(Short Version)
September 27: Saint Vincent de Paul, Priest—Memorial
c. 1581–1660
Patron Saint of charitable societies and workers, horses, hospitals and hospital workers, lepers, lost articles, prisoners, spiritual help, and volunteers
Canonized by Pope Clement XII on June 16, 1737
Vincent de Paul was born to peasants in Pouy, France. Highly intelligent, he grew up working the fields and tending the livestock. A devout child, Vincent was ashamed of his poverty and longed to rise in society. Later, his father sold an ox to finance Vincent’s education at the Franciscan seminary in Dax. A few years later, he studied theology at the University of Toulouse and was ordained a priest. There, he completed his studies in theology and canon law, paying for school by tutoring.
In 1604, Father Vincent traveled to Marseilles to sell property he had inherited from a wealthy woman. On his return, Muslim pirates intercepted his boat, killing some onboard and injuring everyone else, including Father Vincent who was shot in the shoulder with an arrow. The survivors were taken to the port of Tunis, in modern-day Tunisia, and sold. Over two years, Father Vincent was bought and sold multiple times. His last owner was a Franciscan priest who had renounced his faith to win his freedom. After Father Vincent helped him convert back, they escaped together.
Father Vincent’s slavery transformed him. His faith deepened, as did his concern for the poor and suffering. In 1607, Father Vincent met Monsignor de Berulle (later Cardinal Berulle) and traveled to Rome with him to continue his studies. Monsignor de Berulle helped found the French School of Spirituality that fostered a deep personal relationship with Christ, apostolic works, devotion to the Blessed Virgin, abandonment to God’s will, and reliance on the Holy Spirit.
In 1609, Father Vincent returned to France to coordinate almsgiving for Queen Marguerite of Valois, a task that helped him realize how the wealthy could help the poor. As a pastor, he entered the wealthy Gondi family’s service, giving missions to the rural populations on their properties. He ministered to prisoners who rowed in the French galley ships and formed the Confraternities of Charity, an association of laywomen who care physically and spiritually for the poor and sick.
In 1625, Father Vincent founded the Congregation of the Missions, later known as the Vincentians. The new congregation ministered to the rural poor with catechesis, sacramental celebrations, and spiritual direction while meeting the physical needs of the sick and poor. Soon, Father Vincent and his fellow priests realized the need to improve clergy formation. The Congregation of the Missions began managing seminaries and offering ongoing formation to the clergy. A century after Vincent’s death, the Vincentians controlled about one-third of the seminaries in France.
Also in 1625, Father Vincent became Louise de Marillac’s spiritual director, inviting her to work with the Confra
