ST. VINCENT de PAUL, PRIEST
Feast: September 27
St. Vincent de Paul (1576 - 1660) was born in Gascony, France, and died in
Paris. He studied theology at Toulouse and was ordained a priest in 1600. As a
young priest he fell into the hands of Mohammedan pirates who carried him off to
Africa. After his return to France he became successively parish priest, grand
almoner of the galley slaves, and spiritual director of the Visitation nuns. He
founded the Congregation of the Priests of the Mission or Lazarists to preach
especially to country people. With the help of Louise de Marillac he established
the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity to care for young girls, for the
needy, sick, and foundlings. He died at St. Lazarus's which was the center of
his Congregation. Leo XIII proclaimed him special patron of charitable
institutions.
St. Vincent de Paul was a great apostle of charity,
and brought a great revival of the priesthood in the 17th century.
He was born near Dax in the Landes (France) in 1581. As a young priest he was
captured by Moorish pirates who carried him to Africa. He was sold into slavery,
but freed in 1607 when he converted his owner.
Having
returned to France, he became successively a parish priest and chaplain to the
galley-slaves. He founded a religious Congregation under the title of Priests of
the Mission or Lazarists (now known as
Vincentians),
and he bound them by a special way to undertake the apostolic work of charity;
he sent them to preach missions, especially to the ignorant peasants of that
time, and to establish seminaries.
In order to
help poor girls, invalids, and the insane, sick and unemployed, he and St.
Louise de Marillac founded the Congregation of the Daughters of Charity, now
better known as the Sisters of St. Vincent.
St. Vincent worked tirelessly to help those in need: the impoverished, the sick,
the enslaved, the abandoned, the ignored. He died in 1660 at St. Lazarus's
house, Paris.
His motto: "God sees you."
"Let us love God; but at the price of our hands and sweat of our face."
Patron:
charitable societies; horses; hospitals; leprosy; lost articles; prisoners;
volunteers; spiritual help; Saint Vincent de Paul Societies; Vincentian Service
Corps; Madagascar; diocese of Richmond, Virginia.
Symbols:
16th century cleric performing act of charity; priest surrounded by the Sisters
of Charity; book with heart; model of an orphanage or hospital; model of a
hospice; priest with child in his arms.
Things to
Do:
Read More.....Society of St. Vincent de Paul
Read More.....Office of Readings: St. Vincent de Paul
