Vincent de Paul and Louise de Marillac


Book Description

Here are the rules, conferences and writings of these two Vincentian founders who, through service to the poor, left an indelible mark on the church in France in the seventeenth century and beyond to the present. Louise (1591-1660) first came to Vincent (1581-1660) for spiritual direction and they became coworkers and friends for the rest of their lives.




15 Days of Prayer with Saint Vincent de Paul


Book Description

Vincent de Paul, lived a rich and complex life. Intensely devoted to Jesus, especially Jesus suffering in the poor, Vincent's way of reading the gospel has special resonance for today.




Antoine Frédéric Ozanam


Book Description

Raymond Sickinger’s biography of Antoine Frédéric Ozanam is more than a chronological account of Ozanam’s relatively brief but extraordinary life. It is also a comprehensive study of a man who touched many lives as a teacher, writer, and principal founder of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Ozanam’s life encompassed a particularly turbulent time in French history, and he was a witness to two major political upheavals—the overthrow of the Bourbon dynasty that brought Louis Philippe to power in 1830, and the end of Louis Philippe’s “Bourgeois Monarchy” as a result of the 1848 Revolutions. This book examines Ozanam’s life in a number of ways. First, it explores the various roles he played throughout his life—son, sibling, student, member of and an inspiration for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, spouse and father, scholar, and spokesperson for the common people. Second, it examines the lessons he learned in his life, including the importance of friendship, the meaning of solidarity, and the role and purpose of suffering, among many others that he shares with those who study his thought and work. It concludes with an account of Ozanam’s enduring legacy. Antoine Frédéric Ozanam feared that he would not have a fruitful career, but his legacy remains a powerful testimony to his greatness. This book will interest scholars wishing to know more about Ozanam and the period in which he lived, as well as a wider audience, including those who are aware of or are members of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.




Thrift Store Saints


Book Description

A thrift store in inner-city Kalamazoo, Michigan. Exactly the place where you'd expect to meet Jesus, right? Knuth's church-going background had not prepared her for the soul-stirring experiences she experienced there. By serving the poor, they gave her much more than she could ever give them.




God or Nothing


Book Description

"The idea of putting Magisterial teaching in a beautiful display case while separating it from pastoral practice, which then could evolve along with circumstances, fashions, and passions, is a sort of heresy, a dangerous schizophrenic pathology. I therefore solemnly state that the Church in Africa is staunchly opposed to any rebellion against the teaching of Jesus and of the Magisterium. . . . The Church of Africa is committed in the name of the Lord Jesus to keeping unchanged the teaching of God and of the Church." — Robert Cardinal Sarah In this fascinating autobiographical interview, one of the most prominent and outspoken Catholic Cardinals gives witness to his Christian faith and comments on many current controversial issues. The mission of the Church, the joy of the gospel, the “heresy of activism”, and the definition of marriage are among the topics he discusses with wisdom and eloquence. Robert Cardinal Sarah grew up in Guinea, West Africa. Inspired by the missionary priests who made great sacrifices to bring the Faith to their remote village, his parents became Catholics. Robert discerned a call to the priesthood and entered the seminary at a young age, but due to the oppression of the Church by the government of Guinea, he continued his education outside of his homeland. He studied in France and nearby Senegal. Later he obtained a licentiate in theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, followed by a licentiate in Sacred Scripture at the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum of Jerusalem. At the age of thirty-four he became the youngest Bishop in the Catholic Church when John Paul II appointed him the Archbishop of Conakry, Guinea, in 1979. His predecessor had been imprisoned by the Communist government for several years, and when Archbishop Sarah was targeted for assassination John Paul II called him to Rome to be Secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. In 2010 Pope Benedict XVI named him Cardinal and appointed him Prefect of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum. Pope Francis made him Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments in 2014.




Thrift Store Graces


Book Description

This “ridiculous” religious thinking—that when we help the poor, they end up helping us—is at the heart of the 30 stories that Jane Knuth shares in Thrift Store Graces, the sequel to her popular Thrift Store Saints. Similar to the first book, Thrift Store Graces contains personal accounts of Knuth’s experiences serving as a once reluctant, now enthusiastic volunteer at a thrift store in Kalamazoo, Michigan. What sets Thrift Store Graces apart from her first book is that Knuth introduces us to some far more challenging personal situations that emerge as a result of her volunteer work. Additionally, she invites us to join her as she hesitantly embarks on a pilgrimage to Medjugorje in war-ravaged Bosnia. Through it all, her delightful sense of humor keeps her going, along with her conviction that some of God’s greatest gifts come disguised as difficulties. Witty, inspiring, and thought-provoking all at once, the stories in Thrift Store Graces subtly compel us to redefine what it means to volunteer and to rethink why it is that we volunteer in the first place.




Getting Ahead in a Just-gettin'-by World


Book Description

"If you've spent part of your life, or most of your life, struggling to get by in the world, the idea of actually getting ahead might seem out of reach. But even if your story has been filled with barriers, vanishing opportunities, and setbacks, the next chapter can change all that. Yes, you have to write it, but you don't have to do it alone. Getting ahead in a just-gettin'-by world takes you step by step through a discovery of yourself like no other. It's not just about how you got to where you are now. It's also about what comes next to build the life you want. Plus, this workbook helps you develop relationships with people who will support you along the way ..." -- back cover.




Passion for Justice


Book Description

This book has been designed for classroom teachers, years 5-10, to assist with background information and possible ideas for teaching about social justice, as seen through the lens of the St. Vincent de Paul Society experience: its beginnings, founder, patron, spirituality, work, and history in Australia.




Society of St. Vincent de Paul Phoenix, The


Book Description

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul started in Paris, France, in 1833 and is now established in more than 150 countries throughout the world. The Phoenix Council was founded in 1946 at St. Mary's Catholic Church by a group of visionary individuals who came together to address poverty in Phoenix. The seeds they planted have grown into a multifaceted organization, providing much-needed assistance to thousands of individuals and families throughout central and northern Arizona. Author Frank Barrios shares the Phoenix Council's history, from its beginnings as a small thrift store and rented restaurant space in the early 1950s through today's services, which include five dining rooms, seventeen thrift stores and myriad special assistance programs.