Daughter of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul

Daughter of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul – Sister Madeleine Marie, D.C.                                                           “Unworthy Daughter of Charity, Servant of the Sick Poor, u.d.o.c.s.o.t.s.p.”                                                   “Caritas Christi Urget Nos”  –  “The Charity of Christ Urges Us”

Founders:  Saint Vincent de Paul                                                                                                                                   Saint Louise de Marillac

Place:  Paris, France

Year:  1633 A.D.

Her Charism:  This Sister proclaims witness to the Gospel of charity, aspiring to be a visible sign of God’s love for His children and His peace everywhere under the sun.  By seeing Christ in the poor, she becomes Christ, a “servant to the poor” and joyfully follows them to the ends of the earth, giving her life to them and to the sick and suffering.  Her field is as limitless as human suffering.  She fully understands that Charity is a heavy burden to carry – heavier than a kettle of soup and a full basket – but she keeps her gentleness, her smile, and her good humor.  For her, the poor, sick, and suffering are her masters; her convent is the house of the sick: her cell, a hired room; her chapel, the parish church; her cloister, the city streets; her enclosure, obedience; her grille, fear of God; and her veil, holy modesty.  Depending heavily on the protection of the Blessed Virgin, her only mother, she carries in the cloister of her heart a deep passion for changing the world one person a a time.  This faithful Daughter knows the secret to spiritual life is to abandon to God all that she loves by abandoning herself to all that He wills.  And she knows that Charity is the cement that binds communities to God and persons to one another.