The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-12-19


missions, gave retreats, established
schools. But whatever the work,
| whether OF missions, retreats or
schools, it all had for it's object the
lessening of poverty, aff1iction and
crime, the bringing of men nearer to
God. To him the most abject and de-
PRAYED galley slave was stamped with
the image of God, and his soul was
of priceless value, And so he fought
for souls and his efforts were nobly
seconded. Money came to him from
all quarters.
Other jealous men and women
worked under his direction. At one
time there were fifty-three large and
nine smaller seminaries under the d.
rection of his congregation. The
Daughters of Charity" organized by
him, carried on vigorously the work
of Charity in the United States have
st. Vincent de Paul for their patron
Saint. The Revolution in France tore
the work there to tatters.
Frederick Ozanam, whose first CEN
tenary the Catholic World celebrated
last year, heard the taunts of the
foes of religion and resolved to act.
''Show us your works." they said to
him. Young, gifted, able, a second
St. Vincent in zeal and application,
Ozanam made start with seven con-
freres, nearly all, like himself, stu
dents in the Sorbonne, Paris. Pere
Baily, Editor of the Catholic Tribune,
gave his counsels of experience and
the restored work of st. Vincent, later
given it's present name of the Society
of st. Vincent de Paul, was Frederick
Ozanam's answer to Fourier and Saint
Simon.
From 1888, the date of it's restora-
ton, it first captured France and then
spread rapidly to all the civilized
world. The rules adopted, says Thorn
as Mulry, President of the Superior
Council, New York, were very simple.
1t was settled that the work should
be the service of God in the persons
of the poor, whom the members were
to visit at their own dwellings and
assist by every means in their power.
The service of the members was to
embrace without distinction of creed
or race the poor, the sick, the infirm
and the unemployed. The
membership is divided into three
classes, active, subscribing and honor
airy. The active membership is COM
Of Nh Tie, 1uha dnCSrn 70
unite in a communion of prayer and
a participation in the same works of
charity. Subscribing and honorary
members are those who cannot devote
themselves to the active work, but
who assist it with their influence,
their offerings and prayer. Men of
all walks Of life are engaged in it's
service. The professional man and
the laborer work shoulder to shoulder.
The Parish Conference is the unit.
The President is elected by the Con-
ference; the other officers are ap-
pointed by the President, with the adj
vice of the Board The Council Gen.
eral, with jurisdiction over the entire
| Society, is in Paris. No work of char
ity should be regarded as foreign to
the Society, although its special OBJ
ject is to visit the poor.
Three years ago movement was
started in Boston to establish in each
Archdiocese a Superior Council with
Subordinate councils in each diocese.
The plan will soon be put into oper-
alton in st. Paul.
Would you like to see restored to
God an age that sadly needs restor-
ing? The Parish Conference con-
Quoted in the spirit of Vincent and
Ozanam, and united through Particu-
lar Superior and General Councils to
all the other conferences of the world,
will do wonders in that line.
"England's ships touch no shores
where His Majesty's Catholic sailors
cannot find ministrations of their re-
ligion,' was the reply said to have
been made some years ago by an
English naval official to a request for
more Catholic Chaplains.
Well, the Societies of st. Vincent de
Paul are there too, doing in the spirit
of their noble founder, Works of
Mercy in Gods Name" Do you wish
to silence the tongue of calumny and
slander-to make an end of anti-Cath-
Ollie, of anti-Christian propaganda
wherever and by whomsoever con-
Quoted? Then let there be work of
the Parish Conferences of st. Vincent
de Paul.
AS the begging Friars of the
thirteenth century arrested and turn
ed back the rising tide of irreligion
in their day, so might the Society
of st. Vincent de Paul be made the
instrument of God in His answer to
the earnest, unceasing prayers of our
late beloved Holy Father Restore all
Things in Christ"