Javier F. Chento
Author
Anecdotes of the Vincentian Family: Ozanam at University, and Money
Frederic, while pursuing his studies of Law and Letters at the University of Paris, was almost always short of money. In several letters to his parents (not all, but many) he gives them account of his impoverished economy. He could have to buy a new pair of trousers...
Anecdotes of the Vincentian Family: Ozanam the polyglot
Frederic did not need modern audiovisual media (now apparently essential) to learn languages. He, at age 17, already knew Latin, Greek, began studying Sanskrit and Hebrew — to be able to translate from the original sources —, and studied German and Italian. By the...
Anecdotes of the Vincentian Family: The Bread of the Eucharist and the Bread of the Poor
It was noticed by some of his friends that, after the general Communion at Notre Dame on Holy Thursday, Ozanam, instead of going straight home to his breakfast, disappeared in another direction. They watched him and found that he went first to the baker's and then to...
Anecdotes of the Vincentian Family: A Male-Only Society in its Beginnings
In times of Frédéric Ozanam, women were virtually absent from the university. That is why, having emerged the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul in the vicinity of the Parisian university, in its early days women did not participate in it. The first female Society of...
Anecdotes of the Vincentian Family: How did Frederic Ozanam Visit the Poor?
The service of the poor occupies such a prominent position in Ozanam's life that it becomes of interest to know how he performed it. It was essentially a service of love. His manner towards the poor was considerate and deferential as towards his equals. He invariably...
Anecdotes of the Vincentian Family: Why the Conferences Are Called “Conferences”?
From the Conferences of History (a weekly meeting of young students at Mr. Bailly's), a group of six young people, under the protection of Emmanuel Bailly*, decides to take action to help the poor. At the end of one of their first meetings, the question of naming the...
Anecdotes of the Vincentian Family: The Chest of Drawers of the Poor Family
One New Year's Eve, Frederic Ozanam was telling his wife Amélie about a poor family who had known better days, but were now reduced to such shifts that they had been compelled to pledge a handsome chest of drawers, the last remnant that remained to them of former...
Anecdotes of the Vincentian Family: The hive and the bee
"The Hive" is the name with which Don Santiago Masarnau — first president of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul in Spain — baptized the headquarters of the National Council, for their hard work and gentleness. This name reminds me of a publication that Frederic...
Anecdotes of the Vincentian Family: Frederic Ozanam and beer
Frederic always had pretty poor health. At age 7, he fell ill with typhus. For fifteen days, he was plunged into a deep sleep. The fifteenth day — as it is said in his biography by Mrg. Baunard — he awoke and asked for beer! Ozanam heard from his parents that they...
Anecdotes of the Vincentian Family: The Original Service of Frederic to the Poor
At first, the original members of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul were organized so that each one was in charge of a family to help. Frederic Ozanam was entrusted with a family of a mother, who worked ceaselessly, with five children, and a father who, as she told...