DePaul University Via Sapientiae English edition Abelly, Louis 1993 Venerable Servant, Book 2 Follow this and additional works at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/abelly_english Recommended Citation Abelly, Louis. The Life of the Venerable Servant of God Vincent de Paul. Book One. Ed. by John E. Rybolt, C.M. Trans. by William Quinn, F.S.C. New York: New City Press, 1993. http://via.library.depaul.edu/ abelly_1664f/3 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Abelly, Louis at Via Sapientiae. It has been accepted for inclusion in English edition by an authorized administrator of Via Sapientiae. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Life ofthe Venerable Servant of God Vincent de Paul Founder and First Superior General of the Congregation ofthe Mission (Divided Into Three Books) by Louis Abelly, Bishop of Rodez BOOK TWO New City Press edited by John E. Rybolt, C.M. translated by William Quinn, F.S.C. notes by Edward R. Udovic, C.M. and John E. Rybolt, C.M. introduction by Stafford Poole, C.M. index translated and edited from the Pemartin edition of 1891, with additional annotations, by Edward R. Udovic, C.M Published in the United States by New City Press 86 Mayflower Avenue, New Rochelle, New York 10801 ©1993 Vincentian Studies Institute Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data: Abelly, Louis, 1604-1691. [Vie du venerable serviteur de Dieu, Vincent de Paul. English] The life ofthe venerable servant ofGod Vincent de Paul: founder and first superior general ofthe Congregation ofthe Mission: (divided into three books) I by Louis Abelly ; [edited by John E. Rybolt; translated by William Quinn; introduction by Stafford Poole]. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 1-56548-Q52-X: $49.00 1. Vincent de Paul, Saint, 1581-1660. 2. Christian saints­ France-Biography-Early works to 1800. I. Rybolt, John E. II. Title. BX47oo.V6A48 1993 271 '.7702--dc20 [B] 93-9446 The original edition ofAbelly contained as a frontispiece an engraving by Rene Lochon, based on the portrait by Simon Fran~ois de Tours ofVincent de Paul in choir dress. Below the portrait is a quatrain, the translation of which is: Ifyou wish to see in a single face the portrait oftwo great saints Paul and Vincent are depicted here; but for his spirit, read this work. CONTENTS PREFACE 9 BOOK TWO. His Main Works and the Great Results Which Came From Them ... .................. 11 CHAPTER ONE. The Missions ofMonsieur Vincent 13 SECTION ONE. His Missions in General ..... 13 PART ONE. Some Remarkable Words of Monsieur Vincent About the Missions 15 PART TWO. Monsieur Vincent's Convictions about the Virtues Most Needed by the Missionaries, and How They Should Preach 17 PART THREE. The Order Which Monsieur Vincent Observed and Wanted to be Observed by the Members of His Congregation .. 20 PART FOUR. The Advice of Monsieur Vincent to His Missionaries on How They Should Deal with Heretics when on Mission .. 25 PART FIVE. The General Results of the Missions Given by Monsieur Vincent and the Missionaries ofHis Congregation. 27 SECTION TWO. The Most Notable Fruits ofthe Missions Given in Various Parts of France ....... 30 PART ONE. The Diocese ofParis ............ .30 PART TWO. The Diocese of Saintes ........... 32 PART THREE. The Dioceses of Mende and Saint Flour . 35 PART FOUR. The Dioceses of Geneva and Marseilles . 38 PART FIVE. The Dioceses of Reims, Toul, and Rouen . 42 PART SIX. Various Places in Brittany. ......... 45 PART SEVEN. Various Places in Burgundy and Champagne. 47 PART EIGHT. Various Other Places in France . 50 SECTION THREE. Further Discussion ofthe Fruit of the Missions Given in Italy . 55 PART ONE. In Various Places Near Rome . 55 PART TWO. In the Dioceses of Viterbo, Palestrina, and Other Places 59 SECTION FOUR. Missions Given in the State of Genoa ..... 66 SECTION FIVE. The Missions Given on the Island of Corsica .. .. 69 SECTION SIX. The Missions Given in Piedmont ......... .. 76 SECTION SEVEN. The More Remarkable Events in the Missions of the Barbary States ....................... .. 84 PART ONE. The Beginning of the Missions in Tunis and Algiers, in the Barbary States . 85 PART TWO. The Main Work ofthe Missionaries in Barbary ..... 89 PART THREE. Persecutions Suffered by the Consul at Algiers. 92 PART FOUR. Other Vexations of the Missionaries in Tunis .. 97 PART FIVE. An Account Given by Monsieur Vincent to His Community ofthe Martyrdom of a Young Christian Burned to Death in Algiers for His Faith in Jesus Christ. ........... 99 PART SIX. Various Directives Given by Monsieur Vincent to the Missionaries ofBarbary Regarding Their Personal Behavior and Their Way of Acting Among the Infidels. ......... .. 