Introduction Letter
Dear Friends,
For many years members of the Vincentian Family asked about the possibility of creating a video about Saint Vincent that could be used for educational, formational, and inspirational purposes. The tremendous modern historical scholarship on Vincent de Paul, Louise de Marillac and the foundation of the Vincentian tradition in Seventeenth Century France has over the last thirty years resulted in a flood of books and articles. As important and groundbreaking as this research had been there was the expressed need for this wealth of knowledge to be shared in a way that could reach a broader and more popular audience.
In 2010 to celebrate the 350th anniversaries of the deaths of Saint Vincent de Paul (September 27, 1660) and Saint Louise de Marillac (March 15, 1660) the Vincentian Studies Institute of DePaul University undertook the project of creating the first full length-documentary about Saint Vincent and Saint Louise. “Vincent de Paul: Charity’s Saint,” is the impressive result of these efforts. The documentary was produced with four very specific goals in mind:
- To separate the Vincent of “myth” from the Vincent of “history.”
- To contextualize Vincent de Paul within the history of 17th century France.
- To recover the role of Louise de Marillac and women in the foundation of the tradition.
- To suggest the contemporary relevance of the Vincentian tradition in the modern world.
We have been extremely gratified by the awards that the documentary has won, and we’ve been even more gratified by the very positive responses that we have received from members of the Vincentian Family around the world. We hope that your encounter with “Vincent de Paul: Charity’s Saint” will be an informative and inspiring one.
Sincerely in St. Vincent and St. Louise,
Rev. Edward R. Udovic, C.M., Ph.D.
Senior Executive for University Mission
DePaul University
Click here to read the full press release