Vincentian Paris
Cathedral of Our Lady of Paris (Notre Dame de Paris), Hotel Dieu
The Cathedral of Our Lady of Paris stands on the site of a Gallo-Roman
temple and two earlier Christian churches. The main facade was completed
in 1250, but was heavily restored in the 19th century to repair the
ravages of time and revolutionaries. A dark side chapel is dedicated
to Saint Vincent (a marble statue depicts him holding a cross and
book, not the infants characteristic of most French statues), and
the monuments, in the back of the apse, to the Gondi family, four
of whose members were bishops and archbishops of Paris in the days
of Saint Vincent: Pierre (1533-1616), his nephew Henri (1572-1622),
Henri's brother Jean Prancois (1584-1654) and Sean Francois's nephew
Jean Francois Paul (1613-1679). Both Henri and Jean Francois Paul
were cardinals, called the Cardinals of Retz, after a place in southern
Brittany erected as a duchy-peerage in 1581.
Of Vincentian interest is that Saint Vincent visited here often between
1636 and 1658. One reason was because of the hospital, the Hotel Dieu,
situated until 1878 to the south of the cathedral, where today there
is an open space, and also across the river on the left bank. Its
two sections were joined by two small bridges. (The present hospital,
built 1867-1877 and also called the Hotel Dieu, is situated to the
north of the cathedral.) The hospital is among the oldest in Europe,
being founded by Saint Louis Ix, king of France. foundations can be
seen in the archaeological exposition under. the cathedral square.
A second reason for Vincent's presence was that the Ladies of Charity
of the Hotel Dieu used to assemble at the cathedral. Here they would
attend mass and receive communion from the hands of Vincent de Paul,
notably on the day of the election of officers. He did this since
he oversaw in some inanner their voluntary service of the sick. This
group of Ladies of Charity differed from others, who were parish-based,
since the members specialized in only one work, that of care of the
sick at this hospital. The members, most of noble families, gradually
extended their interests to other kinds of specialized assistance
which, because of their wealth and influence, they could assume. During
the Fronde, a series of civil wars, he used to assemble the Ladies
and celebrate mass for them here once a month. From 1634, the Ladies
of Charity, and from 1634 or 1635, the Daughters of Charity, also
worked here.
A third reason was that in July 1637 Vincent, one of its members of
the Company of the Blessed Sacrament had ?emarked on the "large
number of bad priests who were celebrating mass with great lack of
propriety," especially at Notre Dame. Vincent eventually agreed
to the confinement of these "vagabond and beggar priests"
at Saint Lazare for a year, during which time they undoubtedly learned
how to improve as priests.
Back to Museum
Motherhouse of the Congregation of the Mission (New Saint Lazare)
(95, rue de S6vres, Paris 6)
Motherhouse of the Daughters of Charity (1 801-1815) (II, rue du Vieux
Colombier, Paris 6)
Mottlerhouse of the Daughters of Charity (140, rue du Bac, Paris 7Church
of Saint Etienne du Mont (Place Sainte Genevieve, Paris 5)
Cathedral of Our Lady of Paris (Notre Dame de Paris), H6tel Dieu
Convent of the Visitation (17, rue Saint Antoine, Paris 4)
Church of saint Lawrence (68, boulevard Magenta, and 119, rue du Faubourg
Saint Martin, Paris 10)
Clichy-la-Garonne
