations over the vast estates of this wealthy family. After he founded the Congregation of the Mission in 1625, the priests promoted the formation of associations in numerous parishes in the villages and in the cities. The first association of Ladies of Charity in Paris was formed in 1629. Quickly more associations were started around the city. In 1635 St. Vincent instituted a special association of the Ladies of Charity for the poor of the Hotel Dieu in Paris. This association, important from its outset for the number and rank of the ladies composing it, won greater renown as its apostolate was enlarged. All the associations were established with the approval of the ordinaries and received the encouragement of the Holy See.

It was about 1629 when St. Vincent sent St. Louise de Marillac into the villages to visit the associations. When one considers the length and inconveniences of these journeys, the inconveniences of travel and the poor lodging combined with the fragile health of this holy traveler, one can only imagine the strength of soul and the energy of will she was forced to exercise. In 1633 when the Daughters of Charity were founded by St. Vincent and St. Louise, they were an expansion of the Confraternities.1 Throughout history, the Ladies of Charity and the Daughters and later the Sisters of Charity have partnered to serve people who are frail and poor.

St. Louise was not satisfied with directing and stimulating the good will of the ladies or Ladies; she taught by her example how to conduct themselves in their visits to people living in poverty. On March 11, 1934, Pope Pius XI, in canonizing St. Louise de Marillac, proposed her as a model for the Ladies of Charity.

Throughout his life, St. Vincent watched over the Ladies of Charity with care. Pastors applied to him or his missionaries when they wanted to establish an association in their parishes. He gave them the regulations and made modifications that circumstances demanded. He or one of his priests organized each new association.

Since the death of St. Vincent, the Superiors General of the Congregation of the Mission have felt it a privilege to advise and work with the Ladies of Charity to ensure they continue to follow the spirit and directives of their founder. Until the time of the French Revolution, the associations labored zealously, but during that bloody epoch, they shared the fate of countless other works of charity. They ceased to exist. They were revived in 1840 due to the strong influence of Father Etienne, Superior General of the Congregation of the Mission, and were again approved by the Archbishop of Paris. Pope Pius IX, in a brief dated July 16, 1850, granted new and abundant blessings to the associations.

1 CCD 13B p. 225.

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The first association of Ladies of Charity in the United States was established in 1857 in St. Louis, MO. The mustard seed planted by St. Vincent de Paul in the humble parish of Châtillon-les-Dombes nearly four centuries ago has become a great tree that extends its fruitful branches far and wide, and sheds its benefits over many countries of the world.

In the United States and internationally, the Ladies of Charity spread in parishes, dioceses, and institutions. After Vatican II, the international organization was strengthened by the creation of an International Association of Charities (AIC), an independent private association of the faithful, with the headquarters in Belgium. The directory of Associations in the Pontifical Council of the Laity provides important historical and organizational information.2 The Ladies of Charity, USA is one of 52 national associations of the AIC.

- The Mission, Motto, Seal -

“Providing Vincentian Leadership to Women Acting TogetherAgainst All Forms of Poverty”

Mission statement of the Ladies of Charity USA, adopted by the Board, 2008.

The Mission The mission of the Ladies of Charity flows from the inspiration and mission of

St Vincent de Paul and his collaborator, Louise de Marillac. Both of these saints of our Church shared this mission with the first Ladies of Charity.

That mission is to experience Jesus Christ in the service of those who are poor. St. Vincent and St. Louise discovered simply and at a deep level that God was a reality in their lives. They came to know God especially through Jesus. The mission of the Ladies of Charity challenges its followers to penetrate into the very nature or essence of God. St. Vincent and St. Louise looked to the example of Jesus as Jesus identified with those living on the fringes of society to help them to penetrate into the “heart” of Jesus, the Son of God.

They were both made holy as they imitated Jesus as he identified with people living in poverty. The places of poor people became holy places for them because in people who were poor they discovered that they found God. They saw the face of Christ in the face of each person served.

The mission of the Ladies of Charity is a mission of serving grace, of serving people, especially those who are poor, with Jesus Christ as their model. Their service nourishes their spiritual life. Ladies of Charity discover that through their service, they can grow in holiness. Those they serve become the sacraments of Jesus Christ.

2 http://www.laici.va/content/laici/en/sezioni/associazioni/repertorio/associazione-internazio-naledelle-carita.html

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The Vincentian Mission is a special charism in the Church, a spirit that was given to St Vincent, St. Louise and, here in our country to St. Elizabeth Seton. It is a unique and particular form of “Church in action.” It is a public service on behalf of the Church. If the Ladies truly follow the example of Jesus Christ, the mission (their service) promotes the Kingdom of God. It is a special gift received from the Spirit for the good of the Church. The mission gives witness to, serves, and realizes the Kingdom of God here on earth. By fulfilling the MISSON of the Ladies of Charity God becomes present here in on earth.

Members of the Ladies of Charity each have an experience of God. Even if one’s own personal religious experience is “low key” still something of the experience of God happens as the member strives to perform her ministry following the suggestions of St. Vincent, St. Louise, and St Elizabeth Ann. Something happens that can only be described with a religious explanation, because no other explanation is possible.

As Ladies of Charity perform their service to those living on the fringes of society, they strive to see Jesus in those they serve as they bring both bodily and spiritual ministry. They reflect on their ministry in order to determine how God is revealed to them through this service. They imitate Jesus Christ especially by the practice of humility, simplicity and charity, the three virtues that St. Vincent wished them to have in a particular way.

Vision StatementThe Ladies of Charity of the United States of America® provides Vincentian

leadership of transformation assisting persons who are vulnerable to move from marginalization and despair to participation and hope.

Motto“To serve rather than to be served in humility, simplicity, and charity”

SymbolColor: Royal blue and gold Cross: FaithAnchor: Hope Heart: Charity

AIC USA: A member of the International Association of Charities (AIC) of St. Vincent de Paul

- The Ladies of Charity Association Meeting -

Vincent de Paul, through writings and rules, clearly delineated for the first Ladies of Charity a clear way of life. St. Vincent trusted women and their aptitudes. He was among the first to give women a specific role within the Church when he recognized and sensed the impact that women could have in

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the eradication of poverty. Sometimes, in our groups, Vincent’s teachings get lost somehow. Voluntary service is not considered seriously, but looked on as something to do from time to time. This is far from the truth! When we accept to commit ourselves, we make the choice willingly. Our work as Ladies of Charity “must be done with the same seriousness that a remunerated work is done.” St. Vincent mentioned it when he wrote precise rules for the “ladies.” He spoke of the importance of organization and relationships within the group. He explained how these groups had to be communities of faith, prayer and love.

Formation is one of the many elements that will allow AIC volunteers (the Ladies of Charity) to deepen moral values, doctrinal background, priorities and the specific purposes of the association. Spiritual formation will generate peace, harmony and close bonds of friendship, like the first Christian communities. Spiritual formation will also give our groups the opportunity to reflect on today’s world and to adapt our actions according to the opportunities and challenges of our present time.3

From the origins of Ladies of Charity, Vincent de Paul, with a deep love of Christ, invited the early members to cooperate with Christ in his redemptive work, and offered the Christ of Luke’s Gospel as a model: the liberator of prisoners, the oppressed and the marginalized; the liberator of the poorest.

Vincent de Paul believed that meetings were the heartbeat of his early Vincentian followers. Well run meetings of Vincentian organizations provide effective programming, goal setting and evaluation, but also provide opportunities for spiritual growth and an appreciation for our call as Vincentian followers. In these meetings, we find enlightenment and wisdom. We receive a “spiritual tonic” in times of discouragement and we discover ways to be creative and adaptable in our practical service. Meetings are the crossing points and meeting places of friendship, of ideas, and spiritual wisdom. At meetings we become receivers and transmitters of the love of Christ. Yes, well-run meetings should be “the heartbeat” of our organization, give life, energy, and the development of plans and programs that will give greater dignity and attentive service to those who come to us in need.

St. Vincent stressed the importance of coming to meetings reminding that “Where two or three are gathered,” God is in their midst and will grant what the group asks of Him. He offered the following reasons for the usefulness of meetings:• Prayer and reflection on purpose and mission• Mutual encouragement and animation; otherwise, people lose enthusiasm.• The remedying of shortcomings; difficulties can be resisted; perseverance

is made possible.• New proposals leading to more perfect unity among members

3 Adapted from AIC Reflection Book, June 2005

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• Individuals have the opportunity to get to know one another more personally.

• The sharing with one another reflects the warmth of the love of God.4

Taking time to pray and to reflect together on Vincentian spirituality will lead us to holiness as it did St. Vincent de Paul, St Louise de Marillac and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. We, like them, must take time to discover Christ in people we serve.

Questions to ponder:

• What are the meetings of our organization like?• How does the content of our meeting cause poor people to be served

better?• What attitudes must we take in the face of current poverties we

encounter in our city, in our country, in our world?• Do the meetings of our organization help us to love God and better

serve Christ in those who suffer?• Does our organization ever reflect on the following questions?• What would Jesus do in this situation? What would Vincent, Louise and

Elizabeth Ann do? What must we as Ladies of Charity, do together?

Every meeting should consist of prayer, reflection and formation prior to the business portion of the meeting.

Spiritual reflections and prayer services are provided on the Spirituality tab on the Ladies of Charity web site http://aic.ladiesofcharity.us and in this resource.

Suggestions for incorporating prayer and reflection at meetings

Use the Reflections in the Ladies of Charity Spirituality Resource in Chapter 4. These reflections are on specific themes for the Ladies of Charity, including the Founding Story, Vincentian Laity Today, The Vincentian Way Leads to Holiness, The Virtues of the Ladies of Charity, and others.

Use quotes from Scripture, St. Louise, St. Vincent, St. Elizabeth Ann or another Vincentian saint. Read, reflect quietly, and share what insights God gives to you.5

Use the “Praying with” Series of Books: St Mary’s Press, Winona, Minnesota, referenced in Apendix iii.

4 Adapted from CCD 13b p. 383-385.5 See Vincent de Paul Quote http://topaz.cstcis.cti.depaul.edu/quotes

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- The Vincentian Spiritual Moderator -

A Vincentian Spiritual Moderator is a volunteer who possesses human and spiritual qualities as well as holds a knowledge of our faith, particularly of Catholic social thought. As we look at our history, Vincent de Paul was the spiritual catalyst for the first Ladies of Charity. He set and encouraged the spiritual practices. St. Louise then assisted with the formation of the Ladies and encouraged not only the practices of the faith but also applied our beliefs to the way and work of serving the poor. Today, in each association, the Vincentian Spiritual Moderator, whether a sister, or a lay woman, combines these two roles and is the spiritual animator of each association.

A practicing Catholic, this person must model the Vincentian virtues of humility, simplicity and charity and be knowledgeable about the Catholic faith and Vincentian tradition and spirituality including Incarnational Spirituality. She also appreciates the role of lay ministry in the church and understands its collaborative role. A Vincentian Spiritual Moderator is a collaborator who possesses good communication skills, especially listening skills and is comfortable faith sharing and facilitating spiritual activities such as formation sessions, retreats and prayers.

In order to fulfill the goal of helping each Lady of Charity to recognize that they are personally called to grow in holiness, the Vincentian Spiritual Moderator regularly attends meetings of the Association. She assures that the meetings are begun with prayer and Vincentian spiritual reflection/sharing and that the spiritual practices of the Ladies of Charity are observed. She encourages direct contact with people who are poor and facilitates discernment in planning and apostolic reflection on the members’ experiences to help them find Christ in their service with people who are vulnerable. She encourages and promotes unity and community among the members as well as people who are served.

The Vincentian Spiritual Moderator is appointed by the President and supports the President in her role of leadership as they together assure that each Association maintains their connection to the National and International Association so that the Vincentian mission and spirit flourishes and grows.

- The Crucifix of the Ladies of Charity -

Jesus called everyone to take up their cross if we were to follow Him. Our foundress, Louise de Marillac, had a keen consciousness that as a follower of Jesus, accepting the crosses in her life allowed her to be more united with our Crucified Savior. A crucifix is given to each new member of the Ladies of Charity as a reminder that we are called to embrace the sufferings in our lives as well as our joys.

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When you received the crucifix of the Ladies of Charity you were told:

Receive this image of the Son of God, Model of Charity. May your glory be in the Cross of Jesus Christ. Wear the Crucifix always upon your heart, and bear it with you wherever you may go to be your strength, your consolation and salvation-in-life-and-in death.

Like Simon of Cyrene, each Lady of Charity carries a cross, she carries it with her always. As she moves about in her work her greatest glory comes in assisting someone else to carry his or

her cross. A cross that life may have given him, the beauty of which he may have been unable to discover. To you is given this priceless opportunity because you wear the cross, to understand the cross and to make its beauty known to all.

The arms of the cross become your arms as laden with gifts of love you walk among people. The foot of the cross becomes the bulwark against which you, in your own troubled life or in encouraging others, can rest and gain support.

The tree of the cross becomes life itself to you and to those you serve… And you, Ladies of Charity, have chosen the cross as your insignia, as your emblem, as your badge of honor. Membership in your organization binds you to the Cross which you wear in a very extraordinary manner.

How typical it was that the organization of Saint Vincent and Saint Louise should come to be known as the Ladies of Charity; for the very first lady of Charity was no other than Mary, the Mother of God.6

As Mary went with her Ladies in 1617, so she goes with you today in your labors of love as Ladies of Charity.

God, who has granted me so many graces, led me to understand that it was His Holy Will that I go to Him by way of the Cross. His goodness chose to mark me with it from my birth and He has hardly ever left me, at any age, without some occasion of suffering.7

6 Address of Alice R. May at the Centennial Banquet of the Ladies of Charity, St. Louis MO,September 29, 19577 A. 29 On Charity, Sullivan, Spiritual Writings of Louise de Marillac, p 711

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- The Commitment -

As followers of Christ, the Evangelizer of the Poor, Ladies of Charity joyfully proclaim the Good News through

† Works: performing the works of justice and mercy: feeding the hungry; caring for the frail and the ill; while advocating for policies, laws and programs to alleviate poverty.

† Words: announcing with deep conviction God’s presence, love, and mercy for all.

† Relationships: being with people who live on the margins, working alongside of them, forming a community of love and care

The Ladies of Charity are a community of lay women who participate in the Vincentian mission of prayer and service. Because each community and their needs as well as resources are different, our activities are diverse as the communities in which we are present. Our special concern is the needs of women and children. In a community we may be --• caring for disabled children and adults• providing support for young mothers • tutoring in literacy or ESL programs • visiting the sick, the aged and the dying; supporting caregivers• organizing spiritual, social and fundraising events• working in soup kitchens, food pantries, and homeless shelters • creating job training programs for adult women• operating thrift shops and boutiques • visiting women in prison, mentoring released prisoners, promoting

restorative justice• outreaching to abused women and victims of human trafficking • advocating legislatively on state/federal issues related to our mission • supporting anti-poverty programs locally/ nationally/internationally• mentoring young women as Junior Ladies of Charity

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CHAPTER 2OUR FOUNDER, SAINTS AND FAMILY

- Saint Vincent de Paul -

Vincent de Paul was born on April 24, 1581, the third of six children. His young days were spent tending his father’s flocks in the rural Pyrenees in southwest France. Because the only way for a country boy to receive an education was to become a priest, Vincent went to the Seminary. After ordination in 1600, he tried to find a position in a parish in order to help his family financially. At first he did not seem to find his niche, traveling for a while and at eight years of ordination he finally went to Paris. These early years as a priest were marked by frustration and failure. His motivation to become a priest was not very inspiring in those early days.

In Paris, Vincent became a distributor of alms for Queen Marguerite of Valois, ex-wife of Henry IV. This set of circumstances was the first of the EVENTS in Vincent’s life that would change him. He came into contact with those who were poor. Later, Vincent went to a parish which he loved; Clichy, and here he began to experience the true meaning of his priesthood. This was the beginning of a changing Vincent, a moment when Vincent met “his grace”. This, coupled with the fact that Vincent began to penetrate the meaning of the Gospels, was a time when he listened to God speaking to his heart… a time when he wanted to imitate the Jesus of the Scriptures especially as Jesus identified with the poor.

The gap between the worlds of the rich and poor was enormous. The nobility had great wealth or held influential positions, but the peasants were 90% of the population. The conditions of the poor in both city and country were deplorable. For most of Vincent’s life, France was at war.

Vincent came to know the De Gondi’s, members of a wealthy banking family. Madame de Gondi asked Vincent to be tutor to their children and her spiritual guide. During that time, she introduced him to the very poor who lived on her estates in Folleville. Called upon to hear the confession of a dying man, he discovered that this penitent expressed his joy to Madame De Gondi stating that he felt he would be damned had it not been for this spiritual experience.

The next day, January 25, 1617, Vincent spoke at Mass about general confession.

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So many people came to receive the sacrament that other priests were called in to assist Vincent. After this Madame de Gondi began saving money by cutting back on personal pleasures and clothing and her husband doubled the amount she saved so that she could approach Vincent and ask him to form priests. So Vincent began forming priests who knew the meaning of their vocation. This was another event which made clear to Vincent what God was calling him to do. By 1625 he formed a religious community of priests to train good priests and to serve the poor – the first Vincentian Priests (the Congregation of the Mission). Madame de Gondi and her husband provided the financial support for them.

But before the formal foundation of the Congregation of the Mission, Vincent felt the need of a change, which led him to a town called Châtillon to be the parish priest. In this town he began the Confraternities of Charity, also known as the Ladies of Charity. The foundation of the Charities, as they were often called, had a life-changing impact on Vincent who later saw this EVENT as the beginning of his life’s work. Vincent began to realize that God acts in EVENTS. This became a characteristic of his spiritual way.

Madame de Gondi’s spiritual anxieties were a burden for Vincent and one of his reasons for leaving her home to go off to Châtillon. However, in time, she tracked him down and asked him to return to minister to all the people on her lands in return for staying on with her household. One might even say she outwitted him. Vincent could not resist and this event caused Vincent to address the spiritual needs of the people as well as their physical needs. Madame de Gondi was aware that many priests did not know the formula of absolution so she got it written down and brought it with her when she accompanied priests to the homes of the poor on her estates. She made Vincent see that the poor needed good priests.

In the course of his life time, Vincent was finding God in the poor and in their physical and spiritual needs. He was responsible for reforming the clergy, training priests in seminary formation, founding hospitals, orphanages, homes for the aged and disabled. He traveled the halls of the wealthy and powerful so that he might work with them to alleviate the suffering of people living in poverty. He grew into a more deeply spiritual and reflective person. He spent time in prayer and reflecting on the events of his life and how God was leading him through these events, circumstances and individuals.

When Vincent died in 1660, the homilist at his funeral noted that Vincent had changed the face of France in his lifetime. His foundations, the Confraternities of Charity, now called the AIC (lay women) the Congregation of the Mission (priests and brothers) and the Daughters of Charity, (sisters) continue his mission 400 years later. Additionally, his spirit inspired many other groups which form what is now called the “Vincentian family.”

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- St. Louise de Marillac -

Louise de Marillac is another person who influenced Vincent and was very important to the Ladies of Charity. Her life was very different from his. He was from rural France, the son of a peasant. She was a city girl, a child of one of the great noble families – the de Marillacs!

Louise, an illegitimate child, experienced great suffering and pain as a child. Her father loved Louise and acknowledged her by allowing her to bear the Marillac name. But because of the circumstances of her birth, she was not allowed to remain in the Marillac household and was sent to live in a convent school. At

this school, she received a very good education, but she also experienced great loneliness and suffered the pain of her illegitimacy. After the death of her father, her family arranged a marriage for her to Antoine LeGras. Her marriage was a happy one and a son, Michel, blessed this marriage. But after some years, her husband became ill and died and Louise was widowed in 1625.

Near the time of her husband’s death, Louise was in a state of mental, spiritual and physical exhaustion. She went through intense interior darkness and suffering. Around this time Louise and Vincent met in Paris. She had a pivotal event often referred to as her Luminere or Light Experience. In this experience God showed her that she would be living in a community with women who would be taking care of their neighbor. This was confusing to her as religious communities of this time in history lived in a cloister. Sisters did not work outside of their convents. In this “light experience” God let her know that she should take Vincent as her spiritual guide. She was not thrilled about this because of the differences in their background and style. However, following the wisdom of a God whose plan she wanted to follow, she was advised to seek Vincent’s spiritual advice and in God’s time a strong relationship evolved between them. In time they became exceptional collaborators and trusted and treasured friends.

Vincent surely assisted her through the final months of the illness of Antoine Le Gras, her husband. It was during her widowhood, that Vincent helped Louise to move from her anxieties and fears, that God was punishing her for not fulfilling a promise she had made to become a religious, to a balanced and healthy spirituality. Vincent involved her in working with the first confraternities of charity, sending her on mission with the words: “Go therefore, Mademoiselle, go in the name of Our Lord. I pray that His Divine Goodness may accompany you, be your consolation along the way, your shade against the heat of the sun, your shelter in rain and cold, your soft bed in your weariness, your strength in your toil, and finally, that He may bring you back in perfect health and filled with good works.”8

8 Coste, St. Vincent de Paul, Vol 1 p. 64-65

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Louise was thirty-eight when Vincent de Paul chose her as his collaborator.

