St. Vincent de Paul dies at four, his hour of prayer

PARIS, September 27, 1660 AD — Saint Vincent de Paul died at Saint-Lazare in Paris at about a quarter past four this morning, sitting in his armchair, while the priests of his house were saying matins. He had been dying since Sunday, and his priests and brothers stayed with him through the night.

St. Vincent founded the Congregation of the Mission, priests pledged to teach the poor country people and to train the clergy. With St. Louise de Marillac he also founded the Sisters of Charity, young countrywomen trained to serve the sick poor. He leaves a Congregation of five hundred members. Its houses reach from Paris to Rome, Warsaw, Tunis, Algiers and Madagascar. His priests also run eleven seminaries.

St. Vincent’s body had been failing all summer. Since the feast of the Assumption, six weeks ago, he could not walk even on crutches, and two brothers carried him to the chapel. In August he began to fall asleep during the day, even at his work. He apologised every time, and sometimes he smiled and called sleep the brother who goes ahead of his sister, death. By the end of August his illness was growing worse every day. He held on to a cord tied to a beam in his room, and the only words he said were: “Ah! my Saviour! my merciful Saviour!”

On Saturday he had himself carried to the infirmary for a long last talk with Father Alméras, an old friend who had reached Paris the day before, worn out. St. Vincent had already chosen Father Alméras to succeed him, and the name lay in a sealed box, not to be opened until after his death.

The same day St. Vincent used the strength he had left to thank his two most distinguished benefactors. One was Philippe-Emmanuel de Gondi, once commander of the king’s galleys and now a priest of the Oratory. St. Vincent had lived in his household for twelve years as the family’s tutor. The other was his former pupil, Gondi’s son, now Cardinal de Retz, Archbishop of Paris. St. Vincent had already said goodbye to each of them by letter in August.

On Sunday morning brothers carried him to the chapel, where he heard Mass and received Communion for the last time. Back in his room he fell asleep in his chair from exhaustion. The brother looking after him thought the sleep too heavy and woke him. St. Vincent smiled, answered him and fell asleep again. A doctor was called. He woke St. Vincent a second time, and St. Vincent smiled at him too and said a few words. The doctor said nothing more could be done and that St. Vincent could be given Extreme Unction, the anointing of the dying.

At half past six in the evening Father Jean d’Horgny, who had joined St. Vincent in 1627 AD as one of his first companions, anointed him. Before the anointing Father d’Horgny asked him the questions the rite requires: whether he wished to receive the last sacraments, whether he believed all that the Church teaches. Each question woke St. Vincent enough to begin an answer, though only his first words could be made out. When the brothers asked whether he forgave them all, St. Vincent said: “Every one.” Father d’Horgny told him that at the Confiteor, the prayer confessing sins, he need only strike his breast. St. Vincent gathered his strength and said the whole prayer. During the anointing he came round a little, opened his eyes and smiled at the men around him. Then his head sank onto his chest, and the brothers took turns holding it up.

At about nine Father Bécu, Father Bourdet and the other older priests of the house came to say goodbye. Each one said a line of Scripture at his side, and St. Vincent answered each of them: “Paratum” (ready). Father d’Horgny and Father Berthe asked him again to bless his spiritual children, friends and benefactors. St. Vincent raised his eyes and said clearly: “May God bless you.” The older priests left, and Father Berthe and the stronger men stayed up with him. They said short prayers aloud, and St. Vincent repeated each one: “Mother of Grace, Mother of Mercy…” and “Mother of God, remember me.” Most often they said his favourite prayer, “Incline unto my aid, O God; O Lord, make haste to help me.”

Towards eleven St. Vincent broke into a cold sweat, and no one could feel his pulse. Father d’Horgny called Father Bourdet, Father Bécu and another priest, who began the prayers for the dying. One of them said the name of Jesus, and St. Vincent repeated it. Then the sweat passed and his pulse came back.

At about a quarter past twelve the brother at his side said: “Sir?” St. Vincent answered: “Well, brother,” and fell asleep again.

At half past one they asked him once more for a blessing on his spiritual children. “May God bless them,” St. Vincent said. Then he raised his hand and, with all the strength he had, added the words of St. Paul: “May God, who began the good work, bring it to perfection.” Father d’Horgny then named the works one at a time and asked St. Vincent to bless each. The first was the Tuesday Conferences, where priests of Paris had met at Saint-Lazare every week since 1633 AD. Then came the Sisters of Charity, the foundlings, and all his benefactors and friends. To each, St. Vincent answered: “Yes.”

At two the cold sweat came back. Father Berthe and the stronger men were still keeping watch. One of the priests began the Creed in Latin: “Credo in Deum Patrem” (I believe in God the Father). St. Vincent answered “Credo” (I believe) and kissed the crucifix he held in his hands. The priest went on, “Credo in Jesum Christum” (I believe in Jesus Christ), and again St. Vincent answered “Credo” and pressed the crucifix to his lips. So they went through every article of the Creed. Then the priest moved on to the act of hope, “Spero” (I hope), and came to the words “in te speravi, in Domino confido” (in you I have hoped; in the Lord I trust). St. Vincent murmured: “Confido” (I trust). He kissed the crucifix once more.

A little before four his face flushed a deep red. The men around him said short prayers for him to repeat. He moved his lips to answer, but he could not close them to form the words. At four o’clock, the hour at which he had got up to pray every morning for forty years, his agony began. A quarter of an hour later he died, without a struggle. He was in his armchair, which he had not left for twenty-four hours. The priests of the Mission were at matins.

St. Vincent’s body stayed as supple as in life, and his face was calm. His heart was placed in a silver case given by the Duchess d’Aiguillon, a benefactor who had worked with him for the poor. The body was laid out first in the house and then in the church of Saint-Lazare, on a raised bier, where six clergy took turns saying the office of the dead day and night.

Then the people came: princes, bishops, men and women of the religious orders, and the great ladies of Paris. The priests of the Mission and the Sisters of Charity wept beside him. The poor of Paris pushed past one another to kiss his hands and his feet.