Quotes from Saint Vincent de Paul about suffering, with images of his ministry with the galley slaves in 17th century France.

1. How pleased Our Lord is with
your concern for the relief of His
suffering members (IV:202).
Vincent de Paul pleads for a galley
prisoner. Artist AG Laisne;
engraved by De Rudder.
Courtesy St. Vincent de Paul Image
Archive Online

2. I ask God also to see fit to
remedy the needs of your
poor suffering Church now
being tried by sickness and
poverty (VI:10).
Vincent de Paul, kneeling, kisses
the feet of a galley prisoner at La
Tournelle. One of the earliest
engravings of Vincent de Paul,
reproduced in The Heroic Life of
Saint Vincent de Paul by Henri
Lavedan.
Courtesy St. Vincent de Paul
Image Archive Online

3. Our Lord humbles in order to
raise up and allows the
suffering of interior and
exterior afflictions in order to
bring about peace (II:350).
Vincent de Paul distributes
Communion to galley prisoners.
Illustration by Jean-Loup Chamet.
Courtesy St. Vincent de Paul
Image Archive Online

4. God takes wonderful pleasure
in seeing the suffering of a
soul who endures it patiently
for love of Him (XI:362).

5. The practice of charity, such
as assisting the suffering
members of Our Lord, is to
be preferred to all other
exercises (VI:514).
Vincent de Paul and galley
prisoners in Marseilles. Illustration
from the 1841 biography Saint
Vincent de Paul by Augustin
Challamel.
Courtesy St. Vincent de Paul Image
Archive Online

6. We must likewise be
moved by our neighbor’s
suffering and share his
sorrow.
O Saint Paul, how
sensitive you were on
this point! O Savior, you
who filled that apostle
with Your Spirit and
compassion, help us to
say with him: “Is anyone
sick and I am not sick
along with him?”
(2 Corinthians 11:29) (XII:221)