Her role was to encourage the members of the Charities that had sprung up in many places in France, resolving difficulties in many areas, restarting Charities that were not going well, supporting and offering spiritual wisdom and insight and in some instances offering sound and practical advice on the care of the sick and poor. She was an attentive listener, and she modeled respect for each person. She valued and discovered the talents of all members. Louise realized that it was necessary to be knowledgeable and to keep up-to-date in order to teach others.

When the Charities were established in the city of Paris, many of the Ladies were among the highest ranking families. Their husbands and their social standing would not permit them to enter the homes of the poor. They began to send their servants who were not happy to have this added burden to their already busy schedule. Louise approached Vincent several times to allow young peasant girls who had shown interest in serving the poor to live together and take over this ministry. Finally, Vincent agreed and the two collaborators, Vincent and Louise, formed these early Daughters of Charity in prayer, service and community.

This newly established community began the creation of something new in the Church, a religious company of women, without cloister, serving the many poor of Paris in their homes and educating poor girls to read and write. Gradually their ministry extended to the sick in hospitals, galley slaves, foundlings, soldiers on battlefields, the poor in villages and the mentally ill. The community was the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul.

Both Vincent and Louise learned to reflect on their own experiences to discover how God was leading them and they taught their followers to do the same. They encouraged each other and each of their early followers to bring the light of the Gospels to their life experiences. They trusted that if they were faithful to bringing the events of their lives to prayer that the success of the prayer really did not matter, but rather that their faithfulness to making time for prayer and to doing one’s best to be attentive was what really mattered.

Demetrius Dumm, in his book Flowers in the Desert states: “It is impossible to put limits on what might happen in such an encounter between a sincere and generous person and an all-loving God… The Lord will truly speak in that silence and the one who hears him will become more confident, calmer, more able to be patient with others, more sensitive, more able to put aside illusions and face the truth, more able to cope with problems; he will be less angry and frustrated, less fearful… But, most of all, one will be refreshed and strengthened for love and service.”9 Vincent and Louise are examples of this. The Ladies of Charity and all followers of Vincent and Louise are called, after the example of their founders, to faithfulness in making time for prayer and reflection and for looking at their ministry in the light of the Gospel.

9 Demetrius Dumm, OSB, Flowers in the Desert, (Archabbey Publications, 2001), p. 166.

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- Elizabeth Ann Seton -

Of special significance to the Ladies of Charity in America is Elizabeth Ann Seton who founded the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph in 1809. Why is Elizabeth Seton of such significance? Catherine Harkins the foundress of the Ladies of Charity here in the United States was most certainly guided by the Holy Spirit through Elizabeth Seton’s community of sisters. In her childhood, Catherine was educated by the Sisters of Charity of St Joseph from Emmitsburg between 1834 and 1836 in Pottsville, PA. It was there that she received her first formation in Vincentian/Setonian charity from Elizabeth Seton’s spiritual daughters. Elizabeth Seton adapted the rule of the

Daughters of Charity in Paris which was brought to her by the Sulpician priests for the religious community she formed in Emmitsburg. So this community of sisters lived in the spirit of Sts. Vincent de Paul and Louise de Marillac.

Elizabeth was born into a wealthy family of staunch Episcopalians just before the revolutionary war in 1774. Her father, a physician, was often called away from his family. Elizabeth’s mother died in childbirth, leaving three children. Elizabeth was the second child.

Her father remarried. Her father and her step-mother had seven children. Elizabeth was never fully accepted by her step-mother, adding to the intensity of the loneliness and sadness of an already sad child after the death of her mother. During these early days of her life, Elizabeth often turned to God, speaking to God as friend, confidant, and companion. While Elizabeth experienced great sadness, she also was of lively disposition. Elizabeth fell in love with William Magee Seton, the son of a prominent shipping family and she was married at age 19. Elizabeth and Will had five children.

Soon disaster struck. Will’s father died, shipwrecks and family problems made the family’s business go under. Will was diagnosed with tuberculosis as well. In an effort to help his illness, Elizabeth and her older daughter traveled with him to Leghorn, Italy to spend time with some business friends. After a month of quarantine conditions in Leghorn, Will died and Elizabeth and Anna Maria stayed for several months with the Filicchi family, their friends. She was a widow at 29.

Here, Elizabeth was attracted to the Catholic faith of this family. The devotion of the people in Leghorn to the Eucharist drew her attraction the most. Upon her return to the United States Elizabeth struggled with the decision as to whether

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to join the Catholic faith. Upon deciding to do so, she met with great opposition and anger from family and friends, but she received her first communion in the Catholic faith on March 25, 1805.

After being shunned by many family members and close friends, she and her children moved to Baltimore where people were more open to Catholics and she started a small school. Other women soon came to join her. This group formed the first American community of Catholic sisters. The group soon moved to Emmitsburg where land had been given to them. The Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph, the name they chose for themselves, opened a small school which is considered the beginnings of the Catholic School system in the United States.

The young group of sisters struggled from the cold winters and heavy work. Some of Elizabeth’s own children and several of the sisters died of tuberculosis. Mother Seton herself succumbed to the disease as well at age 47. While they encountered many hardships, the young community was zealous and greatly committed to providing a quality education for those who could afford the tuition and board so as to have enough money to provide an education to the children living in poverty all around them.

The Spirit watched over this community of loving and dedicated sisters. It spread rapidly. Six different groups of Sisters of Charity are direct descendants or spiritual daughters of Elizabeth Seton. After Vatican II, these congregations were joined by seven other religious communities over a period of years. They are called the Sisters of Charity Federation. Each congregation recognizes their particular character and spirit in the charism of the tradition of Charity founded by St. Vincent de Paul, Louise de Marillac and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton.

During her lifetime, Elizabeth Seton carried out many roles: wife, mother, widow, convert, single mother, foundress, educator, and advocate for the poor. She is a role model for many women. She also has the privileged place of being the first American-born saint of our Church.

- Catherine Harkins -

Catherine O’Regan, the daughter of Margaret Duane of County Limerick and Daniel O’Regan of County Cork, Ireland was born on November 16, 1834. She came to New York as a child with her parents. From New York the family moved to Pottsville PA where she received her education. Later still, the family moved to Paris, Kentucky. While on a visit to St. Louis, Catherine met Captain Hugh Harkins, a steamboat owner who traveled up and down the Mississippi. She was married to him in 1853 and the couple settled in St. Louis in 1857.

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At age 23, Catherine had a dream in which she saw St. Vincent winding his way through the streets of Paris, gathering up children who were poor and neglected. In the dream, he directed Catherine to do the same. After several recurrences of the dream, Catherine shared the dream with her confessor Father Peter O’Neill, a Vincentian and parish priest of St. Vincent’s Church in St. Louis MO. Father suggested that it was probably more than a dream, and guided her to return home and pray for enlightenment and to return to the same confessional the next day. She did as she was directed. However, on the following day she found a different priest, Father Urban Gagnepain, CM. She related her story again. He listened with interest and advised her to continue her prayer.

Following the wisdom of St. Vincent de Paul, Father Gagnepain advised Catherine to gather a small group of women into a society whose goal was to serve those who were poor. If her dream were a fantasy, the group would probably not be successful.

Faithful to the advice of the priest, Catherine and eleven of her friends met and formed the Ladies of Charity, a name they selected for themselves totally unaware that an international organization already had adopted this name. As soon as they learned of their predecessors overseas, they secured from France the rules of the original Ladies of Charity and followed them with the help of their Spiritual Director and became affiliated with the mother branch in Paris. Catherine Harkins became the first American President.

After the death of her husband, Catherine married Elmer Drake, who predeceased her by two years.

Both as Mrs. Hugh Harkins and then as Mrs. Elmer Drake, Catherine led her group of Ladies of Charity to visit and minister in the homes of the poor who were sick and frequently also hungry, bringing them remedies as well as food, providing them much needed support with a compassionate touch. She and her small group of Ladies addressed the needs of many families who were experiencing bankruptcy due to banking failures and depressed living conditions. She collaborated with the Vincentian priests and the Daughters of Charity in the St. Louis area. Especially sensitive to the needs of children, Catherine ministered to neglected children especially at the House of the Guardian Angels. She saw to the educational needs of the underprivileged children living in the city and was very sensitive to vulnerable widows with young children.

Catherine embraced the mission and spirit of St. Vincent de Paul whom she experienced in her dream to assist the many poor of St. Louis. Catherine died at the age of 77. She was survived by her two sons and one daughter and 18 grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

St. Vincent would say that each of these EVENTS in the life of Catherine Harkins were a part of God’s plan in the Providence of God and not just happenstance.

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Catherine Harkins, the foundress of the Ladies of Charity in the United States, was taught by sisters who came from Emmitsburg. Undoubtedly, she had heard from these sisters of Mother Elizabeth Seton and most assuredly, their love from the Vincentian spirit embodied in their rule of life influenced the instruction that she received from them. Catherine later had “the vision” of St. Vincent de Paul which challenged her to discern the meaning by seeking the guidance of a priest, a Vincentian priest, who belonged to the community founded by St. Vincent de Paul. Catherine and her early members began assisting the House of the Guardian Angels, a home serving orphan girls in St. Louis MO, administered by the Daughters of Charity. The spirituality of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, St. Vincent de Paul and St. Louise de Marillac shaped the spirituality of Catherine Harkins and influenced the manner she carried out her mission and ministry to God’s poor in St. Louis.

- The Vincentian Family -

The Vincentian Family today consists of all the Associations or Congregations whose apostolate is inspired by the Vincentian charism of service to those living in poverty and the destitute. The Vincentian Family is a worldwide, living reality. The Ladies of Charity is a member of this family.

During his term of office as Superior General of the Vincentians and the Daughters of Charity (1992 – 2004), Rev. Robert Maloney, Superior General of the Vincentians and Daughters of Charity shared some “HOPES” to the Vincentian Family groups worldwide. Highlights of these hopes were: to strengthen the bonds of unity in the Family, to pray together, to reflect together on the Mission of our family in the third millennium, to collaborate together in formation so as to digest the rich spiritual teaching of Vincent; to assess together the present-day real-life situation of those living in poverty (their needs, their hopes, their fears), and to identify collaborative apostolic projects that are concrete, sustainable, and realistic. Today this work is continued through the Vincentian Family Office aided by a Council of Advisors. The office is located in Philadelphia, PA.

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International Association of Charity (AIC):In 1617, St. Vincent founded the

Confraternities of Charity in Châtillon, France by organizing the lay women in the parishes to: “honor Our Lord Jesus Christ and his holy Mother and to assist the sick poor corporally and spiritually.” Their motto

is “To serve rather than be served” and currently there are over 200,000 members, also known as the Ladies of Charity, serving in 52 Countries throughout the world.

The Congregation of the Mission (CM):In 1625, St. Vincent founded his community of priests

and brothers to evangelize the poor through words and works, especially the poor people in the countryside through missions to the people, and the formation of the clergy. Their motto is “He has sent me to evangelize the poor” and currently there are about 4,000 missionaries of priest and brothers serving in 80 Countries throughout the world.

The Daughters of Charity (DC):In 1633 St. Vincent de Paul and St. Louise de Marillac

co-founded the Daughters of Charity to “consecrate their lives to God and to live in community in order to dedicate themselves to the service the poor.” Their motto is: “The charity of Jesus crucified impels us.” There are Daughters of Charity serving in 94 Countries throughout the world.

After the French Revolution, other members of the Vincentian Family were founded throughout the world:

The Sisters of Charity (SC): In 1809, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, using the Rule of

St.Vincent, founded the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph at Emmitsburg, Maryland, and they quickly spread throughout North America. Eight Sister of Charity congregations trace their roots to Elizabeth Seton: New York (1846), Cincinnati (1852), Immaculate Conception of Saint John, NB (1854), Halifax (1855), St. Elizabeth NJ (1859), Seton Hill PA (1870), St. Martha of Antigonish, NS (1900), and Notre-Dame- du-Sacre-Coeur of Moncton, NB (1924). Three more congregations adapted the American Vincentian Rule: Nazareth KY (1812), Leavenworth KS (1858) and Our Lady of Mercy of Charleston, SC (1829). The Sisters and Daughters of Charity in North America belong to a Federation representing most of these members.

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The Society of St. Vincent de Paul:In 1833, Frederic Ozanam, along with his companions,

founded the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Sister Rosalie Rendu, DC mentored the founding members in the spirit of St. Vincent and is considered to be a co-founder of the Society. Its purpose and vision is “to follow the Vincentian spirituality of finding Christ in the poor by enfolding the world in a network of charity.” The motto of the Society is: “No work of Charity is foreign to the Society.” Today this international network is present serving the poor in 150 Countries world-wide.

Vincentian Marian Youth (VMY): In 1835, the first Children of Mary Association was organized.

This lay youth group has as its purpose: To form members to live a solid faith following Jesus Christ the Evangelizer of the poor; to live and pray like Mary, with simplicity and humility; and to animate and sustain the missionary spirit to those who are poor. . This organization is now called “Vincentian Marian Youth.”

The Miraculous Medal Association (AMM):In 1847, the Association of the Miraculous

Medal was formed at the Motherhouse of the Congregation of the Mission in Paris. The members of the Association wear the Miraculous Medal and spread devotion to Mary especially through service to the poor. There are 7,000,000 members worldwide.

Missionary Cenacle FamilyIn 1909 Father Thomas Augustine Judge, CM, a

member of the Congregation of the Mission pioneered the lay apostolate in the United States. He founded the Missionary Cenacle Apostolate (lay missionaries); Missionary Servants of the Most Blessed Trinity (Sisters); Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity (priests and Brothers); and the Blessed Trinity Missionary

Institute(vowed laity).

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Vincentian Mission Corps (VMC):In 1983, the Vincentian Service Corps was begun in

order to provide young adults with a year experience of praying and living in community, while working with those living in poverty in the spirit of St. Vincent and St. Louise. In 2012, the Vincentian Mission Corps was created by uniting the Vincentian Service Corps and the Gateway Vincentian Volunteers, which was founded in St. Louis by the Congregation of the Mission in 2001.

Depaul International:In 1989, the founding roots of Depaul

International were established in London. It is now an international charity supporting homeless and marginalized people in the UK, Ireland, Slovakia, Ukraine, USA and France.

Depaul International manages over 70 different projects providing shelter, food, medical care and a place of safety for over 10,000 individuals each year.

Vincentian Service Corps-WestIn 1991, the Daughters of Charity, Province of the West formed the VSC-

West to serve northern and southern California. The mission is for lay men and women to respond to the call of the Gospel, in the spirit of St. Vincent de Paul, by serving those who are poor, while growing in prayer and living simply in community

Colorado Vincentian VolunteersIn 1994, the Colorado Vincentian Volunteers was founded to provide a

process of companionship with those who are poor in the spirit of St. Vincent de Paul. Compelled by a call to service and justice, volunteers in a year-long commitment work in areas of direct service and advocacy, live a life of simplicity in community supported by prayer and participate in a reflection process that addresses the relationship between charity and justice.

Lay Vincentian Missionaries (MISEVI): In 1999, the Lay Vincentian Missionaries

(Missionary of the Seglares Vicentian) was founded to offer lay men and women, single and married, an opportunity to spend several years in the Vincentian Family missions in the world.

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Vincentian Lay Missionaries (VLM): In 2005 Vincentian Lay Missionaries USA was

established to provide a short-term international opportunity for young adults (18-35) to serve those living in poverty, to live in community, and to reflect together on their experience. Vincentian Lay Missionaries collaborate with the Daughters of Charity and Congregation of the Mission who serve in Ethiopia and Kenya.

Heartland Charity Volunteers:In 2011 the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth founded the Heartland Charity

Volunteers, inviting young women to be transformed in the spirit of St. Vincent de Paul through intentional community living and direct service to the poor.

Vincentian Volunteers of Cincinnati: In 2012 the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Cincinnati founded the

Vincentian Volunteers of Cincinnati, a year-long, residential program rooted in St. Vincent’s mission, providing young professionals an opportunity to grow in faith, friendship and service.

Vincentian Universities:

St. John’s University—Queens, New York Founded by the Vincentian Fathers in 1870.Niagara University—Niagara, New York Founded by the Vincentian Fathers in 1883.DePaul University—Chicago, Illinois Founded by the Vincentian Fathers in 1898.

Setonian Universities:College of Mt. St. Vincent—Bronx, New York Founded by the Sisters of Charity of New York in 1847.Saint Elizabeth College—Convent Station, New Jersey Founded by the Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth in 1899.Seton Hill University—Seton Hill, Pennsylvania Founded by the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill in 1918.College of Mt. St. Joseph—Cincinnati, Ohio Founded by the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati in 1920.University of St. Mary—Leavenworth, Kansas Founded by the Sister of Charity of Leavenworth in 1923.

Other Vincentian Groups: The Vincentian Family also embraces others formed in the Vincentian charism: • Affiliates• Associates• Former Members

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- Essentials of the Vincentian Family10 -based upon the Lives,Vision and Spirituality of

Vincent de Paul and Louise de Marillac

The Vincentian vocation is incarnational. It calls us to• Nurture a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, the source and model of

all charity.• Put on the mind and heart of Jesus Christ and proclaim the reign of God.• Evangelize and be evangelized by those who live in poverty.• See Jesus Christ crucified in all who suffer.• Participate in a Vincentian community that supports us in faith and service.• Be rooted in the Gospel especially as it is proclaimed in Luke 4:16-21;

Luke 9:1-6; Luke 10: 25-37; Matthew 25: 31-40.• Trust in Divine Providence.• Be impelled by the love of Jesus Christ in all our relationships.• Love affectively and effectively with compassion, respect and devotion.• Serve in a spirit of humility, simplicity and charity.• In the spirit of Catholic Social Teaching, challenge through our advocacy

unjust social systems that oppress those living in poverty.• Honor Mary who as model for the Church is also the model of Vincentian

discipleship.• Embrace the charism as missionary by being available to go out to the most

vulnerable and underserved.• Recognize the places of the marginalized as the Holy Places for the

Vincentian Family.

To live the Vincentian vocation we commit ourselves to• Prayer and celebration of the Sacraments personally and as a Vincentian

community.• Apostolic Reflection that illuminates our service with faith.• Vincentian Discernment in making decisions.• Vincentian Creativity to see what is and to imagine what could be.• Vincentian Realism in responding in a practical way to needs as expressed

by those living in poverty.

10 Compiled by the Vincentian Family Collaborators, USA. Alma Arredondo, Sr. Pat Connolly, Sr. Claire Debes, Sr. Patricia Dunne, Louise Ewers, Fr. John Freund, Sheila Gilbert, Sr. Sheila O’Friel, Sr. Judith Schomicsh, Sr. Marilyn Shea, Fr. Ed Udovic, September 15, 2002

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CHAPTER 3THE SPIRITUAL LIFE

- Prayer -

The tradition of Christian prayer is one of the ways in which the tradition of faith takes shape and grows, especially through the contemplation and study of believers who treasure in their hearts the events and words of the economy of salvation, and through their profound grasp of the spiritual realities they experience. The Catechism of the Catholic Faith, #2651

Prayer is the life of the new heart. It ought to animate us at every moment. But we tend to forget Him who is our life and our all. This is why the Fathers of the spiritual life in the Deuteronomic and prophetic traditions insist that prayer is a remembrance of God often awakened by the memory of the heart: “We must remember God more often than we draw breath.” (St. Gregory of Nazianzus, Orat. theo, 27, 1, 4: PG 36, 16.) But we cannot pray “at all times” if we do not pray at specific times, consciously willing it. The Catechism of the Catholic Church # 2697

Our Vincentian saints had a deep appreciation and desire to be united to God at all times. Vincent once described short, fervent prayers as “darts of love” piercing the clouds.11

“God blesses all people with a zone of illumination in the middle of which they most clearly see God’s face. This ‘God spot’ might be in the electricity of an intimate relationship, in the awe evoked by nature’s beauty, or in the subtle excitement of sharing insights while teaching or counseling. Jesus assures his Disciples that bringing the Good News to other people is a ‘God spot’. God is encountered in the very act of sharing the Gospel. While evangelizing, God sends the energy and power of grace. In giving, the evangelizer is evangelized.”

Praying with Vincent de Paul by Thomas McKenna, p. 54

- The Eucharist -

”The seven sacraments touch all the stages and all the important moments of Christian life: they give birth and increase, healing and mission to the Christian’s life of faith. There is thus a certain resemblance between the stages of nature life and the stages of the spiritual life. “ The Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1210

11 Vincent de Paul Correspondence, Conferences and Documents IX, p32

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The Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1211 states that the Eucharist occupies a unique place as the “Sacrament of sacraments: “all the other sacraments are ordered to it as to their end.” St Thomas Aquinas, STh IIl, 65, 3.

The Ladies of Charity value the Eucharist as an essential means to deepen our relationship with God. Louise, Vincent, and Elizabeth Seton found in the Eucharist the nourishment for their soul that sustained them and impelled them to follow the example of Jesus who had a special place in his heart for those living on the fringes of society.

After expressing her anxiety and fear to receive the Eucharist, Louise wrote “ I was particularly overwhelmed by the thought of my lowliness, when my soul was made to understand that my God wanted to come to me. However, He did not wish to come into some temporary dwelling but to a place that was rightly His and which belonged entirely to Him. Therefore, I could not refuse Him entrance. As a living soil, I had to welcome Him joyfully as the true possessor of my soul and simply acquiesce to Him, giving Him my heart as the throne of his Majesty.” 12

Like Louise, we are called to draw strength from this precious gift of Jesus Himself in the Eucharist.

