Spirituality
of the
St Vincent de Paul Society
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The members of our Vincentian Family too yearn for wholeness, for meaning, for transcendence. The Lord calls us to try to satisfy their longing. I suggest to you today, my brothers and sisters, that there is nothing more valuable that we can do for the members of our Vincentian Family than to hold up before their eyes a captivating vision; a vision that will help each of us to integrate his life and give it away as a gift; a deep, vibrant, holistic spirituality.
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A spirituality is an energising vision, a driving force. On the one hand, the specific way in which a ,person is rooted in God; it is on the other hand, the specific way in which he or she relates to the created world. It generates energy and channels that energy in a particular direction, thereby enabling a person to go beyond himself or herself. All genuine spirituality has a transcendent thrust. |
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Spirituality of the St Vincent de Paul Society follows the charism of
Vincent himself. It was with great understanding that, as lay people,
Ozanam and his young friends chose Vincent as their patron. They had
been influenced in the first place by Emmanuel Bailly - a follower of Vincent and an associate of the Vincentian priests and Daughters of
Charity in Paris; and they were taught to visit the poor by Sr. Rosalie
Rendu DC. The spirituality of the Society still draws its sustenance from the charism of Vincent, and is enriched by collaboration with Vincentian Fathers and the Daughters of Charity, but it has its own identity in the character. It is a living lay spirituality which, consistent with its roots, continually renews itself through the formation of its members as they adapt their rule and their works to the needs of the poor of the day. |