A reflection from Saint Luke Intitute President & CEO, Rev. Patrick J. McDevitt, CM, PhD on the Memorial of St. Vincent de Paul.
The Memorial of Saint Vincent de Paul is celebrated on September 27. His patronage holds particular significance for us at Saint Luke Institute (SLI), for his life and mission reflect so much of who we are and what we are called to do.
Saint Vincent devoted his life to two great works: the care of the poor and the renewal of the clergy. For Vincent, these were not separate endeavors. Both were expressions of the Gospel and pathways toward the renewal of the Church and the transformation of the world.
Vincent understood that caring for the poor transforms both those who receive care and those who offer it. At the heart of his ministry was relationship—the love given and received in the encounter with another person. Indeed, it was Vincent’s own direct and personal encounter with poverty and human suffering that transformed his life and called him to dedicate himself to those who were poor, forgotten, and abandoned.
The poor kept Vincent focused on the mission of Christ. They reminded him that Christian service is not simply about what we do for others, but about how our encounters with others change us. The poor keep us focused on the mission, and the mission transforms the world.
Saint Vincent also worked tirelessly for the formation, education, and spiritual renewal of the clergy. Just as his service to the poor sought to transform society, his care for priests sought to renew the Church. The Church of seventeenth-century France faced enormous challenges, including clergy who were often poorly formed, inadequately educated, and spiritually discouraged. Vincent recognized that the renewal of the Church required the renewal of its ministers.
His response was practical and visionary: form the clergy, strengthen their spiritual lives, support them in their vocation, and help them become healthier and more faithful servants of God’s people. When ministers are renewed, the Church is renewed. And when the Church is renewed, it is better able to carry forward the mission of Christ and proclaim the healing and saving love of God to the world.
In many ways, the mission of Saint Luke Institute reflects this Vincentian vision. We care for and strengthen priests, deacons, seminarians, and consecrated religious so that they, in turn, may serve the People of God with greater freedom, health, joy, and zeal. Our mission is captured in the SLI motto:
Healthy Ministers for a Vibrant Church and a Healed World
Saint Vincent understood this connection centuries ago: care for those who serve the Church, and through them strengthen the Church’s capacity to serve the world.
For this reason, we are pleased to count Saint Vincent de Paul among Saint Luke Institute’s Patrons of Healing, alongside our principal patron, Saint Luke. His life reminds us that healing is never an end in itself. We seek healing so that we may return more fully to mission—to love, to serve, and to bring hope to others.
As we celebrate the Feast of Saint Vincent de Paul, may we remember his extraordinary love for the poor and his deep commitment to the renewal of the clergy. And may we ask God to bless all of us at Saint Luke Institute with that same spirit of compassion, courage, love, and missionary zeal, so that our work may contribute to the renewal of the Church and the healing of our world.
Saint Vincent de Paul, patron of the poor and advocate for the renewal of the clergy, pray for us!