In 1645 Vincent was encouraging a dying brother of his community to make acts of love to God, the lover of our hearts. He then went on to say this about the precious gift of the Eucharist:

“Furthermore, since love is inventive to infinity, after being affixed to the infamous stake of the cross to win the hearts and souls of those by whom He wishes to be loved – not to mention all the other innumerable schemes He used for this purpose during His time spent among

us – foreseeing that His absence could cause some forgetfulness or cooling off in our hearts, He wanted to avoid this danger by instituting the Most August Sacrament, in which He is as truly and substantially present as He is in heaven above.

Furthermore, however, seeing that, if He wanted to humble and empty himself even more than He had done in His Incarnation and could make himself in some way more like us – or at least make us more like Him, He caused this venerable Sacrament to serve us as food and drink, intending by this means that the same union and resemblance that exist between nature and substance should occur spiritually in each human person. Because love can do and will everything,

12 Louise Sullivan, D.C. Trans., Spiritual Writings of Louise de Marillac. A.17 p 697

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He willed it thus; and for fear that, if people didn’t understand this incredible mystery and scheme of love, they might neglect to approach this Sacrament. He has obliged them to do so under pain of incurring His eternal displeasure.

From this you see how, by every means imaginable, He has striven to win us over to love Him and, with this in view, you must stir up your heart to pay this just and pleasant tribute to love of a God who has been the object of all His plans for you and for which to obtain it He did all that He has done for you. You must believe that the greatest present you can offer Him is your heart; He asks nothing else of you.”13

The Eucharist was especially instrumental in drawing Elizabeth Seton to the Catholic Church. Elizabeth Seton while still in Italy after the death of her husband was so inspired by the Filicchi family and their Catholic friends and their devotion to Jesus in the Eucharist. She wrote in here dairy: “I fell on my knees without thinking when the Blessed Sacrament passed by, and cried in agony to God to bless me, if He was there – my whole soul desired only Him… Was I the only one He did not bless.”14

On her return to the United States and to her own Episcopalian Church she wrote back to Amabilia Fillichi, “I got into a side pew which turned my face toward the Catholic Church in the next street, and twenty times found myself speaking to the blessed sacrament THERE instead of looking at the naked altar before me… “ Leaving her own (Episcopal) Church and truly believing she should become a Catholic was not an easy step for her. She finally in resignation and courage said: “I will go peaceably and firmly to the Catholic Church: for if Faith is so important to our salvation, I will seek it where true Faith first began, seek it among those who received it from God Himself.”15

In the Eucharist we come together! We can become the bread we eat but this is not easy. We are far from being one body and one spirit. So many things divide us: history, background, temperament, geography, color, gender our personal wounds, jealousies, self-interest, our weaknesses, our former provincial cultures, our fractured world in our Church, among ourselves, and in solidarity with those living in poverty. We need the Eucharist is make us one Body of Christ! The Eucharist is a prayer of helplessness, a prayer for God to give us a unity we cannot give to ourselves.16

The Eucharist, although it is the fullness of sacramental life, is not a prize for the perfect but a powerful medicine and nourishment for the weak. Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium[51]

13 Correspondence, Conferences, Documents, Vol. 11, page 131.14 Dear Remembrances, The Soul of E Seton, pg 69.15 Elizabeth Bayley Seton, Annabelle M. Melville, p. 136.16 Ronald Rolheiser, Our One Great Act of Fidelity, p 40.

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- Devotion to Mary -

Vincent wanted Mary to be the Patroness for the first Confraternity of Charity at Châtillon-les-Dombes in 1617: “And the Mother of God being involved and taken as patroness in important matters, it can do no other than redound to the glory of the good Jesus her Son, the said Ladies take her as patroness and protector of the work and humbly beg her to take special care of it.17

Mary is presented to us as the most perfect disciple of Christ and the first Christian, by her attitudes “in her own particular life, she fully and responsibly accepted the will of God, because she heard the word of God and acted on it, and because charity and the spirit of service were the driving force of her actions. She is worthy of imitation because she was the first and most perfect of Christ’s disciples. All of this has a permanent value and universal exemplary value.”18

Marian spirituality has a deep tradition within the Church from earliest times. Ladies of Charity are called to find in Mary inspiration and an example of what it means to be a disciple of Christ. Vincent, Louise, and Elizabeth Ann all were nourished in their spirituality with a special devotion to Mary. Authentic Marian spirituality in a Lady of Charity comes from a genuine encounter with Mary in the Gospel and reflecting on the understanding of Mary from the perspective of Vincent, Louise, and Elizabeth Ann Seton can deepen one’s own appreciation of Mary.

Of particular importance is Mary’s role in salvation history in Luke 1:38 where Mary is chosen by God to accomplish his will as Servant of the Lord. In Luke 1:42 she is blessed among women. The evangelists give us qualities of Mary’s personality for us to imitate: She is part of the mystical line of the poor of Yahweh in the Old Testament ratified by the Beatitudes in the Gospels and help to make up her spiritual portrait.

Poverty: (Lk 1:48)Service: (Lk:38, 48; Jn 2:5)Fear of God: Lk 1:29, 50

Awareness: Lk 1:52Sense of Justice: Lk 1:35

Solidarity with the People of God: Lk 1:52-55Joy: Lk 1:28, 47

Openness’ and availability to the design of God: Lk1:35,51Trust in the Promises of a faithful and merciful God: Lk 2:19,51

Magnificat, the song of the poor: Lk 1:46-55

17 Correspondence, Conferences, Documents Vol 13b, p 318 [Marialis Cultus, 35] Vincentiana, July-October 2002 Marian Spirituality and the Vincentian Charism, Corpus Delgado, CM, p 329

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Vincent focused his attention on three events: 1. the Immaculate Conception: Mary was born without sin and emptied

herself to welcome God: Vincent desired his followers to welcome God, to be filled with God, to clothe oneself with Christ who was emptied Himself as did Mary

2. the Annunciation: Mary knew her smallness before God and gave herself to God to serve others in order to accomplish God’s work

3. the Visitation: Vincent suggested to his followers that Mary’s promptness in her Visitation to her cousin, Elizabeth was a model of service to those living in poverty.

St Louise had many little devotional practices to honor Mary. She wrote a prayer of offering to the Virgin placing her son and herself under Mary’s protection after her husband’s death. She lists several practices in her Rule of Life to honor Mary; in a catechism written by Louise, she explained and recommended praying the Hail Mary and the rosary, went on pilgrimage to Chartres where she consecrated the Daughters of Charity to Mary. She referred to Mary as the only Mother of the first Daughters of Charity. In the last words of her Spiritual Testament, St. Louise stressed to her sisters “Pray earnestly to the Blessed Virgin, that she may be your only Mother.”19

- Elizabeth Ann Seton -

Elizabeth Ann first came to know Mary when she was invited to live with the Filicchis family in Italy after the death of her husband. Discovering in their home, a prayer of St. Bernard to Mary, begging her to be our Mother, Elizabeth Ann found solace in her grief and in her loneliness. Her maternal instinct resonated with her and she responded to and appreciated Mary’s role in our redemption. She identified with Mary, in her pregnancy, as the sorrowful Mother at the foot of the Cross. She saw Mary as full of grace.20

For Ladies of Charity today, a living Marian spirituality calls us to love Mary, to live like Mary, to see oneself as called and chosen. Ladies of Charity are called by Baptism and called again in our organization to be attentive and available to follow the Will of God in all times, to allow Christ to take form in us, and to proclaim the gospel of love for those living in poverty in tangible ways.

- Vincentian Discernment -

According to the dictionary discernment is: 1. The act or process of exhibiting keen insight and good judgment2. Keenness of insight and judgment.

19 Based on article in Vincentiana, July-October 2002 Marian Spirituality and the VincentianCharism , Corpus Delgado, CM, p 328-35120 Based on The Soul of Elizabeth Seton, A Spiritual Portrait, Joseph I Dirvin, CM, p. 79-86.

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According to St. Vincent discernment is:“for God often lets the mind get a hunch, or the heart a feeling, to tell us what

he wants. But we need the grain of salt if we’re not to be fooled. Out of the huge number of thoughts and feelings which come to us some seem good but don’t in fact come from God, not being God’s style. So we must thoroughly scrutinize them, turn to God, ask how this thing is to be carried through; we must reflect on the reason, on what we are aiming at, and the means at our disposal, to see if it reflects what God wants; we should go over them with experienced persons and seek advice.”21

Discernment begins in the heart. It is a series of questions to lead us to the imitation of Jesus Christ. What would Jesus do in this situation?; in these circumstances? How does this decision help me to better serve others?

There are three areas to be attentive to:1. Openness/Unrestricted Readiness

† Am I willing to look at all choices?† Am I willing to let go of prejudices?† Am I willing to set aside my preconceived ideas?† Am I willing to trust God?

2. Significance of Events† What are the significant facts?† How is God speaking through this issue/these people?† Where do I look to get objective information?

3. The Decision† Is the decision reasonably clear?† Is the decision rooted in personal peace?† Is the decision just? † Is the decision compassionate?

We are reminded by Robert P. Maloney, CM,22 that through his life, St. Vincent spoke of providence with great conviction. Trust in providence is inseparable from faith in a loving personal God. It is an attitude of reverence before the mystery of God, as revealed in Christ, in whom life, death, and resurrection are integrated. We are encouraged to take time each day to be aware of God’s provident love. Pay close attention to what is happening in your life. Sometimes God will come to you like a gentle breeze. Sometimes his intervention will be like a resounding trumpet blast. Be alert to what causes you joy and sorrow. Each day has moments in which God’s providence can be discerned.

If all conditions are met, ACT and DON’T LOOK BACK!

21 Sister Loretto Gottemeier, DC, Vincentian Discernment and Decision-Making, Vincentian Heri-tage, Vol. 19, #1, 1998 Note: Cannot verify the source but this quote is credited to Vincent de Paul.22 Robert P. Maloney, CM, Turn Everything to Love, p.70, 71.

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- Apostolic Reflection23 -

Apostolic Reflection is: • Rooted in our belief that “God is here” in all the events of our lives and

the lives of all of our brothers and sisters. A sense of God’s on-going Incarnation and Providence calls us to reflect on God’s presence in events.

• Rooted in the way Jesus went about His relationships with the apostles and disciples. They went off to preach, to teach, to heal and came back together to reflect on, to learn from their experiences.

• Rooted in our belief that “wherever 2 or 3 are gathered in My name I am in the midst of them.” Christ is, indeed, in the midst of us acting, calling, listening to us.

• Rooted in our Vincentian way which is reflected 1. In the mottos of two of the original communities: The Charity of Jesus Crucified Urges Us He has sent me to Evangelize the Poor they are dynamic they are relational they are rooted in a personal relationship with Jesus that drives us to share that relationship

2. In the method which Vincent, Louise, Elizabeth Seton, Frederic, Rosalie used with those who served the poor which was one of reflecting together on our experiences in service through conferences, through letters, through conversations at meetings

• Bringing the light of the Gospels to their experiences • Learning from one another’s experiences and faith • Thanking God for the gifts received in their experiences and

reflections together• Making a resolution for the future based on what they learned

from one another and heard in the Gospels as they reflected together.

What does Apostolic Reflection require of us?

Service. Hands on, person-to-person service, to those living in poverty.

Opening our eyes, ears, hearts, minds, feelings to what is happening in the lives of those whom we serve, and inside ourselves as we serve.

A willingness to slow down, be reflective and open ourselves to the call of Jesus, to meeting Jesus in and through the persons whom we serve.

23 The primary author of this section is Sr. Pat Connolly, DC.

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Faith that God speaks in and through our companions as we share our experiences of service, our experiences of our common mission. “Where two or three are gathered in my name…”

A willingness to trust our companions with the inspirations, frustrations, the calls to conversion, the blessings, the struggles and uncertainties we experience in our service. Together we become a discerning community through out sharing.

A familiarity with the calls of the Gospel and the teachings of the Church, and the lives and teachings of our Founders and Foundresses.

An attitude of humility and simplicity both in our service and in our reflections on our service. We learn from both successes and failures.

A spirit of gratitude for the many ways we meet God in service and all the events of our lives.

- Basic Elements of Apostolic Reflection -

• An experience in service to those living in poverty whether that was shared by all OR WAS one person’s experience.

• Reflecting on that experience. Examining what I saw, heard, felt, thought, wondered about.

• Examining my initial experience and responses, especially to what challenged me.

• Sharing my experience humbly and simply.

• Listening to what the community heard and wondered about as the experience was shared.

• Asking of all of us “Where was God in this experience?”

• Sharing Gospel and Vincentian values that come to mind and heart through experience.

• Prayer that summarizes with gratitude the gifts and calls to conversion that were received in the sharing of this experience of service.

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- Some Ways of Doing Apostolic Reflection -

1. Reflecting on a “Shared Group Experience” of ServiceChoose a service experience you participated in together. Describe it together identifying the Who, What, When, Where, How so that the experience is clearly brought back into each person’s mind and heart.Each person shares how he/she experienced the event, focusing on the thoughts, the emotions, the concerns that arise.Each person reflects quietly asking “Where was God in this experience? What moved me? What inspired me? What challenged me?”

Sharing of reflections with one another. Asking “What Gospel and/or Vincentian values, insights, or images come to mind through our reflection on this experience?”

What passage of Scripture comes to mind?

What example from the life of Vincent, Louise, or Elizabeth Seton come to mind?

Praying together what God is calling us to through our shared reflection on this service.

OR you might conclude with a prayer like…

Lord, take me where you want me to go today. Let me meet who You want me to meet.

Let me say what You want me to say. Keep me out of Your way.

Keep me in your way.-Prayer of Fr. Judd, OFV, NYC fire Department Chaplain killed in the

September 11th terrorist attack while anointing and praying with victims.

2. One Person Shares an ExperienceOne person shares, however, several persons might each share their personal experiences depending on the time available.

PreparationThe person prepares to share an event in his/her service. Select one that stands out for you, preferably one that stirred up some strong emotion whether a positive, a negative, or a confused one.

Reflecting on the following questions might be helpful to bring your experience more vividly to the group.

What kinds of feelings did the experience stir up?

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How did you respond at the time? How do you feel about the way your responded? What might your response reveal about you?

Sharing

Describe the event in detail so that your companions are there with you, so they see what you saw, heard, felt, thought, wondered.The person asks the gathered community members to offer their reflections on what occurred to them as he/she described the experience.

The community takes time to reflect silently and then share on the question “Where was God in this experience?”

The person and the group recall what Scripture passages, Vincentian Founders/Foundresses teachings come to mind and share those.

All are invited to share what this experience calls them to do or be.

All are invited to offer prayers of praise, thanks, intercession as a result of the sharing. If a song comes to mind that could be sung.

3. A Community Reflects on a Scripture Passage and ServiceAny Scripture passage can be used. The community reflects together.

Call to Reflection: We remember God is present here and now.

Call to Scripture: We recall Jesus in the synagogue reading the passage from Luke 4:18-19.

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; Therefore, he has anointed me. He has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor, To proclaim liberty to captives, Recovery of sight to the blind and release to prisoners, To announce a year of favor from the Lord.

We imagine Jesus saying to each of us:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; He has anointed me. He has brought me glad tidings through the poor, He has given me liberty through captives, He has given me sight through the blind, He has released me through the prisoners, Through the poor I have been given a year of favor from the Lord.

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Each Person ReflectsWho has evangelized you recently? Remember that person. Visualize him/her and the situation.Consider what he/she said or did that brought you good news that brought you liberty that gave you sight that released youRecall your thoughts, your feelings during the experience and later when you had time to reflect upon it.

In what ways did you experience yourself being evangelized?What words of the Founders, of the Gospel came to mind and heart through this experience?

Community SharingEach person is invited to share his/her experience of being evangelized by those served.

Community ReflectionWhat did we, as a community, hear ourselves say?What were common themes that we heard?What words or phrases convey our experience of God in the “here and now” from our sharing of experiences on being evangelized?

Community Prayer Response

Leader: Come Spirit of the Lord, be upon us.All: Please anoint us.

Leader: Send us to bring glad tidings to the poor and to hear their glad tidings.All: Let us proclaim liberty to captives and be open to the ways they liberate us.

Leader: In helping the blind recover their sight, let us see what they see.All: While releasing prisoners, may they release us from what imprisons us.

Leader: In announcing a year of favor from the Lord, let us recognize the favor of the Lord present in those who evangelize us.

All: Amen. Alleluia

If a song or other prayer rises from this reflection, feel free to share that.

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4. Reflecting on Service and the Paschal MysteryEach person in a group may prepare to share an experience of feeling like “you failed in your service.”

Reflection before sharing with the community:Recall an experience of “failure” in service when you didn’t succeed as you had hoped, you felt foolish, your efforts were misunderstood or rejected. Bring that experience vividly to mind and heart, enter fully into it once again.

Reflect what did you learn from that experience about • yourself?• other people?

What did you discover needed to “die” within yourself in order to put on the mind and heart of Jesus Christ in your service?

What is “resurrecting/rising” in you as a result of reflecting on this “failure”?

Community Sharing:• What insights does the community have to offer about this experience?• Where was God in this experience?• What from the Gospel/the Vincentian Founders/Foundresses/ sheds

light on this experience?• What are we called to be as a Community as a result of this reflection?

Conclude with the prayer “Vincentian Service means…”

Vincentian Service means….

To stand up. To feed them first. To leave God to find God. To empower residents to rebuilding neighborhoods. To pray often. To know that you will be judged by your actions, not your words.

To be worthy of the call you have received. To work until your hands bleed. To believe that now is the best time to make a difference.

To reflect often and hesitate less. To trust the tradition of a seventeenth centure peasant. To hear the Gospel in the poor. Prayer written by a Vincentian Service Corps Volunteer

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5. Each Person Shares an Experience of ServiceWe begin by reflecting on Jesus’ promise to be in our midst when we gather in His name.

Each person takes time to reflect on an experience in service within the recent past that he/she wants to reflect on with the community.• What happened?• What feelings and thoughts rose in you?• What, from the experience, has stayed with you since?

Each briefly tells the story so that the community can understand the experience being described.

After each story has been shared, pause for silent reflection and prayer for each person involved in the stories.

The community shares:• What feelings, values, issues came into our minds and hearts through

the stories that we heard?• How was God present in these experiences?• What image or passage from Scripture or our Vincentian Founders/

Foundresses came to mind as we listened?

After all of the sharings, you might consider offering to the community…• A challenge or affirmation that opened up as you heard these stories.• What this sharing might call forth from this conference• What each person carries away in his/her heart from this time together.

Conclude with a song or a prayer e.g.

Charity and a Preferential Option for the Poor

Poor Ones, Please take the bread. It is yours. The house with running water belongs to you. A plot of land, a dignified job-all yours. Forgive me for offering it. Charity is no substitute for justice but your children are hungry now.

Spirit of Justice, break open our hearts. Break them wide open. Let anger pour through strong winds, cleansing us of our complacency.Let anger pour through like spring storms, flooding out fear. Let zeal pour though like blazing summer sun, Filling us with passion.

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Force of Justice, grant us Anger at what is, courage to do what must be done. Passion to break down the walls of injustice. And build a land flowing with milk and honey for God’s beloved, God’s special love, God’s Poor ones. Spirit of Justice, break open our hearts. -Sr Mary Lou Kownacki, OSB

- Spiritual Practices -

Recommended Spiritual Practices For The Ladies Of Charity Important dates and times for the Ladies of Charity The patronal feast of the associations of the Ladies of Charity is the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, December 8. Vincentian feast days: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, January 4 St. Louise de Marillac, May 924 St. Vincent de Paul, September 27

The Ladies of Charity Prayer Each Monday at 9 a.m. members pray for the Ladies of Charity and the success of their works the following prayer.

The Ladies of Charity Prayer My God, I humbly beg you to make me an instrument of your love. Give me the grace of performing all my actions to help my neighbor with charity, humility and simplicity.

It is my hope, Lord that fidelity in the practice of these virtues may obtain the reward which you have promised to those who serve you in the person of the poor.

Sickness or Death of a MemberWhen a member is ill, she is remembered in some way, especially in the liturgy.

Upon the death of one of the members of the association, the Eucharist is usually celebrated for the repose of her soul.

24 The feast day of St. Louise was celebrated on March 15 prior to 2016.

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Recommended Wake Service of a Deceased Lady of Charity(based on the Act of Consecration)

Lord Jesus, we recall your words: “I was sick and you visited me, hungry and you gave me food, thirsty and you gave me to drink; I was naked and you clothed me, imprisoned and you visited me.”

In response to Your invitation, ____________________consecrated herself to You in the service of those who are the victims of poverty in its many forms.

In the Spirit of St. Vincent de Paul and St Louise De Marillac, she reached out in loving service to those who suffer many injustices. Grant her now the reward You promised to those who follow you in the way of love for suffering humanity. May ____________________be greeted by the many people she helped on earth who have preceded her to heaven and may they together enjoy Your presence for all eternity.

Send, Lord Jesus, others to care for Your poor the way____________________did. May her virtuous life inspire many to be Your compassion in our world and may we who call ourselves Ladies of Charity be ever faithful to the promises we have made to see and serve You in the poor.

Amen.

