SAINT VINCENT
389
SAINT VINCENT
tered the cloister there. On the death (1155) of the
first abbot, Gilduin, he was elected to fill the vacant
post, at a time when the royal abbey was almost at the
zenith of its glory and power. Two years later the
Cathedral Chapter of S^ez, composed of canons regu-
lar, elected Achard for their bishop, and the choice
was duly confirmed by Adrian IV. But Henry II in-
tervened and intruded his chaplain Frogier, or Roger.
However, subsequent relations between Achard and the
Plantagenet were quite cordial, and the abbot used
his influence at the English Court to compel the royal
treasurer, Richard of Ely, to disemburse for the bene-
fit of the poor some moneys which he was unjustly de-
taining; his letter to Henry II on the matter is still
extant. When, in 1162, Achard was rai.sed to the va-
cant See of Avranches, Henry made no objection to
his consecration, and that same yeiir Bishop Achard
stood godfather to his daughter Elinor born at Dom-
front. But the French king, Louis VII, was by no
means pleased to see such a shining light of the Paris-
ian Church pass over into Norman territory, as is evi-
dent from a letter he then addressed to the Prior of
St- Victor's. In 1 163 Achard was in England assist-
ing at the solemn translation of Edward the Confessor
in Westminster Abbey.
The chief monument of his ten years' episcopate was the Premonstratensian Abbey of the Holy Trinity, Lucerne, the foundation stone of which he laid (1164) and where at his own request he was buried, with this simple inscription: "Hie jacet Achardus episcopus cu- jus caritate ditata est paupertas nostra. " His breth- ren of St-Victor's celebrated his memory in the fol- lowing Hues: "Hujus oliva domus, Anglorum gloria cleri — Jam dignus celesti luce foveri — Fehx Achar- dus florens etate senili — Presul Abrincensis ex hoc sig- natur ovili". Not the least gem in Achard's crown is the memory of his unwavering friendship for St. Thomas a Becket through all the years of his persecu- tion. In the chronicles of St-Victor's Achard is termed "Blessed". One treatise (Latin original and eighteenth-century French translation) of Achard's is extant in the Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris. It is a long commentary or sermon on the Temptation of Christ in the wilderness, and in it Achard discusses seven degrees of self-renunciation, which he calls the seven deserts of the soul. Haun'au in his "Histoire litteraire du Maine", I, quotes several passages and terms the tract vrai morceau de style.
Butler, Lives of the Saints, 2 May; Stanton, Menology (Lon- don and New York, 1892) ; Bonnard, Histoire de I'Abbaye Royale de St. Victor de Paris (Paris, 1907); Pennotto, Hist. Cleric. Canon. (Rome, 1642).
Vincent Scully.
Saint Vincent de Paul, Society of, an interna- tional association of Catholic laymen engaging system- atically in personal ser\-ice of the poor, was founded in May, 1833, when eight young men, students at the hJorbonne, assembled in the oflice of the "Tribune Catholique" to formulate plans for the organization of a society whose object should be to minister to the wants of the Parisian poor. The master-mind con- ceiving the project, which was destined to make an in- delible impress upon the history of modern charity work, was Frederick Ozanam, a briUiant young Frenchman, lawyer, author, and professor in the Sor- bonne. With Ozanam's name must be linked that of Perc Bailly, editor of the "Tribune Cathohque", the first president of the society, and whose wise and fatherly counsels did much to direct properly the ac- tivities of his more youthful associates. The so- ciety's establishment was du(> })artly to the desire of the founders to furnish a pract ical refut ation of the re- proaches directed against Christianity by the fol- lowers of Saint-Simon, Fourier, and other popular teachers of the day. "Show us your works!" taunted the St-Simonians. "We admit the past grandeur of Christianity, but the tree is now dead and bears no
fruit. " To this taunt Ozanam and his companions re-
torted by forming themselves into a Conference of
Charity, later adopting the name of the Society of St.
Vincent de Paul.
In organizing the Society, Ozanam, following the inspiration of its chosen patron St. Vincent de Paul, modelled the rule upon the same principles that were in vogue in the seventeenth century. The rules adopted were very simple; it was forbidden to discuss politics or personal concerns at the meetings, and it was settled that the work should be the service of God in the persons of the poor, whom the members were to visit at their own dwellings and assist by every means in their power. The service of the mem- bers was to embrace, without distinction of creed or race, the poor, the sick, the infirm, and the unem- ployed. It is a noteworthy fact that, at the first Vin- centian meeting, there was enunciated by Pere Bailly a principle of vital importance, now universally ac- cepted wherever organized charity is known, namely that the service of the poor ought to consist not merely of the doling out of alms, but must be made a medium of moral assistance and that each member should help in his special line. Simplicity characterizes the so- ciet^y. The membership is divided into three classes, active, subscribing, and honorary. The active mem- bership is composed of Christian men who desire to unite in a communion of prayers and a participation in the same works of charity. Subs(;ribing and hon- orary members are those who "cannot devote them- selves to the works in which the society is engaged but wlio assist the active members by their influence, their offerings and prayers". In the make-up of its mcinhcrship the society is most democratic. Men of all walks of life are engaged in its service; the lawyer, the doctor, the professional and business man freely mingle with the untutored labouring man in relieving the wants of the poor. The conference is the unit of the society and is an integral part of the parish organization. While the clergy are not included in the normal membership, they are always welcomed in the work. The conference exists only with the ap- proval of the pastor who as spiritual director enters actively into the work. Women are excluded from membership, but through auxiliary associations or as benefactresses they may co-operate in the work and share the numerous indulgences. The business of each conference is administered by a president, a vice-president, a secretary, and a treasurer, who con- stitute the board of the conference. The president is elected by the conference, while the other oflicers are appointed by the president with the advice of the board. The parish conferences hold weekly meetings.
In cities, where there exist several conferences of the society, the control of affairs is vested in a particular council in which the respective conferences have rep- resentation. In a number of larger cities a central oflice is established by the particular council. Special committees are likewise usually created to deal with the larger aspects of charity, rehef, and correction, which naturally fall beyond the scope of a parish con- ference. Over the particular councils and such con- ferences as are so scattered as to r(>nd(>r impracticable the formation of particular councils, there is placed a central or superior council having jurisdiction over a territory embracing within its circumscription the councils of several dioceses or, as in some instances, of an entire country. On each of the four festivals of the society meetings are held by all the conferences embraced in each of the various jurisdictions. Supe- rior councils hold regular monthly meetings and meet of tener as occasion may require. Finally, the scheme of organization provides for the establishment of a council general, which exercises jurisdiction over the entire society, and is established in Paris, France.
In outlining the activities of the society, the foun^-
