Blessed Frédéric Ozanam
celebrated on Sept 9th
(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
Born in 1813 in Milan to a family of middle-class French Catholics, he spent most of his childhood in Lyon.
At sixteen the young Ozanam’s study of philosophy provoked a crisis of faith. He vowed to God that if he could see the truth, he would devote his entire life to its defence.
In 1831 Ozanam travelled to Paris to study law. In the wake of the French Revolution, society was in turmoil; anti-clericalism was rife, and poverty stark, with one in twelve people in Paris classified as ‘indigent’. Finding the climate of the university hostile to Christian belief, he sought support in the company of like-minded students. With the sponsorship of an older ex-professor, J Emmanuel Bailly, these young men revived a discussion group called the ‘Society of Good Studies’ and transformed it into a “Conference of History”.
At one such meeting one dissenting voice challenged, “What is your church doing now for the poor of Paris? Show us your works and we will believe you!”
Shaken by this challenge, Ozanam and his friends met to consider their response. On an evening in May 1833 seven of the group agreed to engage in practical works of charity. They changed the name to “Conference of Charity”, and instead of engaging merely in theoretical discussions, they determined to meet the needs of the poor.
The new group quickly expanded and spread throughout France, eventually changing its name to the ‘Conference of St Vincent de Paul’.
Meanwhile, Ozanam went on to become Professor of Foreign Literature at the Sorbonne, with doctorates in law and literature. In 1846 he was named to the Legion of Honour, the highest order of merit in France. . He had never enjoyed a robust constitution, and between the teaching, writing and charity work, his health eventually declined, and he was forced to retire. By the time he died in Marseille in 1853, membership of the Conferences of St Vincent de Paul (SVP) had reached 15,000. Today, the SVP is present in 150 countries, has 800,000 members in 47,000 Conferences, and 1.5 million volunteers and collaborators. Every day, the SVP helps over 30 million people around the world. That’s quite a legacy!
Frédéric Ozanam, a student with a social conscience, has since been revered as an exemplar of the lay apostle in family, social and intellectual life. He was a man ahead of his time; in one of his lessons he foresaw and proposed workers’ associations. His writings have been recognised as a precursor of Catholic Social Teaching, and his books are still in great demand.
(from ICN)
celebrated on Sept 9th
(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
Born in 1813 in Milan to a family of middle-class French Catholics, he spent most of his childhood in Lyon.
At sixteen the young Ozanam’s study of philosophy provoked a crisis of faith. He vowed to God that if he could see the truth, he would devote his entire life to its defence.
In 1831 Ozanam travelled to Paris to study law. In the wake of the French Revolution, society was in turmoil; anti-clericalism was rife, and poverty stark, with one in twelve people in Paris classified as ‘indigent’. Finding the climate of the university hostile to Christian belief, he sought support in the company of like-minded students. With the sponsorship of an older ex-professor, J Emmanuel Bailly, these young men revived a discussion group called the ‘Society of Good Studies’ and transformed it into a “Conference of History”.
At one such meeting one dissenting voice challenged, “What is your church doing now for the poor of Paris? Show us your works and we will believe you!”
Shaken by this challenge, Ozanam and his friends met to consider their response. On an evening in May 1833 seven of the group agreed to engage in practical works of charity. They changed the name to “Conference of Charity”, and instead of engaging merely in theoretical discussions, they determined to meet the needs of the poor.
The new group quickly expanded and spread throughout France, eventually changing its name to the ‘Conference of St Vincent de Paul’.
Meanwhile, Ozanam went on to become Professor of Foreign Literature at the Sorbonne, with doctorates in law and literature. In 1846 he was named to the Legion of Honour, the highest order of merit in France. . He had never enjoyed a robust constitution, and between the teaching, writing and charity work, his health eventually declined, and he was forced to retire. By the time he died in Marseille in 1853, membership of the Conferences of St Vincent de Paul (SVP) had reached 15,000. Today, the SVP is present in 150 countries, has 800,000 members in 47,000 Conferences, and 1.5 million volunteers and collaborators. Every day, the SVP helps over 30 million people around the world. That’s quite a legacy!
Frédéric Ozanam, a student with a social conscience, has since been revered as an exemplar of the lay apostle in family, social and intellectual life. He was a man ahead of his time; in one of his lessons he foresaw and proposed workers’ associations. His writings have been recognised as a precursor of Catholic Social Teaching, and his books are still in great demand.
(from ICN)