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Saint Vincent, protector of the vine growers, is back on Earth...


Photo Bibliothèque Historique de la Ville de Paris

According to an old legend, there was a statue of Saint Vincent in the chapel, however evidence of it has not been found.

Saint Vincent is the protector of the vine-growers.
In this picture, he is shown with the symbols of his function, the grape and the palm.

Around him are pictured (somewhat inaccurately) illustrations of work that takes place during the harvest and the wine making. God was happy with the work done on Earth by Saint Vincent. In order to reward him, he sent him to La Mission under a single condition: he had to be back to Heaven before Christmas.

The wine was good, in fact very good. Vincent indulged a little too much, fell asleep, and woke up long after Christmas. God punished him by saying: "You can't come back to Heaven, and you will become a stone statue".

The statue of Saint Vincent has now disappeared from La Mission. Could this mean that God forgave Vincent, and that the Saint is now back in Heaven...?