Commitment Service for New Members A solemn reception and consecration of new members should be held at least once a year, and if possible should take place in a church or chapel during a Eucharistic celebration. In the sanctuary there should be a small table for the holy water, crucifixes, LCUSA pins, manuals and certificates. (See Appendix 1 for ceremony options)

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CHAPTER 4SPIRITUAL REFLECTIONS

—GOING DEEPER25

-Introduction to the Spiritual Reflections -- for the Ladies of Charity -

In the spiritual journey of Vincent de Paul, once he encountered the tragic circumstances of so many living in poverty in the countryside of France, he was transformed from being a good priest to a holy priest. His experiences with these persons helped him discover Christ in those who were hungry, living in abject poverty, ignorance, and a sense of hopelessness. He could not

address their needs alone so he looked for others who could help him and began Confraternities of Charity which were later named Ladies of Charity. He found in St. Louise a like-minded, deeply spiritual woman, with whom he collaborated. Without her assistance, he could not have achieved all that he did both in the country side of France as well as in Paris. Vincent in the places where he would go brought circles of women together, and then would send Louise, who made of them organized and practical units of compassionate care. She also assured that they had a strong foundation in Incarnational spirituality, “seeing God in those they served.” This form of incarnational holiness is essential in the life of a Lady of Charity who follows in their footsteps.

In order to see God in those they served, Vincent and Louise had to spend time in prayer and in reflecting on their experiences. They had to “read the experience” and discover how God was present and how God might be speaking to them. We also need to spend time “reading and reflecting on all those aspects which makes us true followers of Vincent and Louise. We need to spend time, not just reading about the lives of these persons who began our association, but we have to find in the service we render the opportunity to grow into a deeper relationship with the Jesus for whom we do this ministry just as our founders did. We have to make use of the gifts that God has given us. We have to open ourselves to identify especially with the Jesus who identified Himself with those living on the margins of society. As you use these reflections, place yourself in a “sacred space” for this to happen.

25 The Ladies of Charity USA gratefully acknowledge and appreciate Sr. Claire Debes, DC for this section of reflections. Sr. Claire was the VSM of LCUSA from 2005 to 2007 and 2016-present.

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You are encouraged not only to read the text, but also to listen to what is underneath the words to their deeper meaning. You are encouraged to engage in conversation with God, to listen to what comes to your mind as you take time “to chew” on the words and “to brood” on what is beneath the words. You are encouraged to ask God for the grace to speak to your inner most hearts. This is to say, read and pray with these reflections with a heightened consciousness, a wide-eyed open awareness of yourself and of your ordinary everyday experience with your family and with those you serve. In this way, you , as Vincent and Louise, can grow into a deeper relationship with God who is present to you with a lavish abiding love. Discover the “touch of God”. Be conscious of God’s presence abiding in the each event of your life.

After each of eleven topics, additional reflections follow taking you deeper into each theme. As you reflect on what it means to GO DEEPER, the Scripture story of the Woman at the Well may be helpful.

Spending Time to GO DEEPER into our Vincentian Spirituality

Jesus’ thirst was sated at the well as he invited the Samaritan woman to give him a drink. He took her off guard because he was a Jew and she a Samaritan. But what else happened there? Did not Jesus speak to her of the “living water” He had to offer. Spend some time with Jesus who offers you the living water of his love, mercy, and desire that you live faithfully your Vincentian vocation of service. Take time to grow deeper and listen in silence to this other voice of Jesus who wishes to speak to your heart.

As you use these reflections, GOING DEEPER, they are meant to expand the original reflections for the Ladies of Charity. By opening your own heart, you can then “dip deeper” into the reservoir of our loving God’s goodness to you. You can also “dip deeper” into our Vincentian spirituality which, incarnational in nature, will enable you to find God in your everyday actions and experiences of your life.

The waters of this Vincentian well have brought many followers to a deeper relationship with God. Sometimes the reservoir of our own souls gets clogged up with weeds and debris and it needs to go to the well of God’s mercy and love. In so doing, this pool of mercy and goodness offers the flow of the Spirit and the Spirit’s influence to awaken again your ability to be compassionate, and to be filled with awe, humility, simplicity, and charity. In this way you can be renewed. Be reflective, be in the here and now, and be aware of the necessity of coming to this well from time to time to be refreshed through wide-eyed open awareness of how God is acting in your life as a Vincentian follower.

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Re-read the reflection in Section One that you wish to connect with and then take the reflection from Going Deeper and sit with and pray with the questions. As you do this, think about these words of taken from one of Mary Oliver’s poems, The Uses of Sorrow from her book entitled, Thirst. They offer some simple advice for entering into this prayer and reflection.

…just pay attention, then patch a few words together and don’t try to make them elaborate, this isn’t a contest but the doorway into thanks, and a silence in which another voice may speak. Topic One: The Founding Stories of the Ladies of Charity

Opening Reflection

You must do what the Son of God did when He was on earth. After submitting His will … He labored unceasingly for his neighbor, visiting and healing the sick and instructing the ignorant unto their salvation… You have the happiness to be … called to this holy work, SV, Conference July 5, 1640.

Foundation of the Ladies of Charity in FranceHistorically, the organization of Ladies of Charity is the first of the great

foundations of St. Vincent de Paul. At the time of its origin, St. Vincent was Pastor at Châtillon-les-Dombes in the Diocese of Lyons. On a Sunday in August 1617, he was vesting for High Mass. A lady came in and informed him that on a farm about a half mile away, all the members of the family were ill and in dire need. He was greatly affected. In his sermon he spoke so feelingly and urgently of these poor people that many kindhearted persons went to assist them, bringing bread and other necessities. After Vespers, Vincent de Paul also went to the farm. Seeing the large crowd of people going and coming in response to his appeal, and finding that a superabundance of provisions had been donated, he realized the efficacy of his words. “These good people are exercising great charity,” he said, “but it is not well regulated. This poor family will have too many provisions at one time and some of them will be spoiled or wasted; in a short time these persons will be reduced to their former state of need. Would it not be possible to induce these good women to give themselves to God to serve the poor permanently?”

A few days later, on August 23, he assembled several women of the parish and suggested to them that they band together to carry out this good work. They agreed. He outlined rules which received the approbation of the Archbishop of Lyons and resulted in the formation of the first Association of the Ladies of Charity. It was canonically approved December 8, 1617, the feast of the Immaculate Conception. (Manual of the Ladies of Charity of the United States of America, p. 1)

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Foundation in the United StatesThe first American Lady of Charity was a twenty-three year old wife and

mother named Catherine Harkins. Born in Ireland, Catherine was brought to New York by her parents. The family soon moved to Pottsville, Pennsylvania, where Catherine received her education. (At this time the Sisters of Charity from Emmitsburg were conducting St. Ann’s School in Pottsville.) The family moved again to Paris, Kentucky, where, at the age of 19, Catherine married Captain Hugh Harkins, a Mississippi steamboat owner whom she had met in St. Louis. The couple took up residence in St. Louis in 1857, settling in St. Vincent de Paul Parish.

Shortly after their move to St. Louis, Mrs. Harkins had a vivid dream of St. Vincent walking through snow-covered streets and gathering neglected children under his cloak. He spoke to the dreamer and directed her to assist the poor too. When the dream had been repeated three times, she decided to mention it in confession. The priest told her it was more than a dream; it was more like a vision. He directed her to return home and pray for enlightenment, and to come back to the same confessional the next day.

She did as directed, but found a different priest in the confessional – Fr. Urban Gagnepain, CM. He encouraged her to repeat her story, listened with interest, and promised to offer the Holy Sacrifice for guidance, while directing her to continue her prayers. He later directed her to gather some assistants to form a society for the care of the poor, adding that, if the inspiration was not from God, the work would not progress.

The association was formed December 8, 1857 and called the Ladies of Charity.

As you reflect on these two founding stories of the Ladies of Charity both in France and in America, what images, words come to your mind?

As you reflect on the Vincentian call to serve the poor today, how do you image it? Briefly describe what comes to mind.

Describe an experience where you perceived your call to serve the poor as life-giving.

Closing Reflection from Evangelii Gaudium #187, Pope FrancisEach individual Christian and every community is called to be an instrument of God for the liberation and promotion of the poor, and for enabling them to be fully a part of society. This demands that we be docile and attentive to the cry of the poor and to come to their aid. A mere glance at the Scriptures is enough to make us see how our gracious Father wants to hear the cry of the poor: “I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them… so I will send you…” (Ex 3:7-8, 10) Perhaps this is the moment for which you have been created. Esther 4:14

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Prayer Texts:Lk 2:19,51 - Mary treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart.

Ez3:2-3 - I opened my mouth; God gave me the scroll to eat and said, ‘…feed and be satisfied by the scroll I am giving you.” I ate it and it tasted sweet as honey.

Phil 4:4-13 - Rejoice in the Lord Jesus always … in the one who is the source of strength, I have strength for everything.

Going Deeper into Our Founding Stories: Reflection One

Below is a section of the original reflection on Our Founding Stories. Read this and reflect on the questions below.

In Paris, St Vincent de Paul, one day pondered the question: “Would it not be possible to induce good women to give themselves to God to serve the poor?” This question led Vincent to take action in finding some women who could help him organize charitable efforts. Later here in the United States, Catherine Harkins had a dream which nudged her to take some action. Her curiosity about the dream led her to Fr. Urban Gagnepain, a Vincentian priest who listened to her story with interest, and promised to offer the Holy Sacrifice for guidance, while directing her to continue her prayers.

Vincent and Catherine Harkins were not afraid to ponder questions. Does questioning find a place in your own spiritual journey? In what way does this questioning lead you to a deeper relationship with God, with others? What fears do you have when you question?

Think of your own first steps in charitable ministry. • What question(s) came to your mind then? • Were there others with whom you shared your concern? • Did you bring your puzzlement to God in prayer?

Today are your questions the same questions? Are your questions different? If so, ponder with curiosity the similarities or differences of these questions.

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Going Deeper into Our Founding Stories: Reflection Two

Day unto day takes up the story Psalm 19:3

Ladies of Charity from the time of Vincent and Louise have been passing on their love of the most needy to succeeding generations of women. We are called to show mercy and kindness to those we meet in our day-to-day living including our family members, our neighbors, as well as those we serve.

Pope Francis speaks of spirit-filled evangelizers. The term “evangelizer” was a term dear to the heart of Vincent. Our Pope wants us to participate in a New Evangelization so let us listen to Francis’ words in Evangelii Gaudium, # 120

“The new evangelization calls for personal involvement on the part of each of the baptized. Every Christian is challenged, here and now, to be actively engaged in evangelization; indeed, anyone who has truly experienced God’s saving love does not need much time or lengthy training to go out and proclaim that love. Every Christian is a missionary to the extent that he or she has encountered the love of God in Christ Jesus: we no longer say that we are “disciples” and “missionaries”, but rather that we are always “missionary disciples”.

Ponder these words. As a Lady of Charity, are you not an evangelizer? In what way? Are there questions that these words of Pope Francis bring to your mind for you personally and for your Ladies of Charity chapter now?

Vincent de Paul used this word “evangelizer.” How might God and Vincent be asking something from you at this time through Pope Francis? How will you respond?

Remember the quote from the book of Esther 4:14: Perhaps this is THE MOMENT for which YOU have been created! How might God be calling you? What is the BOLDNESS with which you will respond?

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Going Deeper into Our Founding Stories: Reflection Three

Vincent and Louise were attentive to the liberation of and the promotion of those who were on the fringes of society in France. Catherine Harkins followed their example in St. Louis. Pope Francis thinking sounds very Vincentian as well.

In Evangelli Gaudium #187 Pope Francis writes: Each individual Christian and every community is called to be an instrument of God for the liberation and promotion of the poor, and for enabling them to be fully a part of society. This demands that we be docile and attentive to the cry of the poor and to come to their aid. A mere glance at the Scriptures is enough to make us see how our gracious Father wants to hear the cry of the poor: “I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them… so I will send you…” (Ex 3:7-8, 10).

Do I see this as a call of my own Baptism and my own role as a Lady of Charity? Are you willing to be an instrument of God for the liberation and promotion of the poor?

What more can you/your chapter do to make this happen?

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Topic Two: Vincentian Laity in the Church Today

Prayer:God, my Creator, fill me with holiness so that my work will be useful to your work. May I realize that it is not enough to visit the poor and provide for their needs, but my heart must be free of all self-interest. May I have continually before me, my model, Jesus Christ. As a member of the Church I am called to be his disciple, as a member of a Vincentian group, may I specially imitate Jesus whose constant attention was on those who were poor. I ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Prayer based on Letter of Louise, L.217, Spiritual Writings of Louise, p. 260.

It is within the Church that the baptized live out their vocation. Two reflections on the Church significant in the life of a Vincentian follower are:

The Church as the People of GodWe are a people who come from God, live with God and belong to God. As a

member of the Church, we are sent on mission by the Spirit. We know that the Spirit is with us. We know from Lumen Gentium, that the Church, in Christ, is a sacrament – a sign and an instrument. We are in communion with God and united with all peoples. Lumen Gentium 1

The Church as the Body of ChristWithin the Church a diversity of vocations, lifestyles, ministries, charisms and

responsibilities exist. This image of the body is important in order to understand the mission of the church of which we are a part. Through the Body of Christ we concretely enter into relationship with women and men of all time and all cultures.

Lay members of the Church are through their baptism entitled to participate in the life and mission of the Church. As members of the Church, they join with Christ and live life through and in the Spirit. They live in communion with one another forming one same body and one same people. Their mission takes place in the Church and in the world. They too are responsible for the life of the Church and participate fully in the Church’s mission, as Vatican II states very clearly in Lumen Gentium 31.

John Paul II in the apostolic letter Christi Fideles Laici states: “The lay faithful, precisely because they are members of the Church, have the vocation and mission of proclaiming the Gospel: They are prepared for this work by the sacraments of Christian initiation and by the gifts of the Spirit.

Vincentian laity are called to holiness.Vincentian laity are called to proclaim the gospel to the poor.Vincentian laity are called to be a presence in places of poverty and suffering.

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Vincentian laity are invited to find Christ in those who are served.Vincentian laity imitate Jesus through compassionate service.Vincentian laity are asked to join justice with charity

Adapted from Laity in the Church Today, by J. Landousies CM –Vincentian Session for Advisors of the Vincentian Family, Paris, July, 2002, p. 296

In what ways can the images of the Church described in the reading above assist me in my service to people who are poor?

How can these images assist the group to which I belong to move into the future with a belief that our work is God’s work?

How can these images of Church assist my group to see the link between vocation to holiness and vocation to the mission of service?

Prayer: Jesus, you invited Peter to be the rock on which your Church was founded. Quicken my steps as I travel the highway of the world. Keep me aware that many are the paths on which each one of us and on which each of our Churches must travel, but that there is no distance between those who are united in the same communion, the communion which is daily nourished at the table of the Eucharistic Bread and the Word of Life. I ask this in union with the Father and the Spirit. Amen.

Prayer Texts:Isaiah 43:1-7 - You are precious in my eyes.

Jn 3: 16-17 - For God so loved the world.

Ps 8 - Who are we that you should think of us?

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Going Deeper into Vincentian Laity in the Church Today: Reflection One

Go back to the prayer at the beginning of the original reflection on Vincentian Laity in the Church Today which is repeated below for your convenience.

Prayer:God, my Creator, fill me with holiness so that my work will be useful to your work. May I realize that it is not enough to visit the poor and provide for their needs, but my heart must be free of all self-interest. May I have continually before me, my model, Jesus Christ. As a member of the Church I am called to be his disciple, as a member of a Vincentian group, may I specially imitate Jesus whose constant attention was on those who were poor. I ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Prayer based on Letter of Louise, L.217, Spiritual Writings of Louise, p. 260.

Are you willing to ask, like Louise, that God fill you with holiness?

What are you thirsting for? Is your thirst inviting you to open more deeply to God as St. Louise did? In what way?

Of what characteristics do you need to ask God to free you?

What demands will this asking place on you? Are you still willing to ask?

Going Deeper into Vincentian Laity in the Church Today: Reflection Two

Our work as Ladies of Charity challenges us to do our work out of pure love: love of God and love of our neighbor, especially those neighbors living in poverty. Pope Francis pointed out two criteria of love. The first: love is expressed more clearly in actions than in words. The second: there is greater love in giving than in receiving. (6/7/13 Sacred Heart)

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Have I really considered that I personally am sent on mission by the Spirit at my Baptism?

Having joined the Ladies of Charity, in what ways do I reflect on this baptismal call in the spirit of Vincent, Louise, and Elizabeth Seton?

In what ways can I remind myself of this call within my baptismal call.

In what ways do you feel responsible for your part in the wider mission of the Church in your service as a Lady of Charity? Do you believe that love is expressed more clearly in your actions than in your words?

How can you be more aware of this reality in your own life? Do you believe that there is greater love in giving than in receiving? Can you think of a personal experience when you really felt this was true?

What gift from your experience of service do you bring back to your life?

Going Deeper into Vincentian Laity in the Church Today: Reflection Three

“A God who draws near out of love walks with His people, and this walk comes to an unimaginable point. We could never have imagined that the same Lord would become one of us and walk with us, be present with us, present in His Church, present in the Eucharist, present in His Word, present in the poor, He is present, walking with us. And this is closeness:

the shepherd close to his flock, close to his sheep, whom he knows, one by one.” Pope Francis, Feast of the Sacred Heart, June 7, 2013

Reflect on these words. How does God, as written and portrayed by these words of Pope Francis, differ from the way you have imagined God to be?

What’s the wisest insight you have gained from reflecting of this?

In what ways can you comprehend this reality?

Can you recall a time when you felt that God was walking with you to an unimaginable point? How did you feel?

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Topic Three: The Vincentian Mission

Opening Reflection:What are we going to do? Should we not desire only that which divine providence desires? This morning at prayer, I had the strong desire to understand the truth that everything that happens in this world, both good and evil, all the pain and suffering, all these things occur because of God’s plan. How wonderful is this understanding of our world… how necessary. For if we struggle to submit our will to the will of God, then one of our rewards will be peacefulness of spirit. Letter of Vincent de Paul to a priest of the mission, Vincent de Paul undated letter, Vol. 6:440-41

“The confraternity of the Ladies of Charity sprang from God in order to honor our Lord Jesus Christ as the source and model of all charity.” - St. Vincent

The Vincentian mission is a call to share in the ongoing mission of Jesus, especially as Jesus identified Himself with those living on the fringes of society. God inspired Vincent de Paul and Louise de Marillac, collaborators in giving us the Vincentian mission and charism in 17th century Paris, to address the needs of the extraordinary numbers of persons living in poverty. Their life’s work on behalf of the poor was to honor and serve Jesus Christ in those who suffered. Their passion to serve those in need sprang from their love of God and their desire to imitate Jesus Christ as Jesus identified with those people living on the edge of society.

Vincent’s emphasis on humanity and respect for persons offers us today, in a society that emphasizes all forms of technology, a way to humanize service to others. They invite their followers to observe the tenderness of Christ in a practical, non-assuming manner that honors and respects all who come to them for care.

New expressions of poverty exist in every century. Vincentian followers are challenged to discover and address the new forms of poverty. This demands constant assessing and evaluating. It requires an efficiency of service, by networking and collaborating. It requires advocating on behalf of those who are poor, of assisting those in need to speak on behalf of themselves in order that the causes of poverty might be eliminated.

Today, Vincentian followers are called to discover creative ways of acting on behalf of those who have no voice, but they also are called to provide the skills and information that will allow those to make choices that will lead them out of poverty. Allowing the poor to make their own choices empowers them to maintain their self-esteem.

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All of this effort for Vincentian followers is done with a great trust in Providence, knowing that the work is the work of the Spirit and that despite obstacles and challenges, that God is present to the work and will see that it follows His Plan in his time.

Ladies of Charity will find the strength in their Eucharistic celebrations. These celebrations provide them with refreshment and renewed spirit to follow in Jesus footsteps to “feed the hungry, clothe the naked, give drink to the thirsty, visit those in prison and bury the dead.” We are sent forth on mission at the end of each liturgy – Go, the Mass is ended! Go, be my disciple! Go, make disciples of others! While this is the mission of all who profess to know and love God, it is especially the mission of a Lady of Charity.

Concepts taken from Vincentian Month for Advisors of the Vincentian Family, 2002, Paris

We will await God’s good time. CCD, Vol. 12 p. 80

Apply yourself diligently to the corporal and spiritual service of the poor for the love of Jesus Crucified. CCD, Vol.11 p. 133

How do I listen to discover God’s good time?

In what ways can I more diligently apply myself to the corporal and spiritual service of the poor for the love of Jesus Crucified?

Prayer: Gracious God, may I take the words of Louise de Marillac to heart as I go

about my responsibilities to serve my neighbor. You will bless my work and it will result in Your glory if I strive to meet the needs of those I serve. May my actions be done with great gentleness, compassion and love.

May I serve from the heart, showing affection, inquiring about needs, obtaining necessary help for them without being too bothersome or too eager. Grant me the grace never to leave the side of a person without having uttered some good word.

I pray for your blessing and for your grace, Gracious God, so that I may act in the way that Jesus acted while He was on earth because it is Jesus’ work that is being done. May the same Spirit that was present in Him be present in me. I believe that Your Son Jesus, his Mother Mary, and the guardian angels of those I serve accompany me. Adapted from Instructions of Louise to early Daughters who were sent to Montreuil, 1647, Spiritual Writings of Louise, p. 773.

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The Vincentian mission calls us to be rooted in the Gospel especially in the following references:

Luke 4:16-21 – He has anointed me.

