Blessed Frederick Ozanam (1813-53) founder of the St Vincent de Paul Society
Frederick
Ozanam died on 8th September, but as that is also the Birthday of the
Blessed Virgin Mary, we have brought him forward to the second.
An
accomplished linguist and Dante scholar, he also found time to care for
the poor. The society he started has over a million members in 32
countries.
Early life
Frederick was one of fourteen children
in his family to survive infancy. His father was an officer in
Napoleon's army. Frederick was born in Milan, but the family moved back
to Lyon.
Frederick and companions form a lay institute
He
studied at the College Royal and was interested in both law and
literature. He became involved with a group of liberal Catholic
intellectuals - Emmanuel Bailly, historians Montalambert and
Chateaubriand, the Romantic poet Lamartine and the Dominican preacher
Lacordaire. This group along with a Daughter of Charity named Rosalie
Rendu began the lay institute dedicated to caring for the physical and
spiritual well-being of the poor. Frederick took his doctorate in law in
1836 and although his father died around this time, he went on to gain a
doctorate in literature with a thesis on Dante's philosophy.
A Dante scholar and accomplished linguist
In
1845 Frederick moved from Lyon to Paris and married Amalie, who soon
gave birth to a daughter. He combined an academic career with lecturing
to the Cercle catholique and visiting the poor. An
accomplished linguist, he was promoted to professor in 1846 and began a
project on the literary history of the Middle Ages from the 5th century
to Dante. But he contracted tuberculosis and his health began to fail.
Death and influence
With Lacordaire he started a
journal expounding Christian socialist principles. He went to Italy in
1853 partly for health reasons but also to collect a prestigious award
for his work on Dante. On the return journey he collapsed and died at
Marseilles on 8th September 1853.
Beatification
Pope John Paul beatified him in
August 1997, expressing the hope that more married people would be
canonised. The Society of St Vincent de Paul has over a million members
in 32 countries.