Vincent was a life-long learner. Vincent didn’t just happen. Vincent spent his lifetime waking up to the demands of...
Vincent’s life lessons
There Must Be a Path Here…
Are there any events that in retrospect changed your life? Have there been times when you realized how much good came out of something that seemed so bad at the time?
Questions, Questions, Questions… the Most Important Question
Knowing that something must be done and being brave enough to ask ourselves, “What must I do?” is to know “What would Vincent do?”
When am I most the image and likeness of God?
We all know that we were made in the image and likeness of God. But think about the question Fr. Pat Griffin asked retreatants in his closing conference at a recent retreat. “When do I most experience myself as made in God’s image and likeness? I was amazed as he...
Do Vincentians have the smell of sheep?
Few visitors to the Internet have not read about Pope Francis telling priests to “be shepherds with the smell of sheep." “The priest who seldom goes out of himself … misses out on the best of our people, on what can stir the depths of his priestly heart. … This is...
What would Vincent do today? – Wrong question
Before Henry Ford built his first car, he was quoted as saying: "If I had asked people what they wanted, they would've said faster horses." The right answer, but the wrong question. The astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus asked in 1543: "Could it be that Earth orbits the...
SVdP introduces Bold Culture Transformation Initiative
One hundred eighty Vincentian leaders from across the country were introduced to the Society's new Culture Transformation initiative at the annual National Midyear Meeting in the St. Louis. This could potentially be of great interest to other branches of the...
Tipping points – Siddhartha, Vincent, Ozanam… and you
In his book Mister Vincent, J Patrick Murphy quotes Malcolm Gladwell who writes about tipping points - the time when things come together to tilt the scale of life to something new. For Vincent, the tipping point primarily came from two events in 1617, starting in...
There will always be more – Vincent dePaul and Oskar Schindler
Continuing the series "Vincent’s Life Lessons" based on J. Patrick Murphy’s Mr. Vincent we read: Vincent lived 80 years and died worried that he did not do enough. Life expectancy in Vincent's time was 35-37 years. Lesson: You may get more time and opportunity to do...
How can I make a difference?
To be a difference maker don’t let your environment get you down. J. Patrick Murphy writes in one of his mini-reflections on the life of Mr. Vincent, "France was at war through all of Vincent's life except for the last few months. Beheading for religious dissidents...
There must be a path here…
Have you ever wondered about the path you are on? I have often told the story about the time I really made vows some 35 years after I made that commitment the first time. But it is only relatively recently that I made the connection with Vincent’s life. J Patrick...
Vincent and mentors
Vincent and mentors Most readers of this website have heard many stories of St. Vincent, some true and others reflect the thought patterns of early biographers. I would like to set aside historical issues and approach selected incidents in Vincent’s life through the...
