St. Vincent de Paul

 

 Today, we celebrate the memorial of St. Vincent de Paul.

He was born of poor parents in France in 1580. As a child, he was taught by Franciscans. After four years of education, he was chosen by a lawyer to tutor the lawyer’s children. At the age of 19, he went to a university for theological studies and was ordained a priest four years later at the age of 23.

Five years later, on sea voyage, he fell into the hands of African pirates and was taken as a slave to Tunis, where he was purchased by an elderly Muslim. The slaver owner liked Vincent and attempted to convert him to Islam by having him listen to long lectures. He promised that if the young priest, would embrace the Islamic religion, he would receive his inheritance. Vincent was terrified that his faith might be corrupted in this alien environment, so he prayed for Divine protection, especially seeking the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. He was held captive for about 2 yrs, until he escaped by Divine Providence.

He then went to Rome, where he entered the order of the Brothers of St. John of God, which is a religious order, who served in hospitals.

Once when he was sent to hear a confession of a peasant, who lay dangerously ill, due to Father Vincent’s questions, the peasant realized he had been making sacrilegious confessions for many years. Upon his recovery, he openly declared if it weren’t for Fr. Vincent, he would be eternally lost.

In 1617, Vincent began to preach missions. And 8 years later, he laid the foundations of the Congregation of the Mission, the “Lazarites”. They were originally called Lazarites, because they began to occupy a priory named after St. Lazarus in 1633. Later, they would become known as the Vincentians, after St. Vincent. They would seek out to care for the sick in every parish.

During his life, the Jansenist heresy became very widespread, and even afflicted his own religious order. He therefore, ordered that all priests who holds the heresy, should leave the order.

St. Vincent’s predominant virtue was charity. His charity extended to all classes of persons, from forsaken children to the elderly. The Sisters of Charity also owe their foundation of their congregation to St. Vincent de Paul.

In the midst of the most distracting occupations his soul was always intimately united with God. Though honored by the great peope of the world, he remained deeply rooted in humility.

St. Vincent, the apostle of charity breathed his last in Paris at the age of 85, on Sept. 27^th, 1660. After his canonization, he was proclaimed the patron of all charitable societies.

Today, let us strive to imitate this holy saint, by attempting to always be intimately untied to God no matter what we do, and let us pray that Our Lady will watch over the Vincentians, that they may be faithful to the charism of their founder.