Luke 9:1-6 – He sent them forth to proclaim the reign of God.

Luke 10: 25-37 – You shall love the Lord your God with heart, soul, strength and mind.

Matthew 25: 31-40 - Inherit the kingdom prepared for you.

Further Prayer Texts from the Writings of St. Vincent de Paul and St. Louise de Marillac

To make God known to the poor, to tell them that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand and that it is for the poor – O how great that is, so sublime is it to preach the gospel to the poor. Documents, vol. 12, p. 80

The Confraternity of Charity of the servants of the poor… O Mon Dieu! What a lovely title and what a beautiful description… Servants of the poor, that is just the same as to say Servants of Jesus Christ, for He regards as done to Himself what is done to them, and they are His members. Coste, Life and Works, vol. 1

Are we not very fortunate in carrying out so exactly the vocation of Jesus Christ. St. Vincent de Paul Vol XI, p. 133.

Going Deeper into Our Vincentian Mission: Reflection One Our Vincentian mission is a CALL to share in the ongoing mission of Jesus. Vincent and Louise transformed their lives in an entirely new way when they followed this call to participate in the mission of Jesus.

In what ways do you consider your involvement in the Ladies of Charity as a CALL? Does this call assist you to deepen your relationship with a loving God?

What does that call ask of you? Has there ever been a time when you felt CALLED in a special way? Go back to that time. How did you feel called?

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How did responding to this call make you feel at the time you had this sense of “being called”? What do you want to hold onto from this experience?Have you ever considered that this call is a participation in the ongoing mission of Jesus?

Does the concept of being part of the ongoing mission of Jesus change the way that you think about your service?

What might God be inviting you to explore as you ponder this?

Going Deeper into Our Vincentian Mission: Reflection Two

St. Vincent and St Louise both recognized more and more that in serving others, they had to face their deeper selves and to model themselves after the life of Jesus because they realized that they must imitate Christ in order to offer their service in the name of Christ.

In what ways do you strive to imitate Christ, to build up a deeper relationship with Christ?

Choose one quality you have and ask yourself, “Is this how I believe Jesus would act?”

How can you enlarge or deepen this quality in yourself and make it more Christ-like?

ORReflect on an example from your experience when you believe you were not as Christ-like than you would have liked?

Be curious about your reaction or response to this situation. What were you feeling then and now?

Were there triggers that you want to avoid in the future? If so, what are the triggers?

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Going Deeper into Our Vincentian Mission: Reflection Three

The original reflection on Our Vincentian Mission stated: Ladies of Charity will find the strength in their Eucharistic celebrations. We are sent forth at the end of each liturgy – Go the Mass is ended.

Do you allow God to nourish you when you attend the Eucharist? In what way?

What helps you to focus on the EVENT of the liturgy?

How are you FED when you go to the Eucharist?

How can/do you make “the CONNECT” between the liturgy and your service to those living in poverty?

Pope Francis has said: “We celebrate the Eucharist not because we are worthy, but because we recognize our need for God’s mercy.”

What do you find compelling about this statement?

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Topic Four: The VINCENTIAN WAY Leads to Holiness

Opening Reflection:“Do not be afraid of holiness, do not be afraid to aim high, to be loved and purified by God, do not be afraid to let yourself be guided by the Holy Spirit,” Pope Francis told those gathered in St. Peter’s Square on Oct. 2, 2013.

By God’s initiative and grace, we come to experience God. As we allow God into our lives, as we allow ourselves to be converted, transformed, changed, we, as Ladies of Charity, come into deeper relationship. The path is not always easy; sometimes it is stormy or rocky. As Ladies of Charity, we experience God through our works of charity. As we embrace the Vincentian way of life, we choose to experience God in a unique way of living out the Gospel.

St Vincent and St. Louise offer to their followers a vision of Christ as Evanglizer of the Poor. Through this service the Ladies of Charity and all Vincentian groups become holy.

The Vincentian Charism is a special gift and a call. The focus of this charism is directed toward bringing about the reign of God. This charism calls us to go outward toward others. This gift is a call to service. It is a call to be relational. It is a sign of the kingdom of God. Through participation in this charism, the Ladies

of Charity are committed to keep alive the memory of Christ who showed us the way to serve those on the edges of society. We are also called to constantly rediscover the way Vincent and Louise followed Christ in our service as we become learners from the poor and marginalized. The poor have no other choice but to live simply. The poor are sustained by God’s mystery. We become women of abiding wonder as we see God revealed in so many ways among those we serve. We like St. Vincent and St. Louise will be led into deeper relationship with Christ as we see Christ in the person of those we serve.

This Vincentian charism, when fully understood has the capacity to energize us, gather us, and be the driving force, which gives us direction. As we reflect on the early beginnings of the Confraternities of Charity we resonate with what was set in motion then and add our amen to the work begun in the 17th century. This insight becomes for us the source of action today. We believe that God continues to abide in the poor and channels our energies, courage, and freedom. We see this energy, courage and freedom as gifts to transform ourselves and our

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world so that miracles of grace exist today as they existed in the time of Christ, Vincent and Louise. Concepts taken from the Vincentian Session, Paris 2002

Questions:

What part of the Vincentian spirit attracts me and motivates me to serve the poor? What aspect deepens my spiritual life?

What special gifts can I offer the poor today?

Closing Prayer:Loving God, help me to remain open to You. You desire that I want what

You will. May I be courageous despite the distrust I have in myself…. May I be filled with a great love, which will immerse me in You. Through my service of the poor, may my heart seek only to please You by faithfully observing Your commandments. In your goodness You have called me to this ministry. I ask these things through Christ our Lord Amen. Adapted from the Spiritual Writings of Louise, p. 75

Quotes for future prayer:

We must begin by establishing the kingdom of God in ourselves and only then in others. Vincent II, 97

It’s necessary to tend to our interior life. If we fail to do that, we miss everything. Vincent XII, 131

We have to sanctify our occupations, by seeking God in them and by doing them to find God in them rather than to get them done. Vincent XII:13

If the love of God is fire, zeal is its flame. Vincent XII: 307-08

“Let us love God…but let it be with the sweat of our brow.” Extract from an undated conference of Vincent de Paul

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Going Deeper into The Vincentian Way Leads to Holiness: Reflection One

During his Wednesday general audience on October 2,2013, Pope Francis urged thousands of pilgrims to recognize that although everyone is a sinner, it is possible to be holy because of God’s grace.

Pope Francis stated: “Do not be afraid of holiness, do not be afraid to aim high, to be loved and purified by God, do not be afraid to let yourself be guided by the Holy Spirit … how can we say that the Church is holy when she is all too evidently made up of sinners? Sinful men, women, priests, nuns, Bishops, Cardinals, Popes? All of them. How can a church like this be holy?”

We can find an answer, he said, when we consider the words of St. Paul to the Ephesians when he says that ‘Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her, to make her holy.’

The Church is holy because it proceeds from God who is holy, it is not holy by our merits; we are not able to make her holy. It is God, the Holy Spirit, who in his Love makes the Church holy.”

Reflect on these words of Pope Francis. Listen to what God may be saying to YOU through these words. What do you find attractive or encouraging in these words? What intimidates or puzzles you?

Ask St. Vincent and St. Louise for the grace to believe these words of Pope Francis.

Going Deeper into The Vincentian Way Leads to Holiness: Reflection Two

Pope Francis in the Wednesday general audience on October 2, 2013 says that God wants us to approach him with our sinfulness:

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“The Church, which is holy, “welcomes everyone”, and “calls everyone to be wrapped by mercy, tenderness and the forgiveness of the Father, which gives everyone the chance to meet him, to walk towards holiness.”

God, he said, wants us to be part of a Church “that knows how to open their arms to welcome everyone … to the home of all, where everyone can be renewed, transformed, sanctified by his love,” including “the strongest and the weakest, the sinners, the indifferent, and those who feel discouraged and lost.”

“The Church offers to all the possibility to pursue the path of holiness, which is the way of the Christian.”

St Louise, in writing to Sister Anne Hardemont, August 29, 1648 had this to say: “I want all of you to become saints… in order to do this… we must have continually before our eyes our model, which is the exemplary life of Jesus Christ.” I am sure she must have also said something similar to the first Ladies of Charity because it was a conviction of hers. Now we are hearing the same from our Pope who gives reasons beyond those given by St. Louise.

Reflect on this call to holiness that Pope Francis and Louise has asked of its followers:

Do the quotes give you any new insight about this call to holiness?

Do you find some consolation in the words? Do you find some challenge in these words?

What do you want to take from these words in order to grow deeper in holiness?

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Topic Five: Elements of a Vincentian Family Group

Opening PrayerGod, the strong One, I praise you and ask for the courage to serve the poor. I

am fully aware that this is a special grace to have been chosen for this holy work. It is true that it can be extremely difficult, but it is because of this that your grace acting in me is more evident. I have every reason to trust You and to be aware that your Providence will give me the strength I need. I know you will never fail me. May Jesus your Son be my model. This I ask through Christ our Lord. Amen. Adapted from writings of Vincent de Paul

Vincent de Paul’s Doctrine

Vincent was versatile, prolific and humble to such a degree that he eludes all schemes of simplifying his life and classifying him. A person had to be around him for only a short while to be convinced he was not a speculative person. He had none of the doctrinal originality of some great theologians of his day. He quoted some of these, yet he always remained an independent person. He adapted what other spiritual writers said and often transformed it. His originality was not in matters of doctrine, but in life and in experience.

Our best chance of grasping the shape of his originality comes from the three areas in which he felt most at ease and was considered a master by his contemporaries: experience, faith and practical wisdom. (Adapted from Vincent de Paul and Charity by Andre Dodin CM)

Elements of a Vincentian Family group(formulated by the National Vincentian Family Formation Committee of the US)

The Vincentian way of life is incarnational. It calls members to:• A personal relationship with Jesus

Christ, the source and model of all charity

• Put on the mind and heart of Jesus Christ and proclaim the reign of God

• Be available to go to the most vulnerable and to recognize the places of the marginalized as HOLY PLACES

• Evangelize and be evangelized by those who live in poverty

• See Jesus Christ crucified in all who suffer

• A sense of community that supports us in our faith and service

• Be rooted in the Gospel especially as it is

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proclaimed in Luke 4:1, 6-21; • Luke 9:1-6; Luke 10: 25-37; Matthew 25: 31-40• Trust in Providence• Be impelled by the love of Jesus Christ in all our relationships• Love affectively and effectively with compassion, respect and devotion • Serve in a spirit of humility, simplicity, and charity• Challenge, in the spirit of Catholic Social Teachings, social systems that

oppress those living in poverty through advocacy efforts• Follow Mary as the model of discipleship and model of Vincentian

spirituality

What Vincentian element especially catches my attention Why?

What Vincentian element do I feel especially called to focus on as I serve those who are poor at this time?

Closing PrayerGod, our Savior, may we have a particular devotion to following the Providence

of God step by step. May we continue to believe that our Lord alone has carried on this work of service to the poor and is constantly carrying on the business of this Vincentian family. May we take refuge in this trusting that Your Son will bring about what he wishes to be done among us. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. (Adapted from writing of Vincent de Paul to Bernard Codoing, 12-7-1641)

Prayer TextsEph 5: 1-7 - Follow Christ by loving as he loved.

Is 42:1-4 - Here is my servant whom I uphold.

Jn 13:33-38 - I shall not be with you much longer. I give you a new commandment.

Ps 133 - Love both brotherly and sisterly.

1 Thess 4: 1-12 - We have been called by God to be holy.

Ps 91 - Trust in God.

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Topic Six: The Virtues of a Lady of Charity

Reflection:Listen to Him, O my soul, as if He were speaking to you alone, ‘I thirst for your faithful love.’ Louise de Marillac, Spiritual Writings, A. 21 p. 702

a. Humility – Modest Sense of One’s Own Significance

Humility is the base of our charitable action. In seeing the poverty and misery of the poor, in confronting injustices, physical and moral downfalls, a Lady of Charity remembers that the spiritual and temporal goods… are gifts of God.

b. Simplicity – Absence of Pretentiousness

A Lady of Charity inspired by the virtue of simplicity acts with her eyes fixed only on God. She does not seek recognition; she goes straight to the goal by the means faith, religion and experience suggest. She works faithfully for the poor.

c. Charity – The Greatest of These is LoveIt is in the love for our neighbor that we find the proof of our love of God. Excerpts from the Manual of LCUSA, p. 7

Characteristics of Affective and Effective Charity, terms used by St. Vincent in the formation of his early Vincentian groups.

Ability to enter the world of the poor; not needing to have all the answers.Ability to listen to the poor; not looking above or below but in the eyes of the poor; to listen to their perspective.

Accompaniment, not imposition.PatienceCollaborationSolidarity

According to St. Vincent, charity is the love of those whose service is “not only

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tender, it is effective” Conference of St. Vincent de Paul, February 9, 1653

There is no plan or set of structures that will always work. The Gospels provide no blueprint for charity. Corporal and spiritual service of the poor is a challenge that we assume, recognizing the present situation, the demands of the Gospel and some of the temptations.(Vincentian Session in Paris, July, 2002, Rev. John Prager, CM, p 314)

From this reflection sheet, what do I most want to remember? What is the underlying current that seems to stir me to action?

Going Deeper into The Virtues of the Ladies of Charity: Reflection One

The opening prayers of the original reflection on The Virtues of the Ladies of Charity is: “Listen to Him, O my soul, as if He were speaking to you alone, ‘I thirst for your faithful love.” Louise de Marillac, Spiritual Writings, A. 21 p. 702

Have you ever thought about God thirsting for YOUR FAITHFUL LOVE?

Is there something appealing to you in this thought? What would you like to say to God as you think about God thirsting for your love?

What fears or resistances come to mind when you think about God thirsting for YOUR FAITHFUL LOVE?

Going Deeper into The Virtues of the Ladies of Charity: Reflection Two

Which of our Vincentian virtues (humility, simplicity, charity) resonates with your own spirituality?

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Why?

How may this awareness be helpful as you go about your future service as a Lady of Charity?

Which of these virtues challenges you? Why does this virtue challenge you?

What HOLDS YOU BACK from going deeper into this mystique of Vincentian humility, simplicity or charity?

Going Deeper into The Virtues of the Ladies of Charity: Reflection Three

Father John Prager, CM quoted St Vincent stating that “charity is the love of those whose service is “not only tender, it is effective” Conference of St. Vincent de Paul, February 9, 1653 in the original reflection on the Virtues of the Ladies of Charity.

Father, than stated that, “There is no plan or set of structures that will always work. The Gospels provide no blueprint for charity. Corporal and spiritual service of the poor is a challenge that we assume, recognizing the present situation, the demands of the Gospel and some of the temptations.” (Vincentian Session in Paris, July, 2002, Rev. John Prager, CM, p 314)

Do you agree with his opinion that “there is no blueprint for charity?”

Can tender charity co-exist with effective charity in our present day?

How can the demands of the Gospel interface with present needs of those living in poverty?

What are some of the temptations that we face in our present day service?

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Topic Seven: The Virtue of Humility for a Vincentian Follower

Opening Reflection:Be thoroughly consoled that you are imitating the state in which the Son of

God found Himself when, after leaving the temple where He had been working for the glory of God, He went with the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph to obey them. He thereby accomplished the will of God by toiling for many years at the humble tasks of a carpenter’s shop. Yet he had come upon earth to labor for the salvation of the entire human race. Spiritual Writings of St. Louise de Marillac. L. 642, p. 660.

Acquiring virtue is a process; it is integration; it is whole, it is one, but virtue takes time to acquire. Virtue is a journeying, an acquiring, a pursuing, a becoming.

The virtue of humility for the Vincentian follower offers a growing sense of self – awareness or self-knowledge. It demands a searching to know oneself in honesty, in authenticity, in integrity. Each person is an architect of one’s own development.

Attentiveness to the need to grow is related to humility. Humility is the foundation of all holiness.

The willingness to enter into the process of growth stems from a LOVE that

accepts having to grow and to accept oneself without bitterness.

Humility in a Vincentian follower invites the individual to be a “learner from the poor.” Vincent spoke of the poor as our Lords and Masters. The poor teach us. Vincent grew into sainthood because of his encounters with the poor. He learned sainthood from the school of the poor. Luke’s Gospel tells us that God comes to the lowly, the poor of Israel, those who recognize their need for God and those who long for God.

Humility in a Vincentian style requires the cultivation of a servant’s attitude. Service is an essential ingredient of Vincentian spirituality. Your attitude must be that of Christ, Phil. 2:5-11.

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Personal experience with the poor is a must and in that way the Vincentian follower imitates her model, Jesus Christ who always stood on the side of the poor.

Humility calls one to a reverence and respect for others and their opinions. It requires a listening heart and openness to others.

Humility calls one to gratitude for the gifts that God has given.

Recognizing that all is gift, Vincentian followers are eager to avoid comparisons.

Concepts taken from a presentation given by Sister Germaine Price, DC

Questions:

Did I receive any new insights from reading this reflection sheet?

What examples of the virtue of humility inspire me to action?

Prayer:Savior of souls, fills us with those blessed sentiments which kept you so humble; which caused you to prefer insults to praise. Fill us with the sentiments, which allowed You to see the glory of your Father. May we begin, from this moment on, to reject all that does not tend to your honor and to our own humility. May we reject all that savors of vanity and showing-off. May we … renounce the applause of others, … may we renounce the useless daydreams proceeding from the success of our works. Finally, through your grace and example, may we learn to be truly humble of heart. We pray in your name Lord Jesus, who lives and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen. Prayer adapted from the writings of St. Vincent.

Prayer Texts:Lk 1:46-49 - God looks on the lowly servant (Magnificat)2 Cor 12:1-10 - When I am weak, then I am strong

Let us stop saying, “It is I who have done this work.” For every good thing ought to be done in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Vincent de Paul, Documents, vol. 7, p. 98

God pours out his inexhaustible gifts on the humble, on those who recognize that all the good done by them comes from God. Vincent de Paul, Documents, vol. 11 p. 56

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Going Deeper into Humility: Reflection One

The original reflection on Humility begins with the following reflection from St. Louise:

Be thoroughly consoled that you are imitating the state in which the Son of God found Himself when, after leaving the temple where He had

been working for the glory of God, He went with the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph to obey them. He thereby accomplished the will of God by toiling for many years at the humble tasks of a carpenter’s shop. Yet he had come upon earth to labor for the salvation of the entire human race. Spiritual Writings of St. Louise de Marillac. L. 642, p. 660.

In what ways can you imitate Jesus in the state in which in which you find yourself • in your service to your family, • in the service as a Lady of Charity?

What holds you back in your ministry to those you serve?

What would you like to do differently in the way you serve your family members?

What would you like to do differently in the way that you serve as a Lady of Charity?

Going Deeper into Humility: Reflection Two

Pope Francis is giving us many examples of how humility can be expressed in our own time as we strive to follow in the footsteps of St. Vincent and St. Louise. He calls us as Ladies of Charity to walk boldly with courage, knowing that the way of our Lord necessarily means the embrace of the cross. All

of us as Christian disciples are called to bring the light and life of Jesus Christ into the lives of others, a mission we unfortunately know will continue to find opposition in our world.

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Pope Francis in accepting his election as our Pope had this to say:

“This is me, a sinner on whom the Lord has turned his gaze. And this is what I said when they asked me if I would accept my election as pontiff. I am a sinner, but I trust in the infinite mercy and patience of our Lord Jesus Christ, and I accept in a spirit of penance.”

Reread his statement several times and just “sit with the words.”

What are your thoughts about these words?

Do these words challenge you in any way? If so, in what way?

Can you say that you trust God’s infinite mercy?

Examine your life and see if there is an event when you would have wanted to trust more in God’s infinite mercy? What did you fear?

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Topic Eight: The Virtue of Simplicity

Opening Prayer:O my Savior, pour out your spirit of simplicity into my heart so that I may hope to be your true apostle by always fully cooperating with your grace. Prayer taken from Correspondence of St Vincent de Paul XI, 283

Vincent called Simplicity his GOSPEL. It is the virtue he loved the most. Simplicity is a hard virtue to describe or talk about, but when we see it we recognize it in others, we are attracted to persons who are simple in their manner.

Vincent de Paul saw a relationship between simplicity and TRUTH. Speaking and witnessing to the truth are central to acquiring simplicity.

Simplicity demands the ability to say things as they are, not exaggerating the truth, not skirting the truth, not hiding the truth, and not having hidden agendas.

Simplicity demands that we have an awareness of who we are before God. We have no need to pretend to self or to others; our external behavior reflects our internal behavior. It is to be truly as God sees us. It requires a process of powerlessness, of standing as one in need. It is speaking and witnessing to the truth. It is the ability to speak the truth with consistency. It is to be true to one’s word, promises and commitments. It is to be genuine and authentic.

Vincentian simplicity requires of us that our outward lived experience and life style as individuals reflects the inner reality of who we are. Vincentian simplicity requires a consistency between what we say and what we think.

Vincentian followers address the ways we can limit the truth: We can blur it. We can give half-truths. We can gossip. We can make excuses. We can blame. We can withhold information. We can share things that should not be shared. We can be lacking in confidentiality.

Concepts adapted from presentation given by Sister Germaine Price, Daughter of Charity

It is God who gives you your spirit… Let the spirit of charity, humility and great simplicity be ever visible and never make use of deception or cunning. If you live in this spirit…, the Institute of Charity will be multiplied! Conference of Feb. 24. 1653 to the Daughters of Charity

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In what ways am I challenged by this reading?

