SARINA QLD, June  3, 2003: Pierre de Bérulle became Vincent de Paul’s Spiritual Director during Vincent’s early years in Paris, and was responsible for him taking up an appointment to the parish of Clichy, as well as making the acquaintance of the de Gondi family.   It was Madame de Gondi, (Marguérite de Silly) who led Vincent to found the Congregation of the Mission. 
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…In 1994, Fr Hugh O’Donnell CM summed up Vincent’s separation from de Bérulle as follows:

“I began to reach the conclusion that Vincent’s separation from Cardinal de Bérulle was not something he chose to do, rather it was something he had to do.  He received a lot from de Bérulle…….. though he could have joined The Oratory …. he was led in another direction….. For de Bérulle, God was elsewhere.  He regarded life in terms of taking what was happening in front of him and bring it to the Divine liturgy before the throne of God.  Vincent’s experience led him in the opposite direction.  For Vincent, God is here and the Divine liturgy is in front of us. God is here! That’s why we can say the Poor are our Masters.  God is here! God is here in poor people, in our experiences, in events and in the persons who are in our presence and in whose presence we are.”

A profile of Pierre de Bérulle and his relationship with Vincent de Paul is available on this site on the HERITAGE PEOPLE:  PIERRE DE BERULLE Page.