Saints' Discussion Forums

Hi there:  promised this info earlier.  Have been reading a book on St. Louise de Marillac and came across this history.  In brief:

St. Louise de Marillac's confessor was Bishop Jean-Pierre Camus (a famous bishop).  She met St. Francis de Sales a couple of times and he counseled her.  After he died, she prayed for his guidance from heaven.  Bishop Camus was a friend of Bishop Francis de Sales.  The latter says of the former that theirs was "a thousand ties of sincere friendship."   

when Bishop Camus had to leave the area, he asked St. vincent de Paul to guide St. Louise de Marillac.  He initially refused but Francis de Sales and Bishop Camus both implored him and so acquiesced.  So St. vincent de Paul became St Louise de Marillac's confessor/director.

Meanwhile, St. Jane Francis de Chantal had a tense relationship with Bishop Camus.  She thought he was a great writer but that he had poor judgment.  ONce she wrote a scathing letter to him telling him that an administrative decision and his attitude was causing scandal (ie. she scolded a bishop!)

St Jane Francis de Chantal worked with St Frances de Sales.
St. Louise de Marillac worked with St Vincent de Paul (he was her dir/conf; she supported and encouraged him)

St. Vincent de Paul said St Jane Francis was one of the holiest women he'd ever met (soon after her death)


So there you have it: Vincent de Paul, Jane Francis de Chantal, Francis de Sales, Louise de Marillac  all knew each other!

Brave lady! Reminiscent of a couple of other women Saints, too.  Such bravery shows true obedience to the Lord!

 :harp: :cheers: :violin:

Ah, this is absolutely splendid Bailey2.

 :D

Isn't it amazing to think of so many saints exixting in the one era and all known to each other.
They didn't even know they were sants at the time. :D

And so these days.  God gives each generation Saints! .......  :angelbell:

'She was full of faith, and yet all her life long she had been tormented by thoughts against it. Nor did she once relax in the fidelity God asked of her. And so I regard her as one of the holiest souls I have ever met on this earth.'

St. Vincent de Paul, of St. Jeanne Frances de Chantal

'Divine love takes its sword to the hidden recesses of our inmost soul and divides us from ourselves. I know one person whom love cut off from all that was dearest to her, just as completely and effectively as if a tyrant's blade had severed spirit from body.'

St. Jane Frances de Chantal

'Certainly it is the great secret of the spiritual life to abandon to God all that we love by abandoning ourselves to all that He wills.'

St. Louise de Marillac

'When, a house takes fire, the furniture is thrown out of the windows; and when a soul burns with divine love, she, without the aid of sermons, or spiritual reading, or the exhortations of directors, divests herself of all affection for creatures, to possess and to love her only Supreme Good the God of Majesty and Sovereign of the universe.'

St. Francis de Sales

thank you Shin.
that is sooo beautiful!  :D

                    Saint Birgitta of Sweden was the mother of Saint Catherine of Sweden.

On today's memorial of St Vincent de Paul (c1580-1660), I think it is good for us to consider how important and powerful our relationships with others can be. whether we are celebrated as saints or not.  St Vincent, please pray for us.  In my Sodality book of Mental Prayer, it is reported that St Vincent's Confraternies of Charity in many parishes were referred to as Sodalities, and provided the basis for the Congregation of Sisters of Charity for which St Louise de Marillac is perhaps better known, as St Vincent seems better known for his Congregation of the Mission, aka Vincentians.  Am I describing this appropriately, I pray?

My Delaney book indicates St Louise was born and educated in France, and by the time of her death her Congregation had established more than 40 institutions (hospitals, orphanages, and houses) throughout France.  Since then they have spread through much of the world.