Saint of the Issue: Vincent de Paul

St. Vincent de Paul, the patron of all charitable societies, was born around 1581 to a poor family in France and was raised in the poverty of a French peasant family. As he matured, it quickly became evident that he possessed a remarkable intellectual capacity, and he began rigorously studying theology at the age of 15 under the direction of the Franciscans in Dax.

St. Vincent achieved early notice by being ordained at the unusually young age of 20, normally forbidden by the Church. At first, he regrettably used this extraordinary exception with the low intention to merely use it as an escape from the trials of his poverty and to rest, with a cleric’s comfort, on his laurels.

God, however, had a higher crown in mind for St. Vincent. In 1617, he underwent a dramatic change of heart after hearing the confession of a dying peasant. The priest fully awakened to the dire state of the peasantry of France, both physically and spiritually. Thereafter, he began a decades-long mission of charity, an astonishing record of corporal and spiritual works of mercy whose efficacy has still not been diminished despite the passage of tumultuous centuries.

St. Vincent first worked among the galley-slaves of Paris until 1625, when he was entrusted with his first community, devoted to the aid of France’s poor. “Our highest ambition,” he said, “is to instruct the ignorant, to bring sinners to repentance, and to plant the gospel spirit of charity, humility, meekness and simplicity in the hearts of Christians.” He and his fellow workers made a name for themselves as the Lazaristes, or simply the Vincentians.

The initial successes that St. Vincent saw were not enough for his blazing compassion, which sought new ways to reach out to the downtrodden. He established and funded more and more communities, including the Sisters of Charity, who preserved his mission long after his death. This holy man, himself a peasant who began his life with not even a meager amount of money, power, or fame, lived to see his ambitions at work in 25 houses of charity across France. 

In addition to his countless corporal works of mercy, St. Vincent nurtured a vibrant interior and intellectual life. He used his natural talents and sagacity by formulating spiritual exercises for discerners, correcting insidious clerical abuses that had badly wounded the Church in his time, and vigorously condemning the Jansenist heresy. He also spent decades combating and pacifying his naturally choleric and irascible temper, and provided the Church with a model of docility to God and confidence in His will.

St. Vincent died peacefully on September 27, 1660. He was canonized by Pope Clement XII in 1737, and was declared the patron of charitable societies by Pope Leo XIII. The anniversary of his death is now his feast day in the Catholic Church.

St. Vincent’s legacy of zealous compassion has endured for over four centuries. Many societies across multiple continents proudly bear his name, calling themselves Vincentians. The burning soul of one French peasant has fruitfully inspired his numerous followers, who faithfully preserve the spirit of this holy man, who proclaimed that “We should strive to keep our hearts open to the sufferings and wretchedness of other people, and pray continually that God may grant us that spirit of compassion which is truly the spirit of God.” St. Vincent de Paul, ora pro nobis!