Postcard from Paris

Posted by Adrienne

The first time I went to Paris, I was so excited to see famous landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre Museum.   On a second trip, I was all about the shopping (and eating).  On a recent trip (yes! I love Paris and had a frequent flier ticket, so why not?!), I found myself drawn to spending quality time with old friends and actually praying in the churches instead of looking at them as tourist attractions. What a difference 20 years makes!

One of the churches I spent time in was the Chapel of St. Vincent de Paul.  The saint's remains rest in a silver shrine above the main altar (pictured above).  I was honored to visit the chapel and to pray for Angela, Sandy and the members and clients of the St. Raphael Society of St. Vincent de Paul.

As with all saints, the more I learned about St. Vincent, the more in awe I am of his faith and his good works.  I think most people know he was devoted to helping the poor, but  I never knew that as a young priest, he was captured by pirates and sold into slavery!  He converted his captors and went on to preach missions to peasants and clergy alike. He founded several religious orders - one for priests and the Daughters of Charity for religious sisters.   St. Vincent even organized  "a number of noble and wealthy Parisian women, who had hitherto never given a thought to the misery of others, to band together as Ladies of Charity, to collect funds and assist in many practical ways."

As the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays approach, there are countless opportunities for us to reach out to the needy in our local community.  The bulletin is so full of requests for help, its hard to keep them straight!  But Women of St. Raphael can click this link for a printable shopping list so that you can follow the example of St. Vincent and "assist in many practical ways."

"We must love our neighbor as being made in the image of God and as an object of His love". 

St. Vincent de Paul