Spiritual Reflection

This coming Friday is the feast day of St. Vincent De Paul.  As you know he is the founder of the religious community of priests and brothers that Fr. Bob and I belong to.  It is truly a very special day.  Vincent founded us to preach parish missions to the country people in France and here we are 400 years later still doing his work.  We are blessed to be able to do this and we are so grateful for your part in this work by supporting and praying for us. Thank you!

Vincent changed the thinking of a country.  He also founded the Ladies of Charity and the Daughters of Charity.  He wrote so much and is quoted a lot.  One of his famous quotes was repeated often on our mission cruises by our friends from California, “I could have done more.”  Isn’t that the truth for all of us.  There have been others who have followed Vincent on their path to sainthood.  One who comes to mind is St. Teresa of Calcutta.  I think of her when I reflect upon another quote from Vincent, “Every ward in a hospital is a chapel where Jesus resides.”  She truly lived that and treated everyone as did Vincent with respect and dignity.

As we honor Vincent on his feast day and reflect on the greatness of what he started we pledge to put into practice these two special quotes.  As we celebrate the 400th Birthday of the Vincentian community in January 2025, we thank God for the one who started it.