St. Antoine-Frédéric Ozanam was an ordinary man with extraordinary talent who lived an ordinary life but loved in extraordinary ways. St. Vincent de Paul was his inspiration.
Frédéric was born into a French family in 1813. He was mostly homeschooled and eventually went to Paris to study law at the University of Sorbonne. A discussion club, which Frédéric organized, sparked the turning point in his life. In this club, Catholics, atheists, and agnostics debated the issues of the day. Once, after Frédéric spoke about Christianity’s role in civilization, a club member said, “Let us be frank, Mr. Ozanam; let us also be very particular. What do you do besides talk to prove the faith you claim is in you?”
Frédéric, was surprised by the question. He soon decided that his words needed a grounding in action. Frédéric said, “Let’s do what Jesus did… let’s go to the poor.” They agreed and organized a Conference of Charity, which later became the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. He and a friend began visiting Paris tenements and offering assistance as best they could.
After Frédéric earned his law degree at the Sorbonne, he taught law at the University of Lyons. He also earned a doctorate in literature. Soon after marrying Amelie Soulacroix on June 23, 1841, he returned to the Sorbonne to teach literature. A well-respected lecturer, Frédéric worked to bring out the best in each student. Meanwhile, the Saint Vincent de Paul Society was growing throughout Europe.
The revolution of 1848 left many Parisians in need of the services of the Saint Vincent de Paul conferences. The unemployed numbered 275,000. The government asked Frédéric and his coworkers to supervise the government aid to the poor. Although an intellectual genius, he was devoted to the poor and illiterate, with whom he spent countless hours.
Frédéric died from Bright’s disease in Marseille, France, on September 8, 1853, the Feast of the Birthday of the Virgin Mary. He was 40 years old. He was beatified in 1997 and his feast is celebrated on September 9th.
Almost as if to prove that the power of Jesus, the multiplier of loaves himself, was at work, Frédéric’s idea spread like wildfire. Before his death in 1853, conferences were founded throughout Europe. Today, Vincentians serve in 150 countries across five continents.
