A legacy of compassion: Blessed Frédéric Ozanam

Blessed Frédéric Ozanam

"In my life I want to become better and do a little good."

The modest words of a great man, Blessed Frédéric Ozanam, whose Feast Day is September 9th. While remembered primarily as the founder of the St Vincent de Paul Society, the example of his life is well worth studying.

Born in 1813 in Milan to a family of middle-class French Catholics, he spent most of his childhood in Lyon. At the age of six Ozanam almost died of typhoid fever, however he recovered and thrived at school.

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. Under the tutelage of his religion and philosophy teacher, Abbé Noirot, he emerged with a solid intellectual basis for his faith, a life commitment to the defence of Truth and a deep sense of compassion for unbelievers.

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". This group rapidly became a forum for lively discussions between Christians and unbelievers.

At one such meeting, when Ozanam and his friends were attempting to prove from historical evidence alone the truth of the Catholic Church, their adversaries declared that the Church was no longer a source of good. 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 (M. Bailly, Frédéric Ozanam, Francois Lallier, Paul Lamanche, Felix Clave, Auguste Letaillandier and Jules De Vaux) 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. With the help of Sister Rosalie Rendu, a Daughter of Charity (a religious order founded by St Vincent de Paul and St Louise de Marillac), the fledgling advocates for social justice headed onto the streets of Paris to bring material assistance to those living in poverty.

The new group quickly expanded and spread throughout France, eventually changing its name to the 'Conference of St Vincent de Paul'. A few years later, George Wigley, who was born near Manchester but raised in Boulogne, became acquainted with Ozanam while studying in Paris. Inspired by his example, Wigley expressed an interest in starting a group in England. Frédéric advised him to begin by writing articles for magazines. Helped by Fr Ignatius Spencer CP (Winston Churchill's great uncle), he published articles about the Society in The Tablet. On February 12, 1844, an inaugural meeting was held at the Sablonière Hotel in London and the first Conference was set up. By the end of 1844 four Conferences had been formed in London and the movement quickly spread. Today there are nearly 1,000 Conferences in England and Wales with almost 10,000 members.

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. At the same time, he continued to work with the Conference of St Vincent de Paul and was in great demand as a public speaker. 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.

In 1997, he was beatified by Pope John Paul II, who himself had been a member of the Society as a student before the Second World War.

Let us end with some more words from Frédéric Ozanam himself:

"The question which is agitating the world today is a social one. It is a struggle between those who have nothing and those who have too much. It is a violent clash of opulence and poverty which is shaking the ground under our feet. Our duty as Christians is to throw ourselves between these two camps in order to accomplish by love, what justice alone cannot do."

LINKS

Read more about Blessed Frédéric Ozanam: https://famvin.org/wiki/Fr%c3%a9d%c3%a9ric_Ozanam

Learn more about the global nature of the SVP: www.ssvpglobal.org/

Read more about the SVP in England & Wales: www.svp.org.uk