Vincent de Paul, The Lazarist Mission, and French Catholic Reform by Alison Forrestal (review)

In her masterful study, Vincent de Paul, The Lazarist Mission, and French Catholic Reform, Alison Forrestal reminds the reader of Vincent de Paul's missionary philosophy, namely, that a true missionary, "found everything good and indifferent, he accepts everything, he can do anything" (p. 101). Forrestal uses the theme of mission and missionary activity to weave together carefully and with great clarity the life of Vincent de Paul (1581–1660).

Her study begins with an analysis of de Paul's coming to know himself from his childhood experiences through his education and ordination as a priest. Forrestal illuminates the transformational moments in de Paul's life. Her study prepares the reader to experience the full dynamism of de Paul's missionary activity by setting up a background in which de Paul is schooled by such notable French clerics as Pierre Bérulle and Francis de Sales. One must note that Forrestal's research is well grounded in both secular and ecclesiastical archival sources. Forrestal presents the story of the Lazarist mission not only as a narrative, but also as an analysis of the statistics regarding the numbers of missionaries, the numbers of people being treated for various maladies, and the interaction between the de Paul's Congregation of the Mission and his fraternal collaboration with Louise de Marillac and the Daughters of Charity.

Another strength of Forrestal's present study is the balance of the question of gender within her research. While the book is mainly a study of Vincent de Paul, Forrestal nonetheless explores de Paul's friendships and working relationships with women beginning with Madame de Gondi, his partnership with Louise de Marillac, and the mentoring relationships he fostered with Jane Frances de Chantal, and numerous other women religious. Forrestal's inclusion of a gendered narrative strengthens the study of Vincent de Paul while allowing the history of these pioneer missionary men and women to tell their own stories.

Forrestal is careful to include in her study a discussion of Jansenism and the issues that it presented for early modern French Catholicism. Vincent de Paul was no stranger to the teaching of the Jansenists and even to some of the main players in the Jansenist movement. Forrestal details Vincent's theology of grace, which he offers as a counter to the Jansenistic teachings found in many parts of France in the seventeenth century.

Overall, Alison Forrestal's exploration of the life of Vincent de Paul and the Lazarist Mission is fresh and presents a new facet within the larger study of Vincentiana. It should be noted that Forrestal has provided a wealth of information in a series of three appendices which chronicle the Lazarist houses established during de Paul's lifetime along with a list of significant benefactors and their donations toward the work of the Mission. Scholars of early modern French Catholicism will find in Forrestal's bibliography a treasure trove of sources in English, French, and other European languages. Any serious scholar of de Paul, de Marillac, the Catholic Reformation, or Early Modern France in general would benefit greatly from a thorough reading of Forrestal's research.