What new insights about the virtue of simplicity did I receive? What resolution do I wish to make?

PrayerLoving God, you know that your own kind heart has given me full liberty to

speak to you with utmost confidence, without concealment or disguise. Preserve me from having the misfortune to do anything contrary to holy simplicity in my dealing with You or with others. With Vincent, may I say, this virtue is one I love most, one to which I will strive to be attentive in all my dealing with others. In your mercy, may I make progress in acquiring this Vincentian virtue. Adapted from a prayer of Vincent de Paul: I, 284

Prayer Texts:Col 1:25-29 - I have been commissioned by Jesus to preach his word

Col 3:17 - Speech and actions should be done in the name of Christ

John 8:31-32 - The truth will set you free

Speak to Our Lord with great simplicity and innocent familiarity. Do not be concerned whether or not you experience any consolation; God wants only our hearts. Undated letter, Louise L.40, p. 679

Be very simple … and speak in the presence of God, giving an unbiased account to those with whom you speak… L566, Spiritual Writings of St. Louise de Marillac

Going Deeper into The Virtue of Simplicity: Reflection One

The original reflection on Simplicity offers the following challenging aspects about Vincentian simplicity:

Simplicity demands the ability to say things as they are, not exaggerating the truth, not skirting the truth, not hiding the truth, and not having hidden agendas.

Look at the way you interact with family memberswith other members of the Ladies of Charitywith those you serve

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Think of an incident when you believe you REALLY responded to one of these persons with the virtue of Simplicity.

Review this incident in your mind again. What characteristic of the virtue of simplicity did you show?

Think of an incident with a family memberwith a member of the Ladies of Charitywith a person you served where you could have responded with greater simplicity.

What would you have liked to have done differently?

Is there any of the qualities of Vincentian simplicity mentioned that that you feel needs improvement in your life. Ask God to help you in the future to grow more simply in your behavior.

Going Deeper into the Virtue of Simplicity Reflection Two

Prayerfully read one of the three references listed below:

Col 1:25-29 - I have been commissioned by Jesus to preach his word.

Col 3:17 - Speech and actions should be done in the name of Christ.

John 8:31-32 - The truth will set you free.

Sit with the complete reference of one of the above Scripture references. Read it carefully several times.

Does anyone word or thought enter into your mind, your heart?

Ask God what He wants to say to you through these words.

What relationship does this quote have to Vincentian simplicity?

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Topic Nine: The Virtue of Vincentian Charity

Reflection:The confraternity of the Ladies of Charity sprang from God in order to honor

our Lord Jesus Christ as the source and model of all charity. St. Vincent de Paul

Compassion means to suffer with our brothers and sisters, to weep when they weep.

Quite different from those who feel no sorrow for the afflicted or grief for the sufferings of the poor, compassion is that manifestation of love, which enables us to enter into another’s heart and feelings. Ah, how loving was the Son of God. His tender love was the reason he came down from heaven… We, too, should be compassionate towards our afflicted brothers and sisters and share their grief. Extract from a undated conference of Vincent de Paul ll:771

Qualities of Vincentian love

Vincent described love as both affective and effective. He often told the story of Martha and Mary to his followers. Instead of choosing one of their approaches to Jesus as better, Vincent told his followers they needed the qualities of both Martha and Mary. Vincentian followers are to join practical charity with attention to the spirit of those served, the qualities shown by both Martha and Mary. Martha attended to the physical needs of Jesus, while Mary attended to his emotional needs or to his spirit.

Louise de Marillac supported Vincent in his conviction that attention to the spirit is very essential in Vincentian service. She shared with some early Daughters of Charity who were being sent to Montreuil the following:

As for your conduct toward the poor, may you never take the attitude of merely getting the task done. You must show them affection; serving them from the heart; inquiring of them what they might need; speaking to them gently and compassionately, getting the necessary help for them without being too bothered or too eager. Above all, you must have great care for their salvation, never leaving a poor person or a patient without having uttered some good word. Spiritual Writings of Louise de Marillac, p. 773-774

Vincentian followers love affectively and effectively with compassion, respect and devotion.

Vincentian followers recognize they must nourish their own hearts and spirits in order to assist in the blossoming of another’s heart.

Vincentian followers love in solidarity with the poor – they are called to ‘be with’ the poor.

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Vincentian followers are cordial, warm, and approachable.

Vincentian followers listen with compassion. In this way, they assist the other person to suffer less.

Vincentian followers allows those served to express him or herself and in this way, the poor find relief from suffering.

Do those I serve recognize me as a disciple of Jesus? Would they call me Christian because of the love I show to others?

Do I really show in my actions the love I profess for others?

Prayer:O Infinite Love, I pray that the final effect of charity is to bear witness to love. May I show that I love others from the heart? May I take the lead with others, offering them my service and my desire to accommodate them? Having charity in my heart and words is not enough. My deeds must give witness to my love. When my love produces love in the heart of another, I know that my love is perfected. I know this kind of love wins everyone. I ask this grace in the name of Jesus, my brother. Amen. Prayer adapted from Conference of St. Vincent de Paul, June 30, 1659.

Prayer Texts:1 Corinthians 13:4-7 - Love is…

Luke 7:47 – Little is forgiven the one whose love is small.

Words of Vincent de Paul to ponder on Affective and Effective Love:

Affective love proceeds from the heart. The person who loves in this way is filled with sweetness and tenderness, is continually aware of the presence of God, finds satisfaction in thinking about God, and his or her life glides by insensibly in such contemplation. Thanks to this love, the soul accomplishes without pain, yes, with pleasure, the most difficult tasks and is vigilant and careful in regard to everything that may render it pleasing to God Conference of St. Vincent to Daughters of Charity, Sept 19, 1649

Effective Love consists in doing the things that the person we love wishes or orders, and it is of this kind of love the Lord speaks when he says, “Whoever loves me will keep my word.” (Jn 14:15) Conference of St. Vincent to Daughters of Charity, Sept 19, 1649

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Going Deeper into Vincentian Charity: Reflection One

The prayer on the original reflection on Vincentian Charity is as follows:

O Infinite Love, I pray that the final effect of charity is to bear witness to love. May I show that I love others from the heart. May I take the lead with others, offering them my service and my desire to

accommodate them. Having charity in my heart and words is not enough. My deeds must give witness to my love. When my love produces love in the heart of another, I know that my love is perfected. I know this kind of love wins everyone. I ask this grace in the name of Jesus, my brother. Amen. Prayer adapted from Conference of St. Vincent de Paul, June 30, 1659.

Re-read the prayer which is adapted from words of Vincent in 1629 several times.

Ponder these words.

Does anything in particular come to your mind as you read them.

In what way may God be speaking to you? Will you listen?

Going Deeper into Vincentian Charity: Reflection Two

In Pope Francis exhortation Evangelii Gaudium #35, he writes: ‘When we adopt a pastoral goal and a missionary style which would actually reach everyone without exception or exclusion, the message has to concentrate on what is most beautiful, most grand,

most appealing and at the same time most necessary. The message is simplified, while losing none of its depth and truth, and thus becomes all the more forceful and convincing.”

Pray with these words.

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What relationship do these words have to the Vincentian Charity to which we are called?

What strikes you about his statement?

What do you want to remember?

What requirement will this make on your own heart?

Going Deeper into Vincentian Charity: Reflection Three

Pope Francis, in his exhortation Evangelii Gaudium #37, writes: “Works of love directed to one’s neighbor are the most perfect external manifestation of the interior grace of the Spirit. In itself mercy is the greatest of the virtues, since all the others revolve around it and, more than

this, it makes up for their deficiencies. This is particular to the superior virtue, and as such it is proper to God to have mercy, through which his omnipotence is manifest to the greatest degree.”

Have you ever thought about the relationship between mercy and love?

Does it change your way of thinking about love?

Does it enrich it? In what way?

Does it call forth some additional qualities in your way of dealing with others?

If so, what is that quality or those qualities?

Ask God to give you this grace.

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Topic Ten: Join Justice with Charity

Prayer:O My Savior, you came to proclaim the law of loving one’s neighbor as oneself, which you yourself always practiced so perfectly not just in a human manner but in a truly incomparable fashion.

I thank you, Lord, for calling me to the Christian faith, a state of life which requires a disposition of continual love of neighbor.

O Lord, how happy I am to be called to love my neighbor, a vocation which makes you present in whatever service I render to my neighbor.

Grant me the grace, Lord, to recognize my good fortune and to remain fond of this blessed state, so that I may continue to grow in this virtue today, tomorrow, and always. Amen. Adapted from Vincent XII, 275,276.

In one of the formation documents from AIC (the International Association of Charities) Ladies of Charity throughout the world are encouraged to make solidarity with those living in poverty a central focus of its members actions to aid in the elimination of poverty where its members serve. AIC defined solidarity as an ability to know that as human beings, we are linked to all other human beings and we must feel responsible for the other in the same way we are responsible for ourselves:

Solidarity requires: • An understanding of others, of their needs and their dignity.• A sense of co-responsibility which means the discovery of other men and

women as our brothers and sisters.• The effective desire to promote progress in human rights.

The socio-charitable movements cannot fully respect the individuals in their charge nor really love them if they do not endeavor to give them their place in society. To love the destitute necessarily means to participate in their advancement. It means to have them participate themselves; it means to apply one’s self as Christ did, to transform society so that it becomes respectful of the most deprived, giving them a warm welcome” (Basic Document 2.21/80/5) p. 62 Complementary Formation Course 2nd Part: Solidarity, Patricia de Nava

Advocacy for the poor challenges us to:• Promote a Gospel way of being, thinking and work, which will lead to

critical analysis and a commitment to change systems, even if in a very small way.

• Heighten awareness of the suffering and rights of people who are socially and economically disadvantaged.

• Make efforts to change conditions that cause poverty.

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• Generate cooperation among diverse groups of people on behalf of those living in poverty.

• Benefit many poor and low-income people directly.• Empower and involve those who come to us in a variety of ways

• self-help programs that allow those living in poverty to change their lives – create jobs, support children, encourage self-sufficiency, ensure decent wages, fight crime, reform schools, organize for change, provide affordable housing, improve the quality of life

• promote alternative values and structures which will help in building a more just society

• become actively involved in specific social and economic issues• involve low-income people in decision-making processes on their

own behalf.Concepts taken from Vincentian Month in Paris, 2002

In what ways can I promote justice in the work of charity in which I am involved?

Talk to the other members of your Ladies of Charity group to effect some change in the way that you serve others that their circumstances might improve.

Reflection: “We salute particularly the “Charities” of Saint Vincent de Paul, gathered here for an international meeting along with a few Lazarists and Daughters of Charity, in company of the Revered Father James W. Richardson, C.M. to ensure that their charity is aligned with the Vatican II Council and to better respond to today’s needs.

Dear Ladies, you have the generosity to take on each day the responsibility of a few of the immense distresses of this world. Certainly many of those are related to a situation which is beyond your level of competency or possibilities: it is up to the justice system to establish, this justice which at this time preoccupies so much the Synod of Bishops.

What the Council teaches us: “We must first satisfy the demands of Justice, so that we do not offer as a gift of Charity what is already owed to Justice. Not only the effects but also the causes of these ills must be removed and the help be given in such a way that the recipients may gradually be freed from dependence on outsiders and become self-sufficient. (Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity, no.8)”

But Charity, as lived by Christ and required of all his disciples, and as your genial founder has implemented, has not lost its need. On the contrary, without it people are always tempted to retreat with satisfaction on their selfish happiness or with despair on their misery. Whatever the organization dedicated to social justice- which we encourage with all our might- there are still people which in fact lack food, clothing,

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medication, work, consideration, love, who suffer from illness, solitude or imprisonment.

Therefore without respite, we must find them, discover them, comfort them, put them in contact with those who can efficiently help them and can also alleviate, offering suitable relief which respects their dignity and allows them to become, in their environment, sowers of joy and love.

Due to your intuition and sensitivity, your feminine heart, you are marvelously predisposed to this care and to this sharing. And your Faith - so intensely insisted by Saint Vincent de Paul - your Faith helps you to meet the other as a member of His Mystical Body, as a brother, as a sister in Jesus Christ.

May this Roman dialogue at the international level, spur your zeal and stimulate your generosity , in as much as the love of the Church for all, to begin with those most destitute.

As testimony of our paternal encouragement, I give you with all my heart, as well as to all the members of the International Association of the Charities of Saint Vincent de Paul so widely spread throughout the world, my Apostolic Blessing.” Pope Paul VI, October 27, 1971, at a special audience of the International Association of Charities, (AIC) published in the October 28, issue of the Observatore Romano

Jesus gives us his peace accompanied by his justice. He is peace and justice. He becomes our peace and our justice.

Closing Prayer ReflectionIt is a well-known fact that current levels of production are sufficient, yet

millions of people are still suffering and dying of starvation. This, dear friends is truly scandalous. A way has to be found to enable everyone to benefit from the fruits of the earth, and not simply to close the gap between the affluent and those who must be satisfied with the crumbs falling from the table, but above all to satisfy the demands of justice, fairness and respect for every human being. Pope Francis (6/20/13)

Prayer TextsLuke 1:51-5 - God lifts up the lowly.

Mark 10:17-23 - Sell what you have, and give to the poor.

Mt: 6:25-34 - Your heart is where your treasure is.

Lk 21:1-4 - A poor widow’s contribution is given from the heart.

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Going Deeper to Join Justice with Charity: Reflection One

In 2006, Father Gregory Gay, superior general of the Congregation of the Mission named a Commission for promoting Systemic Change in the hearts and minds of all members of the Vincentian Family.

Systemic Change Project Criteria formulated by this Commission was developed.

1. Involve those living in poverty themselves, at all stages: identification of needs, planning, implementation, evaluation and revision.

2. Have a holistic vision, addressing a series of basic human needs: individual and social, spiritual and physical, especially needs like jobs, health care, housing, education, and spiritual growth.

3. Place particular emphasis on self-help and self-sustaining programs that have a special view toward addressing the root causes of poverty.

4. Foster transparency, inviting participation in preparing budgets and in commenting on financial reports, while promoting good money management and maintaining careful controls over the use of assets.

5. Construct a shared vision with diverse stakeholders: communities living in poverty, interested individuals, donors, churches, governments, NGOs, the private sector, unions, the media, international organizations and networks.

After looking at the criteria for projects that promote Systemic Change, what impresses you? What challenges you?

Talk to the other members of your Ladies of Charity group to effect some change in the way that you serve others that their circumstances might improve.

Going Deeper to Join Justice with Charity: Reflection Two

In our present day, Vincentian Family members strive to be faithful to the spirit and passion of St. Vincent and St. Louise as they seek to renew that spirit while being open to new possibilities and strategies.

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St. Louise shows us how to absorb this spirit. “ ‘Blessed are they who…’ Hunger and thirst are two urgent needs of nature, especially in strong bodies…. If our souls are healthy, they should have the same urges, not as passions, but as desires for justice… It seems to me that justice consists of the general renunciation of all my passions which are contrary to the commandments of God and to the perfection that He expects of me, as well as that charity which in words, actions and attitudes I am obliged to render to my neighbor… Thirst for justice…must lead us to desire greater things. We must long for union with God and the disposition and means to attain it. We must ardently desire that the effects of his holy will reign in us; and we must do all in our power to bring about this reign in others…” Spiritual Writings of Louise de Marillac p. 733-734

Today Vincentian Family groups are recognizing that solidarity, collaboration and partnership are critical because the needs of those living in poverty are greater than ever before. Like Vincent and Louise did in the 17th century as they raised the awareness of the rich to the plight of the poor, today these three elements are essential to make a difference and to do this in an organized way.

Do I personally take time to analyze why the individuals I serve stay in poverty? Are there structures and contribute to their level of poverty and do I and the members of the Ladies of Charity attempt to change the process in some small way?

If we collectively believe that an injustice is happening, we can do something about it. What is that something?

In what ways can I/we participate in finding alternative structures that are keeping the people I/we serve in poverty?

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Topic Eleven: Marian Spirituality and the Vincentian Charism

Opening Reflection:You should reflect on the example of the Blessed Virgin…, let us pray to the Blessed Virgin, who, better than all others, has delved into the substance (of the gospel maxims) and put them into practice. Coste, Vol. 2, p. 112, and Conferences to the DCs, p. 79.

The Marian Experience of Vincent de PaulVincent de Paul suggested Mary as a Model. He held up to his followers the

example of Mary as obedient to the Will of God, modest, discreet, without sin, humble, perfect, full of grace, poor, persevering, a virgin and a servant of the Lord. Mary in the Religious Experience of St. Vincent de Paul, Dodin, p. 219.

Vincent focused his attention on three events of Mary’s life: the Immaculate Conception, the Annunciation and the Visitation. “These three mysteries constitute the support, letter and spirit of the fundamental steps of her progression toward Christ and her life with God.” Dodin.

In her Immaculate Conception, Mary emptied herself so as to welcome God and to be filled with God.

In the Annunciation, Mary’s humility prepared and sustained her offering to God. In seeing her smallness before God, Mary gave herself to accomplish God’s work.

In the Visitation as she went to assist her cousin, Elizabeth, she is our model as we serve the poor.

The Vincentian follower, like Mary, is totally given to God for the service of the poor.

The Marian experience of Louise de Marillac.

Louise wrote with great abundance and love about Mary:

• She looked on Mary with dignity:As God’s collaborator in the Incarnation, and at the foot of the cross (redemption)

As one united to Christ Jesus within herAs participant in the mystery of God in Jesus Christ

As full of Grace As Mother of mercy and of grace

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• She focused on the mystery of the Immaculate Conception of Mary before the dogma was even proclaimed by the Church:

As part of God’s Plan of Salvation As responding to a full life of grace As one we must imitate

While conceived without sin, she still is a member of the human race, a descendant of Adam

• Louise encouraged her followers: To have a deep love for Mary To celebrate the feasts in honor of Mary To imitate her virtues To choose some devotional practices to Mary.Concepts taken from Vincentian Month 2002 for Advisors of the Vincentian

Family, Marian Spirituality and the Vincentian Charism, Corpus Delgado, CM.

Are there any greater insights I have into the life of Mary as I reflect on her in the ways that Vincent and Louise shared about her to their followers?

What one point do I wish to remember after using this reflection sheet?

Closing Prayer:Mary, you were in the mind of God from all eternity. God always preferred you to all other creatures because of the dignity for which God destined you as Mother of His Son. God chose to accomplish His will in the creation of your soul. I give honor to You and renew my fidelity to you who are praiseworthy of my love and devotion. Obtain for me from your Son conversion of life and assist me in my greatest need. Give me a greater love for Your Son and a closer union with His divine humanity. May Jesus and Mary be loved and praised. Amen. Prayer adapted from Louise’s writing of a dream on the eve of the feast of December 8 and a reflection on Mary, Spiritual Writings of St. Louise de Marillac, p 734, 735, M.35B and A.32B.

Prayer Texts:Lk 1:26-38 - Let it be done to me according to your will

Luke 1: 38-45 - Blest the one who trusts the Lord’s words

Cultivate a special devotion to the Blessed Virgin with the desire of imitating her life to the best of your ability.

Spiritual Writings of St Louise p. 690

Going Deeper into Marian Spirituality and the Vincentian Charism: Reflection One

Mary holds a special place in our Vincentian Family members as she does in our Church. In Vatican II document, Lumen Gentium it states: Mary…who received the Word of God in her heart and in her body and gave Life to the world, is acknowledged

and honored as being truly the Mother of God and Mother of the Redeemer…she is endowed with the high office and dignity of being the Mother of God… Because of this gift of sublime grace she far surpasses all creatures, both in heaven and on earth. The Catholic Church honors Mary in a special as a beloved mother.” LG, paragraph 53.

From our early beginnings Vincent, Louise, and Elizabeth Seton had special devotion to Mary as Mother. Louise and Elizabeth who were both mothers, most probably had a very special attraction and love for Mary as they looked at her “feminine humanity.”

In what way can Mary lead you to a rediscovery and deepening of the intersection between the mystery of Mary, as Mother of God and your own human mystery?

Mary’s faith and her response to this gift of grace is for us a model of unconditional love.

Ask Mary to open your heart to receive the gift of God’s unconditional love and to be open to the ways you can love with greater feminine tenderness.

In what way can you be grateful to our Vincentian saints for asking us to look at Mary as our Mother, as also does Lumen Gentium?

What can you learn from Mary about the spirit of humility, simplicity and charity which are gifts of the Spirit and particular virtues to which we the followers of our Vincentian saints are called?

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Going Deeper into Marian Spirituality and the Vincentian Charism:Reflection Two

At the Annunciation, Mary proclaimed that she was “the handmaid” or “servant of the Lord. She was one who believed, belonging totally to God. When she went to visit her cousin Elizabeth, it was Elizabeth who said to her “blessed are you who believed.”

Take some time to talk to Mary about “your believing”

How can she assist you to deepen your faith?

Mary was with Jesus day after day during his human life. What would that have meant to her? How can Mary assist you to realize that Jesus is with you day after day?

What characteristics of Mary’s presence to Jesus in his lifetime do you admire and wish to imitate in your relationship with her Son?

How can this communion between Jesus and Mary assist you personally as you strive to serve those who are poor?

