The Vincentiana Collection at the Archives and Special Collections of DePaul University’s John T. Richardson Library has recently acquired a portrait of Jean-Francois Paul de Gondi the famous Cardinal de Retz (1613-1679) The Cardinal, who knew Vincent de Paul from his birth served as archbishop of Paris from 1654-1662. He was a famous Frondeur and memorist. The portrait is attributed to the Dutch painter Jan de Bray (1630-1697).
The Vincentiana Collection at DePaul University’s Archives and Special Collections recently acquired this interesting mid-19th century holy card depicting Vincent de Paul blessing his “double family” of the Congregation of the Mission and the Daughters of Charity, the lay people in the foreground can be presumed to represent members of the Ladies of Charity and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.
The legend at the bottom:
“Continuing in his Spirit.”
“Saint Vincent blesses his two families in the name of the charity of Jesus Christ.”
DePaul University
Vincentian Studies Institute of the United States
The Vincentian Studies Institute of the United States located at DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois, is happy to announce the acquisition of a four-page manuscript Seton family letter. The handwritten letter is dated May 18, 1816. It is addressed to William Seton (1796-1868) at Leghorn (Livorno) Italy with portions written by his two younger sisters and his mother. The first page is from Rebecca Seton (1802-1816). The second page is from Catherine (Kit) Seton (1800-1891). Saint Elizabeth Seton adds 18 lines on the final two pages. The Seton autograph of this letter is found as 7.25 in Elizabeth Bayley Seton Collected Writings, volume 2, p. 396-397. The editors of this series noted the letter was based on a photo-copy, and the location of the original was unknown. Just over two hundred years after it was written, this precious document returns to the possession of the Vincentian family. The letter will join the extensive Vincentiana Collection in the Archives and Special Collections of DePaul University’s, John T. Richardson Library.
This postcard recently added to the Vincentiana Collections at DePaul University’s Archives and Special Collections depicts part of the famous Convent of the Capucines to which Louise de Marillac was denied admission. The Capucines had arrived in Paris representing the cloistered women of the Capuchin reform which in the previous century had been introduced into the Franciscan order. The large convent was located at the site of the present Place Vendome in Paris. The depiction above is from 1705.
The Vincentiana Collection at DePaul University’s Archives and Special Collections has acquired a rare copy of the 1864 biography of Charles Bochart de Champigny (in religion Honore). Champigny was the superior of the French Capuchins who is said to have turned down the request of the young Louise de Marillac to enter the new convent of the Capuchin nuns which had been established in Paris. Interestingly the biography makes no mention of his role with this convent, although it talks about his role as a reformer of several convents of other orders in Paris. After his death in 1624 both Louis XIII and Louis XIV supported opening his cause of canonization. However, Champigny’s cause never progressed passed the recognition of the heroicity of his virtues in 1898.
The Vincentiana Collection at DePaul University’s Archives and Special Collections has recently acquired a copy of a 1738 decree of King Louis XV of France ordering the publication of the June 1737 bull of canonization for Vincent de Paul. The Jansenist and Gallican members of the Parlement of Paris had tried to stop the publication because of the strong anti-Jansenist language used by Clement XII in the bull. After the Lazarist superior general appealed to the King on behalf of the Congregation of the Mission the king ordered Parlement to register the papal bull as law of the kingdom. For more details of this canonization controversy see my book on Henri de Maupas’ funeral oration for Vincent de Paul.
The Vincentiana Collection at DePaul University’s Archives and Special Collections Department has recently acquired a carte-de-visite for Monsieur Jean-Baptiste Etienne (14th superior general 1843-1874). The photograph was probably produced for Monsieur Etienne’s Golden Jubilee as a Vincentian in 1870. The photograph was produced by C. Lebert “peintre photographe” at 21 rue de Sevres in Paris.
The Vincentiana Collection of DePaul University’s Archives and Special Collections has recently acquired a rare example of a commemorative medal issue in 1830 for the famous translation of St. Vincent’s relics from Notre Dame through the streets of Paris to the new Lazariste chapel on the rue de Sevres.
The Vincentiana Collection at the Archives and Special Collections Department of DePaul University’s Richardson Library has recently acquired an 1878 carte de visite of Antoine Fiat who served as 16th superior general of the Congregation of the Mission and the Company of the Daughters of Charity. He was the longest serving superior general (1878-1914). The photo was taken by Pierre Petit whose studio was located at 31, Place Cadet in Paris. Petit specialized in photographing: the “Episcopat Francais, Lycees et Ecoles de France, Faculte de Medecine, Societe des Gens de Lettres.”