In the sober church of the Lazarist mission, the wax effigy of Saint Vincent de Paul rests for eternity.
Saint Vincent de Paul, a 17th century priest who dedicated his life to serving outcasts, orphans and destitutes, was a saint among saints.
As popular as it is pious, Saint Vincent was canonized in 1737 by Pope Clement XII. In record time, the new saint became such a Catholic superstar that in 1969 Pope Paul VI even added his annual veneration to the official calendar on September 27, moving the seemingly less cool feast of Saint Cosmas from September 27 to 26.
To see these waxen remains, follow the humble story of Saint Vincent de Paul through the temple, told along the central nave by ornate stained glass windows and the canvas of Friar François, a pupil of the French painter Ingres. In the choir, an intricate staircase leads you to the holy treasury:the relics ex ossibus (the bones) are enclosed in the wax figure of the saint, displayed in an imposing vault of glass and pure silver made in 1830 by Odiot, the best goldsmith of his time.
