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Above: 17th century Paris. Source.
Four centuries ago, on April 17, 1625, history witnessed a landmark event: the founding of the Congregation of the Mission of Saint Vincent de Paul († 1660), commonly known as the Lazarists, named after their motherhouse, Saint-Lazare in Paris. This anniversary provides an invaluable opportunity to reflect on the enduring legacy of this extraordinary missionary endeavor, born with the noble aim of bringing the joyful message of the Gospel to the poor.
The foundation of the Congregation is closely linked to the Gondi family, who, on April 17, 1625, formalized an agreement with Vincent de Paul. This contract ensured financial support for his project, securing a pension to sustain the fledgling mission. From the outset, the vocation of this “Little Company” was clear: to preach free popular missions, form the clergy, and alleviate the suffering of the poor.
Initially, the Lazarists devoted themselves to rural communities, where religious ignorance and the lack of well-prepared clergy was widespread. However, their influence soon extended to the highest echelons of society, serving royal families such as Louis XIV of France († 1715) and the monarchs of Poland. Inevitably, this involvement brought them into the complex interplay of political and ecclesiastical affairs. Their mission transcended European borders, reaching perilous and remote territories: in North Africa, they ministered to Christian prisoners enslaved by Barbary pirates; in Madagascar, they served both settlers and indigenous populations; in Corsica, they sought to mediate deeply entrenched family feuds.
Like other missionary congregations of the time, the Vincentians recognized the power of music as a vital component of evangelization. Alongside sacred images and the authoritative preaching of a well-trained clergy, music enhanced the solemnity of the liturgy and reinforced the role of the celebrant. Beyond its ceremonial function, music became an effective tool for catechesis, captivating listeners, stirring emotions, and facilitating conversion, particularly in impoverished urban peripheries and rural landscapes.
To ensure the success of popular missions, one of the first measures adopted was the careful regulation of music. Vincent de Paul was adamant about maintaining the sacredness of liturgical song. He initially resisted any form of music reminiscent of popular religiosity, believing that the mission’s transformative power lay in its adherence to ecclesiastical tradition. Only sacred music, in his view, could inspire behaviors in harmony with Christian life.
This stance was partly due to the widespread ignorance of sacred music among many clergy members. During a conference with his missionaries on September 26, 1659, Vincent lamented this deficiency:
Are you aware, brothers, that the majority of priests—and we include ourselves in this number—not having made singing God’s praises their main occupation, do not know how to sing, while others, having followed their fathers’ teaching, have preserved this grace? In the villages that were careful to employ good schoolteachers, almost all the children know how to sing, and this skill is passed on from father to son. Laypersons and peasants preserved this grace until, at last, God restored order to his office in his desire that it be chanted devoutly. I am ashamed to admit that, when I was in my parish, I did not know what to do as I listened with admiration to those farmers who sang the psalms without missing a note. I said to myself, “You, who are their spiritual father, do not know them,” and it pained me. What confusion, brothers, for us priests, that God—who experiences such joy and pleasure, if I dare say so, when we sing his praises—should have permitted that singing be maintained by the people![1]
Vincent’s observations on rural life led him to formulate a vision for sacred singing. He was acutely aware of the moral degradation in village life, noting how “peasants spend the night partly drinking, partly singing.”[2] In contrast, he cherished the image of children processing in song, their innocent voices harmonizing with those of their elders to extol the greatness of God: “mixing their innocent voices with those of the elders to sing at will the trophies and greatness of the adorable Conqueror of our souls.”[3] Consequently, he sought to ban “the great sin of uttering words and singing licentious songs,” as well as “imprecations unworthy of a Christian.”[4]
While acknowledging the appeal of popular music, Vincent was determined to elevate the spiritual and moral standards of the people, whom he regarded as overly immersed in superstition. Unlike Saint Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort († 1716), he did not condone the use of popular melodies in missions. The Lazarists were permitted to chant the litanies, commandments, and precepts of the Church and select Gregorian pieces in Latin. This rigid approach diverged from the contemporary trend of adapting religious texts to folk tunes. When some missionaries experimented with this practice, the assembly of 1685 explicitly forbade it, alongside the erection of large outdoor crosses to commemorate missions. Although this ruling was initially strict, it was gradually relaxed. In 1694, the Superior General, Rev. Edmund Jolly († 1697), reiterated the prohibition of falsobordone (i.e., a simple chordal harmonization style used for psalmody) and other non-conforming chants, restricting the repertoire to Gregorian music from the Graduale and Antiphonary. The 1703 assembly reaffirmed these regulations but allowed mission directors greater flexibility in selecting appropriate music.[5]
The Congregation of the Mission has left an indelible mark on both the Church and society. Its unwavering commitment to evangelization, clergy formation, and the promotion of sacred music has contributed to the spiritual elevation of countless communities. Today, the legacy of Saint Vincent de Paul continues to inspire and guide his followers worldwide, ensuring that his mission of faith, service, and sacred devotion endures through the centuries.
[1] Saint Vincent de Paul, Correspondance, entretiens, documents, ed. Pierre Coste, Vol. 12, Paris 1924, p. 339.
[2] M. U. Maynard, Saint Vincent de Paul: sa vie, son temps, vol. 4, Paris 1860, p. 37; our translation.
[3] Sermons de Saint Vincent de Paul et de ses coopérateurs et successeurs immédiats pour les missions des campagnes, Vol. 2, Sermon 54, Paris 1859, p. 468.
[4] Ibidem, Sermon 55, p. 492; our translation.
[5] see L. Mezzadri and J. M. Román, The Vincentians: A General History of the Congregation of the Mission, vol. 1, New York 2009.