102 PART SEVEN. Various Employments and Sufferings ofthe Poor Christian Slaves in Barbary, and the Help and Services Rendered Them by the Missionaries ............ 105 PART EIGHT. Continuation of the Same Topic ........ 109 PART NINE. Help Given to the Poor Slaves of Bizerte and of Several Other Places .................... 112 PART TEN. The Conversion of Several Heretics and Apostates Brought About by the Priests of the Congregation of the Mission Whom Monsieur Vincent Sent to Barbary. ........... 116 PART ELEVEN. The Remarkable Example ofthe Constancy ofTwo Young Slaves, the One from France, the Other from England . 118 PART TWELVE. Various Other Charitable Activities of the Priests ofthe Congregation of the Mission Whom Monsieur Vincent Sent to Barbary for the Relief of the Poor Christian Slaves ... 120 SECTION EIGHT. The Missions in Ireland ............... 126 SECTION NINE. On the Mission to the Isle of Saint Lawrence, Other- wise Known as Madagascar. .................... 134 PART ONE. Letter from Monsieur Vincent to Monsieur Nacquart, Priest of the Congregation of the Mission, About This Mission. 134 PART TWO. The Departure of the Two Priests of the Congregation of the Mission, and Events that Occurred on Their Journey ... 138 PART THREE. Description ofMadagascar and its People ..... 139 PART FOUR. The Arrival ofTwo Priests of the Congregation of the Mission in Madagascar, and Their Initial Activities. ...... 142 PART FIVE. The Death of Monsieur Gondree, One ofthe Two Priests ofthe Congregation of the Mission, and the Later Work of Monsieur Nacquart, the Only Remaining Priest on the Island 144 PART SIX. Letter of Monsieur Bourdaise, Priest ofthe Congregation ofthe Mission, About the Missions of Madagascar 149 PART SEVEN. Letter of Monsieur Vincent to Monsieur Bourdaise, to Whom He Sent Five More Missionaries .... 159 SECTION TEN. The Mission to Poland .......... 163 SECTION ELEVEN. The Mission to the Hebrides Islands 173 CHAPTER TWO. The Spiritual Exercises to Prepare for the Proper Reception of Holy Orders 183 SECTION ONE. The Pressing Need of Clergy Reform at the Time Monsieur Vincent Established the Ordination Retreats. .... 183 SECTION TWO. The Beginning of the Ordination Retreats .... 185 SECTION THREE. A Summary ofWhat is Done During the Ordina- tion Retreats, and the Regulations that Govern Them 188 SECTION FOUR. Monsieur Vincent's Thoughts on the Ordination Re- treats .............................. .. 191 SECTION FIVE. Some Examples of the Blessings Brought About in France by the Ordination Retreats 200 SECTION SIX. The Ordination Retreats in Italy, and the Great Results Produced by Them ....................... 203 CHAPTER THREE. The Spiritual Conferences for Priests ...... 210 SECTION ONE. The Beginning of the Spiritual Conferences for Priests Established at Saint Lazare 210 SECTION TWO. The Progress of This Company, and the Successes It Enjoyed 215 SECTION THREE. Missions Given by the Priests ofThis Company in Several Hospitals and Other Places in Paris 218 SECTION FOUR. The Remarkable Results of Two Missions Given by Priests of this Company .................... .. 220 SECTION FIVE. The Company of Clergy Who Met at Saint Lazare Fostered Similar Companies in Other Dioceses . 225 CHAPTER FOUR. Spiritual Retreats ................. .. 229 SECTION ONE. The Utility of Spiritual Retreats ......... .. 229 SECTION TWO. The Zeal of Monsieur Vincent to Provide the Oppor­ tunity to All Sorts of Persons to Make a Spiritual Retreat ..... 231 SECTION THREE. Some Remarkable Comments of Monsieur Vincent About the Spiritual Retreats ..................... 235 SECTION FOUR. The Opinions of Some Others Concerning These Re- treats, and Several Examples of Happy Outcomes 241 CHAPTER FIVE. Seminaries ..................... 249 CHAPTER SIX. Delinquents and Disturbed Persons at Saint Lazare 259 CHAPTER SEVEN. The Help Given by Monsieur Vincent to the Convents of the Religious of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Diocese of Paris While He Was Their Superior and Father. ............................ 266 CHAPTER EIGHT. The Confraternities of Charity in the Parishes .. 285 CHAPTER NINE. The Founding ofthe Daughters ofCharity, Servants of the Sick Poor ......................... 291 CHAPTER TEN. The Assemblies ofthe Ladies ofCharity of Paris .... 303 CHAPTER ELEVEN. The Help Given by Monsieur Vincent to Different Provinces Devastated by Wars. ................ .. 316 SECTION ONE. Help Given to Lorraine 316 SECTION TWO. Help Given to the Provinces of Picardy and Cham- pagne .............................. .. 331 SECTION THREE. The Remarkable Effects ofthe Help Given to the Provinces of Picardy and Champagne .............. 336 CHAPTER TWELVE. The Efforts ofMonsieur Vincent to Combat the Errors ofJansenism. ......................... 346 CHAPTER THIRTEEN. Monsieur Vincent's Service to the King in the