St. Vincent de Paul, founder of the Congregation of the Priests of the Mission (Lazarists) and the Society of the Sisters of Charity, while a young priest was held as a slave in Africa where he had been sold by pirates. On his return to France he became a parish priest. For a time he took the place of a galley slave. His parish was a country parish; his experience led him to found the Priests of the Mission, bound by special vow to undertake special work. At one time he was entrusted by St. Francis de Sales with the spiritual direction of the nuns of the Visitation. Assisted by Louise de Marillac he founded the Sisters of Charity.

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