The newly released book Hoops of Steel: Vincent De Paul’s Closest Friendships by Fr. Robert P. Maloney, C.M., is now available in English on Amazon.

In this engaging and insightful work, Fr. Maloney explores how the friendships of St. Vincent de Paul profoundly shaped his life, mission, and enduring legacy of charity. Drawing on rich historical sources, he paints vivid portraits of Vincent’s closest companions—Francis de Sales, Jane de Chantal, Louise de Marillac, the Duchess of Aiguillon, Jean-Jacques Olier, and others—showing how their mutual influence formed a “vocational symphony” of charity, reform, and spiritual depth.

Moving beyond historical collaboration, Hoops of Steel delves into the essence of friendship itself. Fr. Maloney highlights how St. Vincent cultivated relationships marked by mutual trust, honest communication, shared joy and sorrow, freedom, and steadfast loyalty. These bonds not only sustained Vincent personally but also fueled the movements of renewal and service that continue to inspire the Vincentian Family today.

Written with both scholarly rigor and narrative warmth, the book offers a fresh perspective on community, leadership, and holiness in action. It reminds readers that even the greatest achievements of faith and service are never accomplished alone.

Organized chronologically and accessible to scholars, members of the Vincentian Family, and general readers alike, Hoops of Steel is an inspiring reflection on how friendship, rooted in faith, can transform lives and shape history.

Purchase the Book Today

• Kindle and Paperback editions available in English: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FXGPQTJ7