New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-08-30
THE SPIRIT OF ST. VINCENT DE PAUL
STILL DOMINATES THE WORK. OF
THE WINCENTIAR FATHERS IN
THE UNITED STATES.


In that frenzy Of irreligion called
the French Revolution. tho Pantheon
was dcsccratcd and all the statues Of
heroic saints thrown to the ground and
destroyed. There was, however, one
exception, the statue Of St. Vincent de
Paul. which was left in it's place Of
honor not because he had been a saint
rather in spite Of that but because
Of his knowledge of and love for his
fellow men, which had been pcrpet-
uatcd in myriad ways. ST. Vincent
de Paul had died an octogenarian in
1860 But his spirit lived. and still
lives. in his daughters, the world
famed Sisters Of Charity, and in his
sons. the priests Of the congregation of
the mission.
To the learning Of the schools st.
Vincent added the kccncst practical
intelligence. and this has made him one
OF the worlds heroes. But Few
months ago Protestant writer IN am
exhaustive study Of this great man,
discoveries of modern philanthropy .sts
for the bettermcnt and uplltt OF the
human race have been commonplace
in the family Of St. Vincent de Paul, a
heritage from their founder and father.
Great men such as he impress their
personal.ty on their fellows iu no or
binary way; 50 IT is natural, i'm seek
ing for all the learning Of the times, 10
seek for all the practical wisdom Of
one Of the greatest organizers the world
has ever seen I'M the educational work
Of the Nincentian Fathers. This was "A
natural growth from ST. Nincent's de-
sire for the uplift Of his fellow men.
There was need of learned and saint
Is priesthood 10 care for the people. so
St. Vincent set his priests 10 the work
Of training IN science and m virtue as
pirants TO the holy ministry. There rs
division Of opinion as 10 whether 81.
Vincent de Paul or VI. Olier, the
founder Of the Sulpician Fathers, was
the first to establish a seminary for
the training Of young men Tor the
priesthood The seminary at Annecy,
France. and that of St. Sulpice, at
Paris, were both begun about the year
1910. On them have been modelled the
thousands Of seminaries since estdb-
lished throughout the world. \ goodly
norton of these have been I'm the hands
Of the priests Of ST. Vincent de Paul.
\ logical outcome of these semina-
rics exclusively for candidates for the
priesthood is the Catholic college,
which cducates for all the professions.
These colleges and seminarIes are
found not only IT, all quarters of the
civilized world, but even IN seml-bar-
barrie regions. When the French gov
ernment a decade ago closed all col
leges and seminaries within ITS hor-
ders not taught by seculars the VIM
centian Fathers lost twenty-five col
leCes or semiuaries. Their colleges IN
Turkey, in China and IN Northern
Africa. though manned by French
priests, are Of course untouched. IN
some instances practically the whole
faculty of "A closed college m France
went 10 South America at the call OF
some bishop for the work OF educa-
ton i'm his growing diocese. In It4ly'
in Spain and In the Spanish colonies
in Ireland and i'm Belgium there are
MANY of the German Nincentians who
were oxpelled by the May laws Of Bis
marck. In Australia, too, there are nu-
merous institutions Of the congrega-
ton Of the mission. Delegates to a
general assembly from all regions Of
the earth had just assembled m Paris
and had Just elected a new superior
general. VI. Emile Nillette, when the
war cloud burst over Europe.
The yincentians in the United States.
The history of the Nincentiahs and
of their work for education in the
United States is naturally more 70 the
point here. In 1915 a distinguished pro-
lessor Of the Propaganda at Rome,
Felix de Andreis, c. u, left Rome with
Father Rosati. G. NJ, afterward the
first Bishop Of 81. Louis. In year
or two he laid the foundation of ST..
Mary's Seminary at The Barrens, No,
"the Oldest Catholic institution Of
learning in the United States west Of
the Mississippi" which has sent forth
a multitude Of worthy occlcsiastics and
Of noted and houored laymcn IN every
walk of life. fhis institution IS now
used exclusively as house of studies
for the members of the congregation
of the mission.
In 1888 St. Nincent's College. Cape
Girardeau, No. was established by
the Rev. John VI. Odin, c. NJ, who,
after a great work for the advancement
of the Catholic Church in the West and
Southwest, especially in Texas, was