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APPENDIX i

- Solemn Reception of New Members - A reception of new members should be held at least once a year, and if possible should take place in a church or chapel during a Eucharistic celebration. In the sanctuary there should be a small table for the holy water, crucifixes, LCUSA pins, manuals and certificates. After the homily, the names of the ladies to be received should be read aloud. A short talk may be given. The priest then blesses the crucifixes, pins and manuals saying: V. Our help is in the name of the Lord.R. Who made heaven and earth. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit. LET US PRAY:O Lord Jesus Christ, you are our Redeemer and the example of love with which you wish to inflame our hearts. Bless these signs of our redemption. May they remind us of the fidelity we promise today, to see and serve Christ in the poor. We ask this through the intercession of St. Vincent de Paul, St. Louise de Marillac, and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. Amen. After the Blessing, the priest gives a crucifix to each saying: “RECEIVE THE IMAGE OF THE SON OF GOD, MODEL OF CHARITY. MAY YOUR GLORY BE IN THE CROSS OF JESUS CHRIST!” The new member reverences the crucifix as she receives it. The President then presents to each a manual. They may also be given a pin and certificate. ALL PRAY THE ACT OF CONSECRATION: Lord Jesus, we recall your words: “I was sick and you visited me, hungry and you gave me food, thirsty and you gave me to drink; I was naked and you clothed me, poor and you comforted me.” As a response to your invitation, we come today to consecrate ourselves to you in the service of those who are victims of poverty in its many forms. In the spirit of St. Vincent de Paul, we desire to be a reflection of your loving compassion and of your tender mercy. Mindful of those who suffer many injustices, we will reach out to them in loving service.

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Mary, our mother, we ask you to beg your divine Son to make us worthy to carry the light of his teachings and the comfort of his love to those who are lonely, who are sick or who in any way suffer the sting of poverty. St. Vincent de Paul, our founder and model, obtain for us the virtues of humility, simplicity and charity, and your ardent zeal for souls. May we continue to share in your work here on earth and the joy of glory in heaven. After the Act of Consecration, presiding priest says: V. May the Lord bless you in all your ways.R. Now and forever.

V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who made heaven and earth.

V. Lord hear my prayer.R. And let my cry come unto you.

V. The Lord be with you.R. And with your spirit LET US PRAY:O God from whom all charity flows, to know you is to live, and to serve you is to rule. We beg you to guide us in faithfully observing your law of charity. With your help, may we serve the poor and receive the reward you have promised to those who follow you in the way of love for suffering humanity. O Lord Jesus Christ, enlighten us, your servants, so that we may know you, the true light of the world, and love you in perfect charity. Amen. The presiding priest gives his blessing to the members: May the blessing of our Lord, Jesus Christ, be upon you and remain forever. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

At this time the Eucharistic celebration continues.

AlternativePresider: Following after the women of Châtillon in 1617, the first lay servants of the poor who walked in the footsteps of St. Vincent de Paul, you are called to pledge yourself to service in the manner he recommended. In offering this service, you are called to bear witness to Jesus’ love by showing your commitment to those who are poor. You are also called to discover Christ in one another and in those you serve as well as to discover Christ in the Scriptures and in the sacraments. Is it your desire to dedicate yourself to the service of our Lord Jesus Christ in the care of His poor?

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Response: Yes, such is my desire.

Presider: Will you endeavor to conform to the spirit of St. Vincent de Paul and observe the rules of the Association of the Ladies of Charity, understanding its national and global membership? Response: I will.

Presider: I hereby admit you, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, of his Blessed Mother and of St. Vincent de Paul, into the Association of the Ladies of Charity. May God grant you all the indulgences and graces attached by the Holy See to this Association.

Accept this pin with its cross and symbols of hope and love. Wear it upon your heart and carry it as your strength and protection, your consolation and salvation in life and in death.

(Pin and Manual are distributed by Vincentian spiritual moderator). Ladies turn and pin each other.

(ALL)

RECITATION OF ACT OF CONSECRATION(Led by Presider)

LORD JESUS, we recall your words: “I was sick and you visited me, hungry and you gave me food, thirsty and you gave me drink: I was naked and you clothed me, poor and you comforted me.” As a response to your invitation, we come today to consecrate ourselves to you in the service of those who are victims of poverty in many forms.

IN THE SPIRIT OF ST. VINCENT DE PAUL, we desire to be a reflection of your loving compassion and your tender mercy. Mindful of those who suffer many injustices, we will reach out to them in loving service.

MARY, OUR MOTHER, through you we ask that your Divine Son will make us worthy to carry the light of his teachings and comfort of his love to those who are lonely, who are sick or who in any way suffer the sting of poverty.

ST. VINCENT DE PAUL, our founder and our model, obtain for us the virtues of humility, simplicity, charity, and ardent zeal. May we continue to share in your work here on earth and, one day, render us participants of your glory in heaven.

O GOD from whom all charity flows, with your help, may we serve those who are poor and receive the reward you have promised to those who follow you in the way of love for suffering humanity.

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O LORD JESUS, enlighten us, your servants, so that we may know you, the true light of the world, and love you in perfect charity as did our models, Vincent and Louise. Amen.

- Suggested Installation of Ladies of Charity Officers -- (and such other board or committee chairs) -

V. Our help is in the name of the Lord.R. Who made heaven and earth.

V. The Lord be with you.R. And also with you. Presider: You have been elected as officers to lead the Ladies of Charity (Name of Association) for the next (insert number )years. Recalling St. Paul’s words that there is a variety of gifts but always the same Spirit, and reflecting in your heart on the gifts you have been given, will you willingly share those gifts for the building up of the Ladies of Charity of the United States of America, practicing the virtues of humility, simplicity and charity which are characteristic of all Ladies of Charity?Response: We will.

President:__________________, just as Christ is the light of the world so shall you light the way. Will you preside at meetings, lead and guide this association as a member of Ladies of Charity USA and the International Association of Charities of St. Vincent de Paul to the best of your ability? Response: I will. [Light candle]

Vice President-President Elect: _________________, just as Christ is the light of the world so shall you light the way. Will you support and assist the president, preside at meetings in place of the president, if needed, and observe and plan for your term of office as president? Response: I will. [Light candle]

Secretary, ____________&/ Corresponding Secretary: ______________just as Christ is the light of the world so shall you light the way. Will you maintain records of attendance and proceedings of meetings and events to the best of your ability? Response: I will. [Light candle]

Treasurer: _______________, just as Christ is the light of the world, so shall you light the way. Will you act as custodian of the funds of Ladies of Charity at reporting accurately on the use of these funds at each meeting to the best of your ability?

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Response: I will. [Light candle]

Committee Chair __________________________________________, just as Christ is the light of the world, so shall you light the way in the efforts and projects of your committees. Will you plan carefully, communicate effectively and be responsive to the needs of your associates as they offer services? Response: I will. [Light candles]

With the honor bestowed upon you is the responsibility to serve others. Having stated that you are ready to assume the challenges of the next two years, may you be mindful of the mission of the Ladies of Charity to provide Vincentian leadership to women acting together against poverty. May you serve the needs of the poor in the spirit of our founders, St. Vincent de Paul and St. Louise de Marillac. May your journey be smooth as you walk the path traveled by those who preceded you. May you have the courage to seek out ways to continue to serve our brothers and sisters in need. May God, whose love is never ending, guide you always with his gentleness and may each of you experience the peace, joy and love of God in your hearts. Response: AMEN

May the blessing of our Lord, Jesus Christ, be upon you and remain with you forever. Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. Response: Thanks be to God.

[Ladies of Charity Officers return to seats and Junior Ladies Officers and Moderators move to the sanctuary]

- Installation of Junior Ladies of Charity Officers -

V. Our help is in the name of the Lord.R. Who made heaven and earth.

V. The Lord be with you.R. And also with you. Presider: You have been selected as Moderators and officers to lead the Junior Ladies of Charity in (Name of Association). Recalling St. Paul’s words that there is a variety of gifts but always the same Spirit, and reflecting in your heart on the gifts you have been given, will you willingly share those gifts for the building up of the Ladies of Charity of the United States of America, practicing the virtues of humility, simplicity and charity which are characteristic of all Ladies of Charity? Response: We will.

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Presider: ____________________, just as Christ is the light of the world so shall you light the way. Will you help guide these young women to create a community of spirituality and service, and serve as models of leadership to the best of your ability? Response: We will. (Light candles)

President: ___________________just as Christ is the light of the world so shall you light the way. Will you preside at meetings, lead and guide this Association as a junior member of Ladies of Charity USA and the International Association of Charities of St. Vincent de Paul to the best of your ability? Response: I will. [Light candle]

Vice President-_________________, just as Christ is the light of the world so shall you light the way. Will you support and assist the president, preside at meetings in place of the president, if needed, and observe and plan for your term of office as president? Response: I will. [Light candle]

Corresponding Secretary: ________________, Recording Secretary: ________________ , Historian: _____________just as Christ is the light of the world so shall you light the way. Will you maintain records of attendance, correspondence, proceedings of meetings and events, and record the history of the chapter to the best of your ability? Response: I will. [Light candle]

Treasurer_______________, just as Christ is the light of the world, so shall you light the way. Will you act as a Steward of the funds, reporting accurately on the use of these funds at each meeting to the best of your ability? Response: I will. [Light candle]

JLOC Liaison Representative:__________________, just as Christ is the light of the world, so shall you light the way. Will you plan careful, effective communication between, and be responsive to, the Junior and Ladies Association chapters? Response: I will. [Light candle]

With the honor bestowed upon you is the responsibility to serve others. Having stated that you are ready to assume the challenges of your offices, may you be mindful of the mission of the Junior Ladies of Charity to provide Vincentian leadership to young women acting together against poverty. May you serve the needs of the poor in the spirit of our founders, St. Vincent de Paul and St. Louise de Marillac. May your journey be smooth as you walk the path traveled by those who preceded you. May you have the courage to seek out ways to continue to serve our brothers and sisters in need. May God, whose love is never ending, guide you always with his gentleness and may each of you experience the peace, joy and love of God in your hearts. Response: AMEN

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May the blessing of our Lord, Jesus Christ, be upon you and remain with you forever. Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. Response: Thanks be to God.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Response: AMEN

What’s done out of charity is done for God. It’s a great happiness for us if we’re found worthy to use what we have for charity’s sake, that is, for God who has given it to us. We should thank and bless His infinite goodness to us. -- St. Vincent de Paul (Vol. XII, p. 391)

- Commissioning Service for -- Vincentian Spiritual Moderators -

Opening Prayer: (together) Merciful God, open our hearts to the needs of others, especially persons who are poor. Fill us with you grace so that we always remember that in serving your poor we are responding to your love and fidelity. May our service take concrete form. We ask this through Jesus, our brother, Amen.

Leader: Name_________________ You have generously accepted the role of Vincentian Spiritual Moderator for _________________Association. In the spirit of Francoise Baschet and St. Louise de Marillac we commission you as the Vincentian Spiritual Moderator. We must hope that God, in His goodness, will bless your efforts and bestow upon you all the graces you need to accomplish His most holy will because you were chosen for his work by the guidance of Divine Providence.

[The Leader hands the Manual of the Ladies of charity to the Vincentian Spiritual Moderator to be commissioned]

Leader: Receive this Manual of the Ladies of Charity as the sign of your leadership and responsibility. Since the founding of the Ladies of Charity by St. Vincent de Paul in 1617, a Vincentian spiritual moderator is appointed to help foster the spiritual life of association members. May the Lord Jesus grant you a receptive mind and a loving heart so that you will come to know the spirit of St. Vincent de Paul, St. Louise de Marillac and St. Elizabeth Seton, and in turn by this grace serve this association’s membership so that they too can truly live out the Mission of the Ladies of Charity ‘to serve rather than to be served’ and to serve with ‘humility, simplicity and charity’. And, so I now ask you.

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Leader _________________ Are you willing to nurture the members and assist them to grow in Vincentian holiness cultivating the virtues of humility, simplicity and charity?Response: I will.

Leader:_________________ Are you willing to support your Association President encouraging participation in activities and respect, honesty and open dialogue among the members? Response: I will.

Leader: ____________________ Will you lead prayer and reflection, and encourage the formation of members and creativity in service of all the members?Response: I will

Leader: ____________________ Will you promote the Ladies of Charity as a local, national and global organization of women acting together against all forms of poverty?Response: I will, and I faithfully pray for the strength and wisdom to faithfully serve this association’s members, people they assist, the Ladies of Charity, USA, and the International Association of Charities of St. Vincent de Paul.

Leader: [Invite all to recite the following prayer while raising their hand in blessing].

All: In the name of Jesus, with the intercession of Mary his mother and St. Vincent and St. Louise and St. Elizabeth, we commission you to as a Vincentian Spiritual Moderator of your Association. We ask for the grace that with your wisdom and leadership, you and your local Association may grow in holiness and deepen your spirit of friendship with each other and service of people living in poverty in charity, justice and love.

We ask all this in the name of Jesus, AMEN.

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Appendix iiFOUNDATION OF THE CHARITY IN CHÂTlLLON·LES·DOMBES26

(August 23, 1617)

JESUS, MARIA

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

On this day, August 23, 1617, the Ladies named below have charitably joined forces to take their turn to assist the sick poor of the town of Châtillon, having decided unanimously that, for an en-tire day only, each will be responsible for all those whom they have decided together to be in need of their help. To do so, they propose two aims, namely, to assist body and soul: the body by nourishing it and tending to its ailments; the soul by preparing those who seem to be tending toward death to die well, and preparing those who will recover to live a good life. And because, when the Mother of God has been invoked and taken as patroness in important matters, everything can only go well and accrue to the glory of Jesus her Son, the Ladies take her for patroness and protector of the work, most humbly entreating her to take special care of it, as they also entreat Saint Martin and Saint Andrew, true examples of charity and patrons of Châtillon.

Starting tomorrow, the feast of Saint Bartholomew, they will begin, with God’s help, to function in this good work in the order in which they are listed here:

First, the chatelaine on her day; Mlle. de Brie on hers; Mme. Philiberte, wife of M. des Hugonières; Benoîte, daughter of M. Ennemond Prost; Mme. Denise Beynier, wife of M. Claude Bouchour; One of the daughters of Mme. Perra; Mme. Colette; And, lastly, Mlle. de la Chassaigne (Francoise Baschet).

After her the chatelaine will do the same service on another day, and the others will take their turns successively, according to the above order, unless one of them is unable for some justifiable reason to carry out this ministry on her day. In that case, she will notify the person next in line- or have her notified- that she will be unable to take her turn, so that she can replace her on that day in caring for those who are poor. If that Lady can do so, she should not refuse because, in so doing, she will be freed of the responsibility for the following day, which she would have had according to the above order.

26 Text from CCD, Vol. 13b, Documents 124a and 126.

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They should daily ask our good Jesus to kindly maintain this order and to shower with His divine blessings all those men and women who will work with their hands or contribute from their resources for its support. He will undoubtedly do so, since He Himself is the one who assures us by His own mouth that, on the great, awesome Day of Judgment, those who assist persons who are poor will hear that gentle, pleasing voice of His saying: “Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world,” and, on the contrary, those who have taken no care of them will be rejected by Him with those other harsh, appalling words: “Out of my sight, you condemned, go into that everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”

To the Father the Judge, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

CHARITY OF WOMEN (CHÂTILLON-LES-DOMBES)

(November-December 1617)

Since charity toward the neighbor is an infallible sign of the true children of God, and since one of its principal acts is to visit and bring food to the sick poor, some devout young women and virtuous inhabitants of the town of Châtillon-les-Dombes, in the Lyons diocese, wishing to obtain from God the mercy of being His true daughters, have decided among themselves to assist spiritually and corporally the people of their town who have sometimes suffered a great deal, more through a lack of organized assistance than from lack of charitable persons. Because, however, it is to be feared that this good work, once begun, might die out in a short time if they do not have some union and spiritual bond among themselves to maintain it, they have arranged to form an association that can be set up as a confraternity with the regulations that follow. All of this is, nevertheless, subject to the good pleasure of their most honored Prelate the Archbishop, to whom this work is entirely subject.

The confraternity will be called Confraternity of Charity, in imitation of the Charity Hospital in Rome, and the persons of which it will be mainly composed will be called Servants of the Poor or of the Charity.

Patron and Purpose of the Work Since, in all confraternities, the holy custom of the Church is to propose a patron, and since the works gain their value and dignity from the purpose for which they are performed, the Servants of the Poor will take for patron Our Lord Jesus and for its aim the accomplishment of His very ardent desire that Christians should practice among themselves the works of charity and mercy. This desire He makes clear to us in His own words: “Be merciful as my Father is merciful,” and in these words: “Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from

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the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave me to eat... I was sick and you visited me ... for what you have done to the least of those, you did to me.”

Members of the Confraternity The confraternity will be composed of women: widows, wives and unmarried women, whose piety and virtue are known and whose perseverance can be counted on. Nevertheless, the wives and unmarried women must have the permission of their husbands or parents and not otherwise. In addition, to avoid the confusion that comes from too large a number, it should be limited to twenty, until further orders.

And because there is reason to hope that there will be foundations made in aid of the confraternity, and that it is not appropriate for women to handle them on their own, the Servants of the Poor will elect as their Procurator some pious, devout priest or an inhabitant of the town who is virtuous, devoted to the good of persons who are poor, and not too caught up in temporal affairs. He will be considered a member of the confraternity and will participate in the indulgences granted to it, will come to the meetings, and, like the Servants, will have a voice in decisions regarding matters proposed during the time he is in office as Procurator, and no longer.

In addition, the confraternity will choose two respectable, devout poor women, who will be called Nurses of the Sick Poor because their duty will be to watch over those who are alone and cannot move about and to serve them according to the instructions the Prioress will give them. They will pay them decently according to their work; consequently, they, too, will be considered members of the confraternity, will participate in the indulgences, and will come to the meetings but will not have a deliberative vote there.

Offices One of the Servants of the Poor will be given the status of Prioress of the confraternity. So that everything may proceed in an orderly fashion, the others will love and respect her as their mother and obey her in whatever concerns the property and service of those who are poor, all for the love of Our Lord Jesus, who became obedient unto death, even to the death of the Cross. It will be her duty to do her utmost to see that all the poor persons are fed and assisted in accordance with this organization; to admit into the care of the confraternity, during the period between meetings, those sick persons who are truly poor and to discharge those who are better. All this, however, will be done with the advice of her two Assistants, or of one of them. She can, nevertheless, without asking them, instruct the Treasurer to give what she thinks is necessary to do those things that cannot be postponed until the next meeting. When she admits any patients, she will notify immediately the Servant whose turn it is to be on duty that day.

For the counsel and ordinary assistance of the Prioress, two of the most humble

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and most discreet members of the Company will be given her to attend to the public good of those who are poor and the management of the confraternity.

One of her Assistants will be named Superioress and Treasurer of the confraternity; it will be her duty to carry out the functions of the Prioress in her absence, to take in the money and give receipts for it, take care of the linen and other furnishings, buy and store the provisions needed for the assistance of poor persons, give the Servants each day whatever they need for the food of those who are poor, see that their linen is laundered, carry out the instructions of the Prioress, and keep a book in which she will write down whatever she receives and uses.

It will be the duty of the Procurator to manage and negotiate business involving funds for the temporal affairs of the confraternity, with the advice and direction of the Pastor, the Prioress, the Treasurer, and the other Assistant; to explain at each meeting held for this purpose the state of the affairs he is managing; to keep a book in which he will record the decisions that will be made during it; to ask, on behalf of the confraternity, the Lord of the town of Châtillon, one of the Syndics, and the hospital administrator to be present for the rendering of accounts of the confraternity. It will also be his duty to decorate its chapel, to have the Masses said, to look after the vestments and, with the advice of the above-mentioned persons, to purchase some when necessary.

Admission of the sick and how to assist and feed them The Prioress will admit to the care of the confraternity those patients who are truly poor, and not those who have the means of taking care of themselves, with the advice, however, of the Treasurer and the Assistant, or of one of them. When she has admitted someone, she will notify the person whose day it is to be on duty, and the latter will go immediately to see him. The first thing she will do is to see if the patient needs a nightshirt so that, if that is the case, she may bring him one from the confraternity, along with some clean sheets, if they are needed and he is not in the hospital, where there are some. All of this is in the event that there is no way to launder them there.

When this has been done, she will see that the patient goes to confession in order to receive Communion the next morning because it is the intention of the confraternity that those who want to be aided by it go to confession and Communion. Before anything else, she will bring the patient a picture of the Crucifixion, which she will put up in a place where he can see it so that, by looking at it sometimes, he may reflect on what the Son of God suffered for him. She will also bring him other small items he needs, such as a bed tray, a napkin, a cup, a pitcher, a small plate and a spoon; afterward, she will notify the person whose turn it will be the following day to see that the patient’s house is cleaned and adorned in preparation for him to receive Communion, and to bring him his everyday fare.

Each of the Servants of the Poor will prepare their food and serve them for an

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entire day. The Prioress will begin, the Treasurer will follow, then the Assistant, and so forth, one after the other, in the order in which they were received, up to the latest arrival. Afterward, the Prioress will start over, and the others will follow, observing the order begun, so that, by this continual rotation, the patients will be served always in line with this organization. Nevertheless, all will be done in such a way that, if one of them falls ill, she will be excused from her service, informing the Prioress so that the latter can continue the succession with the others. If, however, one of them is prevented for some other reason, she will see that someone else takes her place, substituting for her in a similar situation.

