S'il vous plait - if you please - Societé Vincent de Paul.
When the cardinal-duc founded our little town, he put the souls of the new inhabitants in the hands of his contemporary chum, Vincent de Paul 1581-1660, later canonised 'Saint' Vincent in 1737. De Paul visited and stayed in the cité idéale in its early days, maybe to ensure the solidity of congregation in the agenda of the Counter-Reformation following the Council of Trent. This part of France is quite close to the Vendée and the Charentes of La Rochelle, fountain and battleground of Hugenot heresy.
The venerated ecclesiastic is still a strong influence in the Roman Church and the inspiration of many Vincent de Paul Societies, even a university in Chicago!
On visiting the Wallace Collection in Manchester Square London to look for famous works of French art, we spied this van of the London Branch of the S.V.P 'helping locally', 'turning concern into action'.
Well done big Vince!
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