Vincent de Paul

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For other uses, see Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, DePaul University, Vincentian Studies Institute, Saint Vincent College, and DePaul Catholic High School.

Saint Vincent de Paul

Born	1581
Died	1660
Canonized	1737
Feast	September 27
Patronage	charities; horses; hospitals; leprosy; lost articles; Madagascar; prisoners; Richmond, Virginia; spiritual help; Saint Vincent de Paul Societies; Vincentian Service Corps; volunteers

Saint Vincent de Paul (April 24, 1581 – September 27, 1660) was born at Pouy, Landes, Gascony, France to a peasant family. His feast was formerly kept on July 19, but is now observed on September 27 - the day of his death.

He devoted his life to help the poor. He built large houses for the poor.

He studied humanities at Dax with the Cordeliers and he graduated in theology at Toulouse. Vincent de Paul was ordained in 1600, remaining in Toulouse until he went to Marseille for an inheritance. On his way back from Marseille, he was taken captive by Turkish pirates to Tunis, and sold into slavery. After converting his owner to Christianity, Vincent de Paul was freed in 1607.

Vincent returned to France and served as priest in a parish near Paris. He was once discouraged by the number of babies brought to Notre Dame, so he established a home for these foundlings.

He founded many charitable organizations such as Congregation of the Daughters of Charity, with Louise de Marillac, and the Congregation of Priests of the Mission (Lazarists).

In 1705 the Superior-General of the Lazarists requested that the process of his canonization might be instituted. On August 13, 1729, Vincent was declared Blessed by Benedict XIII, and canonized by Clement XII on June 16, 1737. In 1885 Leo XIII gave him as patron to the Sisters of Charity. He is also patron to the Brothers of Charity.

DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois, USA takes its name from Vincent de Paul.

By the encouragement of his father, Vincent de Paul was ordained into the Catholic priesthood on September 23, 1600 around the age of twenty. Supposedly he was captured by Turkish pirates on a return to Marseilles in 1605 and escaped in 1607 with his master, whom he had converted. He ventured to Paris for the first time in 1608, which would become his permanent home for the next fifty-one years. Vincent de Paul adopted Father (later Cardinal) Pierre de Berulle and Father Andre Duval (a professor at Sorbonne) as his spiritual mentors.

These two men were “spearheading” the spiritual and ecclesiastical reform in Paris. Already Vincent had an advantage in the spiritual direction of France through his position as a disciple of these two men. Duval introduced Vincent to the Rule of Perfection, a work written by the English Capuchin Benet of Canfield. From this work Vincent came to a fuller understanding of doing the will of God and the importance of waiting for God to lead.

This became a major piece in his theological orientation. In addition to Duval and Berulle, Vincent knew an incredibly extensive amount of people of significant status in both the political and ecclesiastical realms. He was involved in almost all the great events of his time, political as well as religious. Clichy, the town of six hundred where Vincent became pastor, was a town comprised mostly of peasant Catholics. At Clichy Vincent de Paul was a model pastor. He taught the children catechism, succored the needy, consoled the sick, reconciled those who were at variance, and in short, made himself all things to all men to gain all to Christ.

He established in his parish the Rosary Confraternity, which was widely spread. He also established a school for clerics. Twelve young persons were instructed in the sacred sciences and in the practice of virtue. In his early years as a priest Vincent’s heart became touched by the poor. Later in 1613 Vincent was called by M. de Berulle to become tutor and chaplain to the Gondi family and their children.

It was during this time that Vincent would find his true vocation. On the Gondi estates there was a sad state of spiritual neglect among the peasant people who he cared for physically as well as spiritually. During this time Vincent underwent a state of doubt and darkness for three or four years. It was life transforming for him.