When the person whose turn it is has received from the Treasurer whatever is needed on her day for the food of the poor persons, she will prepare the dinner and take it to the patients, greeting themcheerfully and kindly. She will set up the tray on the bed, place on it a napkin, a cup, a spoon, and some bread, wash the patient’s hands, and then say grace. She will pour the soup into a bowl, and put the meat on a plate. She will arrange everything on the bed tray, then kindly encourage the patient to eat for the love of Jesus and His holy Mother. She will do all this as lovingly as if she were serving her own son - or rather God, who considers as done to Himself the good she does for persons who are poor.

She will say some little word to him about Our Lord, making an effort to cheer him up if he is very downhearted; sometimes she will cut his meat or pour him something to drink. Once she has him beginning to eat she will leave if he has someone with him, and will go to find another patient, acting with him in the same way, remembering to begin always with the person who has someone with him and to end with those who are alone so she can spend more time with them. Then, she will return in the evening to bring them their supper, using the same system and order as above.

Each patient will have as much bread as he needs, with a quarter of a pound of mutton or boiled veal for dinner and the same amount of roast meat for supper, except on Sundays and feast days, when they may be given boiled chicken for their dinner. Two or three times a week, they will be given ground meat for supper. Those who do not have a fever will receive a pint of wine daily, half in the morning, and half in the evening.

On Fridays, Saturdays, and other days of abstinence, they will be given two eggs, along with some soup and a little butter for their dinner, and the same for supper, with their eggs cooked the way they like. If fish can be found at a reasonable price, it will be given to them only at dinner.

Permission will be obtained for the seriously ill to eat meat during Lent and on other days when it is forbidden. Those who cannot eat solid meat will be given, three or four times a day, broth, soup with toast cut up in it, barley water, and fresh eggs.

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Spiritual Assistance and Funerals Because the aim of this organization is not only to assist poor persons corporally, but spiritually as well, the Servants of the Poor will strive and take great pains to dispose those who recuperate to live better, and those who seem to be approaching death, to die well. They will arrange their visit for this purpose and pray often for that, making some little elevation of their hearts to God for this intention.

In addition, they will occasionally read some devotional book that might be useful to those listening who might profit from this, exhorting them to bear their illness patiently for the love of God and to believe that He has sent it to them for their greater good. They will have them make some acts of contrition, consisting in sorrow for having offended God, for love of Him, to ask His forgiveness and resolve never to offend Him again. In the event that their illness becomes worse, they will see to it that they go to confession as soon as possible. For those who seem to be dying, they will be sure to notify the Pastor to administer Extreme Unction, encouraging them to trust in God, to reflect on the passion and death of Our Lord Jesus, and to commend themselves to the Blessed Virgin, the angels, and the saints, particularly the patron saints of the town and those whose names they bear. They will do all this with great zeal to cooperate in the salvation of souls and, so to speak, to lead them by the hand to God.

The Servants of the Charity will take care to have the dead interred at the expense of the confraternity, providing a shroud for them and having the grave dug if the deceased has no one else to do this, or the hospital Administrator does not take care of it, as he should be asked to do. They will also attend the funerals of those patients whom they have nursed, if they can do so conveniently, taking the place of mothers who accompany their children to the tomb. In this way, they will be practicing to the full and in an edifying manner the corporal and spiritual works of mercy.

Meetings: their purpose and the order to be followed during them Because it is very useful for all holy communities to come together from time to time in some place intended for discussing the spiritual progress and what concerns the general welfare of the community, the Servants of the Poor will meet every third Sunday of the month in a chapel of the church in the town intended for this purpose, or in that of the hospital, where, on that same day or the next day, at a time agreed upon by them, a low Mass will be offered for the confraternity. In the afternoon, at a time convenient for them, they will meet in the same chapel to listen to a short spiritual exhortation and to discuss matters concerning the welfare of those who are poor and the support of the confraternity.

The order to be followed at the meetings will be to chant the Litany of Our Lord Jesus or of the Blessed Virgin before each work, and then say the prayers that follow. Next, the Pastor or his assistant will give the short exhortation aimed at the spiritual growth of the entire Company and the preservation and progress of the confraternity. After that he will propose what is to be done for the welfare

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of the sick poor, and will conclude by a plurality of votes, which he will collect for this purpose, beginning with the Servant of the Charity who was the last one received into the confraternity, and continuing by order of reception up to the Procurator, then the Treasurer and the Prioress. Lastly, he will cast his own vote, which will have deliberative weight, as that of the Servants of the Poor will have.

It will then be helpful to have someone read five or six articles of the organization; they will also charitably remind one another of the faults that have arisen in the service of the poor persons. All this, however, will be done without any fuss or disorder and with as few words as possible. Each time, they will devote half an hour after the exhortation for this meeting.

Administration of temporal goods and rendering of accounts The Pastor, the Prioress, the two Assistants, and the Procurator will be responsible for all the temporal goods of the confraternity, movable as well as immovable. Consequently, they will have the authority to give orders in its name to the Procurator to do whatever is necessary for the preservation and collection of these goods.

The Treasurer will keep the money, documents, and furnishings, as has been stated, and give an annual report on the day after the holy feast of Pentecost, in presence of the Pastor, the Prioress, the Procurator, and the other Assistant, as well as the Lord, one of the Syndics, and the Administrator of the Châtillon Hospital, provided, however, that he be a member of the Roman Catholic apostolic religion. The latter three will always he requested, on behalf of the confraternity, to be present and will have faith in the declaration the Treasurer will make that her accounts are accurate, not allowing any article in them to he crossed out nor that either her husband or her children may he questioned regarding them because, being completely trustworthy - since only such persons are chosen for that, people may have entire confidence in her. Furthermore, if she were subjected to being questioned in this matter, none of the members would be willing to accept this office.

After his accounts have been reviewed, the Procurator will report to the same gathering the state of the temporal affairs of the confraternity and what he has administered and negotiated during the year so that the Lord, Syndic, Administrator, and Council members of the town may be adequately informed by the report of the management of the temporal welfare of the confraternity. If they find it faulty, they may have recourse to our most honored Prelate the Archbishop to have it put in order since the confraternity is totally subject to him. Should that be the case, the Council members are very humbly requested to do this for the love of God.

The Prioress will keep a book of expenditures, in which she will record the responsibilities of the Treasurer for the documents, money, and furnishings of the confraternity. In the event that neither she nor anyone else is willing to take

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on this responsibility, except for the furnishings and part of the money that will he needed for a few months for the food of those who are poor, the confraternity will instruct the Procurator to take charge of the rest and to give an account of it. He will be bound to do so, without being able to refuse the Treasurer anything the confraternity or the Prioress orders, which he will give her for the support and food of the poor persons. The collection box in the church, placed there for the upkeep of the confraternity and the relief of those who are poor, will be opened every two months in the presence of the Pastor, the Prioress, the Treasurer, the Procurator, and the Assistant. The Treasurer will be given whatever is in it and will record the amount of what will be found there; if she is unwilling, the Procurator will do it, as has been said.

Elections and leaving office The Prioress, the Treasurer, and the other Assistant will leave office on the Wednesday after the holy feast of Pentecost, and a new election will take place on the same day by a plurality of votes of the entire confraternity. The Prioress, Treasurer, and Assistant may not continue in office so that humility, the true basis of all virtue, may be perfectly honored in this holy institute.

In the event that the Pastor should be non-resident, or that his assistant does not take the responsibility required for the work, it will be permissible for the confraternity to take another Spiritual Father and Director of the work, accepted and approved for this purpose by the Archbishop.

The Prioress, Treasurer, and Assistant may be removed from office before the end of their term by the confraternity, if, in its judgment, they do not carry out their duty well.

The Procurator will remain in office as long as the confraternity sees fit, and no longer.

Those members of the confraternity who commit some public sin or neglect notably the care of those who are poor will be completely dismissed from the confraternity, after the warnings required in the Gospel have first been given to all those whom they wish to remove from office or dismiss from the confraternity.

Common Rules The entire Company will go to confession and receive Communion four times a year, when they can do so conveniently, namely, on the feast of Pentecost, the feast of Our Lady in August, and the feasts of Saint Andrew and Saint Martin. This is done to honor the ardent desire of Our Lord Jesus that we love the sick poor and help them in their need. In order to fulfill this holy desire, they will ask for His blessings on the confraternity that it may flourish more and more for His honor and glory, the relief of His members, and the salvation of the souls who serve Him in it or have given of their resources to it.

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And so that the Company may be preserved in sincere friendship according to God, when one of the members is ill, the Prioress and the others will take care to visit her, see that she receives the last sacraments of the Church, and pray for her together and privately. When God is pleased to take from this world a member of the group, the others will attend her funeral with the same sentiment as if she were their own sister, whom they hope to see one day in heaven. Each will pray three rosaries for her intention and will have a low Mass celebrated in the chapel of the confraternity for the repose of her soul.

Personal Devotions Upon awakening they will invoke Our Lord Jesus, making the Sign of the Cross and saying some other prayer to His Holy Mother. Then, having risen and dressed, they will take holy water, kneel at the foot of their bed before some holy picture, and thank God for the gifts, general as well as particular, they have received from His Divine Majesty. They will recite three Our Fathers and three Hail Marys in honor of the Blessed Trinity; one Creed, and one Hail Holy Queen, after which they will hear holy Mass, if convenient for them. They will be mindful of the reserve with which the Son of God carried out His actions on earth and, in honor of the imitation of these actions, will carry out their own in a reserved and tranquil manner.

Those who know how to read will read unhurriedly and attentively a chapter of the book by the Bishop of Geneva, entitled Introduction to the Devout Life. Before the reading, they will raise their minds to God and will implore His great mercy in order to derive the fruit of His love from this devotional practice.

When they have to go into society, they will offer this contact to Jesus Our Lord in honor of His contacts with people on earth; they will entreat Him to keep them from offending Him and will strive especially to give great honor and reverence interiorly to Our Lord Jesus and His Holy Mother, since this is one of the principal requirements this confraternity asks of those who aspire to it.

They will take care in practicing humility, simplicity, and charity, each deferring to her companion and to others, performing all their actions for the charitable intention of persons who are poor and with no human respect.

When the day has been spent in accord with the preceding observations, and the time to retire has come, they will make the examination of conscience and say three Our Fathers, three Hail Marys, and one De Profundis for the deceased. None of this, however, obliges under pain of mortal or venial sin.

APPROVAL OF THE CONFRATERNITY We, Thomas de Méchatin Lafaye, Canon and Comte of the Church of Lyons, Officialis and Judge of the Primatial See, spiritual and temporal Vicar-General of the Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Father in God Messire Denis-Simon de Marquemont, by the grace and permission of our Holy Father the Pope

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Archbishop and Comte de Lyons, Primate of France, Councillor of the King in his Council of State, and his Extraordinary Ambassador in Rome be-fore our Holy Father:

To all those who will read these present letters we make known that we have read the above-written articles of the regulations of the Confraternity of Charity intended to be established and erected in the town of Châtillon-les-Dombes, Lyons diocese, for the spiritual and corporal assistance of the sick poor of their town who, for lack of order in helping them, have sometimes suffered a great deal. These articles were presented to us by the Reverend Messire Vincent de Paul, Bachelor of Theology, Pastor in Châtillon. After having considered them and heard his humble petition asking us to permit the erection of the confraternity, and to approve, sanction, and ratify the articles contained in the regulations, on the authority of the Most Dustrious and Most Reverend Archbishop and under his good pleasure, everything to be added or taken out as he pleases, we have allowed and do allow the erection of the confraternity in the format of the articles stated in the regulations, which, on the authority of the Archbishop, we have approved, sanctioned, and ratified by these present letters, on condition that he may add or curtail anything he pleases, as has been stated, and that the confraternity and everything dependent on it will be subject to the immediate authority of the Archbishop as their Superior or, in his absence, of his Vicar-General.

In testimony whereof we have signed these present letters, have had them countersigned by M. Jean Linet, Diocesan Secretary and citizen of Lyons, and have had the seal of the office of the Archbishop of Lyons affixed to them, November 24, 1617.

MÉCHATIN LAFAYE By order of the Vicar-General.

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Appendix iiiBIBLIOGRAPHY Some of the references listed below can be accessed on line, either through famvin or the DePaul University site. There are many Vincentian slide shows and videos on famvin and YouTube. Some resources are available through the St. Vincent de Paul Society (www.svdpusa.org). Other books are available on amazon.com. Those books with ** are highly recommended.

GENERAL INFORMATION/WEBSITEShttp://famvin.org Vincentian Family Website; go to vinformation for

information on Vincentian saintshttp://library.depaul.edu/Pages/default.aspx All Things Vincentian – DePaul

University resourcehttp://aic.ladiesofcharity.us Ladies of Charity USA site (PLEASE SUBSCRIBE

FOR UPDATES)http://www.aic-international.org AIC International siteYouTube.com search on St. Louise de Marillac, or, St. Vincent de Paul, or St.

Elizabeth Ann Seton

IN THE CHURCH TODAYDocuments of Vatican II – Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity – http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/index.htmLandousies, Jean C.M. (2002) “Laity in the Church Today,” Vincentiana: Vol.

46: No. 4, Article 8. Available at: http://via.library.depaul.edu/vincentiana/vol46/iss4/8

McKenna, Kevin, A Concise Guide to Catholic Social Teaching (Concise Guide Series) Ave Maria Press 2002

Pope Francis, The Joy of the Gospel (Evangelii Gaudium) http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20131124_evangelii-gaudium.html

Pope Francis, Praise be to You, Laudato Si’ Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA 2015

Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Serving in Hope, Module 4, Session 4.2

VINCENTIAN SAINTS – VINCENT DE PAULDodin, Andre, Vincent de Paul and Charity, New City Press, New Rochelle,

NY, 1993Mezzadri, Luigi and Davitt, Thomas, A Short Life of Vincent de Paul,

Columbia Press, 2010Pujo, Bernard, Vincent de Paul: The Trailblazer, University of Notre Dame

Press, Notre Dame, IN, 2003Roman CM, Jose Maria, St. Vincent de Paul: A Biography, Melisende UK Ltd,

1999 **Udovic, Edward R. CM (writer/producer), 2010. “Vincent de Paul Charity’s

Saint” [Motion Picture available on DVD from Depaul].**

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VINCENTIAN SAINTS – LOUISE DE MARILLACCalvet, Jean, Louise de Marillac: A Portrait, P.J. Kennedy & Sons, New York,

1959Charpy, DC, Sr. Elizabeth, A Way to Holiness: Louise de Marillac, Mount

Salus Press Ltd., DublinDirvin, CM, Joseph, Louise de Marillac, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, New York,

1970Kelly, Margaret J. D.C. (1989) “Louise de Marillac: The “Gentle Power” of

Liberation,”Vincentian Heritage Journal: Vol. 10: Iss. 1, Article 2. Available at: http://via.library.depaul.edu/vhj/vol10/iss1/2

LaFleur, SP, Kathryn B., Louise de Marillac: A Light in the Darkness, New City Press, Hyde Park, NY, 1996

Sullivan DC, Louise, Spiritual Writings of St. Louise de Marillac, New City Press, Brooklyn, NY, 1991

VINCENTIAN SAINTS – ELIZABETH ANN SETONNational Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton https://setonshrine.orgBechtle, SC, Regina, & Metz, SC, Judith (editors), Elizabeth Bayley Seton

Collected Writings, Volumes I, II III, New City Press, Hyde Park, NY, 2000Dirvin, CM, Joseph I., The Soul of Elizabeth Seton: A Spiritual Portrait,

Ignatius Press, 1990 Kelly, Ellin & Melville, Annabelle, Elizabeth Ann Seton: Selected Writings,

Paulist Press, 1987Melville, Annabelle M., Elizabeth Bayley Seton, Sheridan Press, Hanover, PA,

2009** Friendship of my Soul, Sheridan Press, Hanover, PA,

2008Merwin, Anne, Elizabeth Ann Seton, Pauline Books & Media, 2015

HISTORY OF THE CONFRATERNITIES OF CHARITY (LADIES OF CHARITY)

http://www.aic-international.org AIC International sitede Paul, Vincent and Coste, Pierre C.M., “Correspondence, Conferences,

Documents, Volume XIIIb. Documents vol. 2” (2003). Vincentian Digital Books. Book 38. http://via.library.depaul.edu/vincentian_ebooks/38

Padberg, Collette and Hannefin, Daniel D.C. (1982) “Saint Vincent’s First Foundation: The Ladies of Charity,” Vincentian Heritage Journal: Vol. 3: Iss. 1, Article 3. Available at: http://via.library.depaul.edu/vhj/vol3/iss1/3 **

Sullivan, Louise D.C. (1993) “The Hands of Providence: Vincent de Paul, Louise de Marillac, and Feminine Charitable Activity in France, 1617-1660,” Vincentian Heritage Journal: Vol. 14: Iss. 1, Article 4. Available at: http://via.library.depaul.edu/vhj/vol14/iss1/4

Sullivan, Louise D.C., “Sister Rosalie Rendu: A Daughter of Charity On Fire with Love for the Poor” (2006). Vincentian Digital Books. Book 5. (Chapter 8-P. 136-140., revitalization of the Charities after the Revolution). Available at: http://via.library.depaul.edu/vincentian_ebooks/5

Gude, Mary L. C.S.C. (1999) “Madame de Miramion and the Friends of Vincent de Paul,” Vincentian Heritage Journal: Vol. 20: Iss. 2,Article 2. Available at: http://via.library.depaul.edu/vhj/vol20/iss2/2

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HISTORY OF THE LADIES OF CHARITY IN THE UShttp://aic.ladiesofcharity.us Ladies of Charity US sitePadberg, Collette and Hannefin, Daniel D.C. (1982) “Saint Vincent’s First

Foundation: The Ladies of Charity,” Vincentian Heritage Journal: Vol. 3: Iss. 1, Article 3. Available at: http://via.library.depaul.edu/vhj/vol3/iss1/3

THE VINCENTIAN FAMILYhttp://famvin.org Go to vinformation and search: Vincentian Family Treehttp://famvin.org/en/the-vincentian-family-on-the-webKeane, SJ James, ed. Seeds of Hope: Stories of Systemic Change SSVDP, MO

2008

VINCENTIAN SPIRITUALITYDodin, Andre, “His Spiritual Way”, Vincent de Paul and Charity, New City

Press, New Rochelle, NY, 1993, pp. 48-61Gottemeier, DC, Sister Loretto, Vincentian Discernment and Decision-

Making, Vincentian Heritage, Vol. 19, #1, 1998 Maloney CM, Robert, The Way of Vincent de Paul, New City Press, Brooklyn,

NY, 1992 He Hears the Cry of the Poor, New City Press, Hyde

Park, NY, 1995 Seasons in Spirituality, New City Press, Hyde Park, NY

1998 Go! On the Missionary Spirituality of St. Vincent de

Paul, Editoria Ceme, 2000 Turn Everything to Love, Editorial La Milagrosa,

Madrid, 2007** ‘Tis A Gift To Be Simple, Society of St. Vincent de Paul,

St. Louis, MO, 2016McKenna, Thomas F. C.M. (2015) “Vincent de Paul: What Moved Him? And

What Moved Him Toward Those Who Are Poor?” Vincentian Heritage Journal: Vol. 32: Iss. 2, Article 1.

Available at: http://via.library.depaul.edu/vhj/vol32/iss2/1Ryan, Frances D.C. (2001) “Incarnational Spiritual Influences: Baptismal

Covenant & the Life Styles / Stages of Elizabeth Seton,” Vincentian Heritage Journal: Vol. 22: Iss. 2, Article 4. Available at: http://via.library.depaul.edu/vhj/vol22/iss2/4

Sullivan, Louise D.C. (1991) “The Spirituality of Louise de Marillac: Formed by the Spirit for Charity, “Vincentian Heritage Journal: Vol. 12: Iss. 2, Article 4. Available at: http://via.library.depaul.edu/vhj/vol12/iss2/4

Delgado, Corpus CM “Marian Spirituality and the Vincentian Charism,” [Marialis Cultus, 35] Vincentiana, 13.VII. July-October 2002 p 329.

VIRTUES OF THE LADIES OF CHARITYSullivan, Louise D.C. (1998) “’God Wants First The Heart And Then The

Work:’ Louise De Marillac And Leadership In The Vincentian Tradition,” Vincentian Heritage Journal: Vol. 19: Iss. 1, Article 11. Available at: http://via.library.depaul.edu/vhj/vol19/iss1/11

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RESOURCES FOR FACILITATING PRAYER EXPERIENCES AND REFLECTION

Alderman, Margaret and Burns, Josephine, Praying with Elizabeth Seton, St Mary’s Press, Winona, MN, 1992

Dye, Lisa, 30 Days With Elizabeth Seton: Words of Faith and Courage, Twenty-Third Publications, 2013

Gibson,DC Audrey and Kneaves DC, Kiran Praying with Louise de Marillac, St. Mary’s Press, Winona, MN, 1995

McKenna CM, Thomas, Praying with Vincent de Paul, St. Mary’s Press, Winona, MN, 1994

McNeil, DC, Betty Ann, 15 Days of Prayer with Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, New City Press, NY, 2008

Ramson C.M., Ronald, Praying with Frederic Ozanam, Word Among Us, 1998

Renouard, CM, John-Pierre, 15 Days of Prayer with Saint Vincent de Paul, New City Press, Hyde Park, NY, 2010

aic.ladiesofcharity.us