The painting of the crucifixion of Jesus with his mother, Mary, and Apostle John has become a devotion to the Vincentian community recommended by Saint Vincent, because he saw the suffering poor in the suffering Jesus. The Vincentian call is to see Christ in the suffering poor.

There is a painting to the left of the altar that features Blessed Louis Francois, C.M.; and Blessed John Gruyer, C.M.-Martyred in France 1792.

The painting on the right of the altar features Saint Justin de Jacobis, C.M., 1800-1860 and Blessed Ghebre Michael, C.M., 1790-1855.

Blessed Louis Francois, C.M.; Blessed John Gruyer, C.M.

Martyred in France 1792. These two Vincentian priests, shown here with Saint Vincent de Paul, were among the ninety priests and brothers imprisoned in a seminary just outside Paris.

They were all martyred in 1792 for their resistance to the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, imposed on the Church by the leaders of the French Revolution. Of those martyred, seventy-two have been beatified. These two Vincentians were beatified on October 17, 1926.

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To the left of the crucifixion of Jesus painting is a very beautiful cross carved from pearwood. It has twenty-two scenes of our Lord's life with eleven scenes on each side. Even the little triangles between each of the major scenes depict the heads of the twelve apostles. The artist is unknown, but it was made in the 1670's.

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Saint Justin was an Italian Vincentian priest sent to Ethiopia to reunite Christians in schism with Rome. He labored there for twenty years, became bishop and died under persecution in 1860. He was canonized October 26, 1975.

Blessed Ghebre Michael was converted by Saint Justin de Jacobis and was later ordained as a Vincentian priest by Saint Justin. Blessed Ghebre Michael also suffered under persecution and died in 1855, almost seventy years old. He was beatified October 3, 1926.

Read more about Saint Justin de Jacobis, C.M.

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