Secret Agent Man?
On the advice of the kind Sister at the Chapel of the Miraculous Medal, we walked a short distance to the Chapel of Saint Vincent de Paul, dodging puddles along the way. After entering, we went our separate ways to explore this exquisite little 1827 church. I went to a side altar toward the front where an unusually small dapper man who looked rather like an ancient wiseman caught my eye. We exchanged smiles and tried with difficulty to chat. Then my new friend walked away only to vanish behind the main altar! Setting aside curiosity, I proceeded to drink in the silence of the sanctuary and to pray.
The Chapel and the Saint
The 1827 neomedieval-style chapel was built by a charitable order in honor of their founder. Known as the Vincentians around the world and as the Lazaristes in France, the order was formed in 1625 with a mission to see the face of Christ in the poor, the lonely, and the forgotten and serve them in every way possible, very similar to their sister organization, the Daughters of Charity.
Along with honoring St. Vincent de Paul, the chapel also houses his mortal remains. His body was incorrupt after his death until a flood damaged it. At that point it was covered in wax to preserve it. It is currently housed in glass in a châsse designed by legendary silversmith Jean-Baptiste-Claude Odiot. The case is nestled above the main altar as if floating.
Paying Respects
After a time, John came and found me. He too had seen the mysterious man when he disappeared — first on the main floor and then suddenly up high where the saint’s reliquary was. How had he spirited up there? The answer to that question was easy. There are stairs in the recess behind the altar. We made our way there.
After thanking the saint for his untiring efforts for the poor, we came back downstairs. The short gentleman immediately sought me out and animatedly asked for money. Following the spirit of dear St. Vincent, we obliged with a little gift and a silent prayer for this man who had shown us the way.
Pilgrimage to Paris (and more)
We were in Paris on our way to Canterbury, UK to start the Via Francigena, and decided to visit a few of the churches here. Paris seemed to be a good central location to fly into/out of. We rented a car to visit the other sites that you will read about here on our blog.
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