Hail, Saintly Apostle to the Poor and Founder of Religious Congregations

Today is the feast of St. Vincent de Paul (1580 AD  - 1660 AD).  Through energetic devotion to the Gospel, St. Vincent accomplished good works sufficient to fill the lifetimes of a dozen saints.  From a peasant background, St. Vincent studied for the priesthood at Dax and Toulouse.  While travelling by sea from Marseilles, where he'd gone to collect a legacy, St. Vincent was captured by Turkish pirates and sold as a slave in Tunis.  St. Vincent's mild goodness converted his master, and the two fled together to France.  His wisdom and ability led to St. Vincent's appointment as chaplain and tutor to several noble families, but with the approval of his employers, the saint left these positions in order to evangelize the poverty-stricken country people of France.  St. Vincent preached missions amongst the country people, but found that the good thereby accomplished did not last without  priests to carry on the evangelization permanently.  St. Vincent founded the Congregation of Priests of the Mission (known as the Vincentians) to do this work.  In order to train his priests, St. Vincent established minor and major seminaries throughout the country.  By the time of the Revolution, one third of the seminaries in France were directed by the Congregation of the Mission.

St. Vincent also wished to care for the poor, and to this end, with Louise de Marillac he founded the Daughters of Charity.  Through hospitals and other charitable enterprises, the Daughters of Charity provided food and other care to thousands of France's poor.  St. Vincent's efforts on behalf of the poor were not confined to France: members of Congregations he founded also relieved the suffering of the poor in Italy, North Africa, Scotland, Poland and other places.

St. Vincent also wished to care for the convicts in France's galleys, who suffered under appalling conditions, both physically and morally.   In addition to laboring amongst the galley convicts himself,  St. Vincent exerted influence upon the noble families of his acquaintance to obtain appointment from King Louis XIII as Royal Almoner to the galleys.  This position permitted St. Vincent to construct  a hospital for the galley convicts, and see to their care in many other ways.  St. Vincent also looked after their spiritual health by preaching a mission to the galley convicts.

In addition, St. Vincent was quick to note the dangers of Jansenism, and was instrumental in combating this heresy.  St. Vincent also encouraged and assisted in the reform of many religious congregations, including the Benedictines, Cistercians and Augustinians.

St. Vincent de Paul was canonized by Clement XII in 1737 AD.

St. Vincent de Paul, pray for us.