Maupas du Tour, Henri Cauchon de. La vie de la venerable mere Ieanne Francoise Fremiot: fondatrice, Premiere Mere & Religieuse de lOrdre de la Visitation de Saincte Marie. Paris: Chez Simon Piget, 1647.
Call Number: SpC. 271.97502 C456Ym1647
Maupas du Tour, Henri de. La vie du venerable serviteur de Dieu, Francois de Sales: evesque et prince de Geneve, Fondateur des Religieuses de la Visitation de Sanite Marie. Paris: Chez Jacques Langlois et Emmanuel Langlois, 1658.
Call Number: SpC. 282.44092 F818Ym1658
While on his last trip to Paris in 1621, Francis de Sales (1567-1622) committed the care of the first Visitation monastery in that city to Vincent de Paul. After the bishop of Geneva’s death in the following year, Vincent de Paul also became the spiritual director of Jane de Chantal (1572-1641) the co-foundress with de Sales of the Order of the Visitation.
In 1628, Monsieur Vincent gave testimony for the canonization cause of the Blessed Bishop of Geneva. Then, in 1641, he also gave written testimony of his famous Vision of the Globes a mystical experience (the sole one he ever recounts experiencing) in which he sensed the death of Chantal, and her soul’s entry into heaven accompanied by the soul of Francis de Sales. Vincent was not alone in his veneration of these two important figures.
Henri de Cauchon du Maupas du Tour (1606-1680) the bishop of LePuy and later of Evreux would write the first biographies (1644 and 1657 respectively) of both of these spiritual giants. Maupas du Tour also served as the promoter of de Sales canonization cause. He was well-known to Vincent, (on his mother’s side he was a de Gondi) who admired him as a reforming bishop. A public controversy erupted in 1657 when the de Sales biography appeared and was denounced to Rome for violating the rules prohibiting any premature claims of sanctity for a candidate being considered for canonization. Monsieur Vincent’s intervention kept the cause on track and led to Maupas du Tour issuing a corrected edition of his biography.
On November 21, 1660 the Bishop of Le Puy would deliver the panegyric at Vincent de Paul’s memorial service held in Paris at the church of St. Germain l’Auxerrois.
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St. Vincent’s Reading List is recurring blog series exploring texts known to have been read and recommended by St. Vincent de Paul, those which can be presumed to have been read by him, and important works published during his lifetime (1581-1660). All materials discussed are held by DePaul’s Special Collections and Archives. The entire series may be viewed here.