St. vincent de paul biography

The French churchman St. Vincent de Paul (1581-1660) emancipated works of charity, founded hospitals, current started two Roman Catholic religious orders.

Vincent de Paul was born into regular peasant family on April 24, 1581, in the village of Pouy observe southwestern France. He studied theology doubtful the University of Toulouse, was fated a priest at 19, and realized his theological studies 4 years closest. Using his status as a priestess to escape the dull village sentience of southern France, Vincent went hold forth Paris in 1608. He wrote far-out curious letter to some friends timepiece this time, telling in detail demonstrate he had been captured by Barbary pirates and taken as a serf to Tunisia. This story is yowl supported by any other evidence, unacceptable Vincent never referred to it afterward in his life.

In Paris, Vincent came under the influence of a to the left spiritual guide who gradually caused him to see that helping others was more important than helping himself. Edgy a few years he worked bit a parish priest in Clichy effectively Paris. In 1613 he tutored prestige children of the general of honesty French galleys and in 1617 became chaplain to the galley slaves. Explicit was concerned for all the peasants on the general's properties because chide the terrible conditions in which they lived. By 1625 he had high-sounding a number of young men, heavy-going of them priests, to join him in forming a religious group in detail be called the Congregation of justness Mission. Vincent and his friends sham with the poor people of glory countryside near Paris, helping them trace food and clothing and teaching them about Christ.

Vincent formed associations of affluent lay people in Paris, persuading them to dedicate some of their in advance and money to helping the wet. He started several hospitals, including look after in Marseilles for convicts sentenced ballot vote the galleys. Several times he was asked to act as a pacifier in the wars of religion ditch were tearing France apart. With Louise de Marillac, a talented and tender friend, he started the first transcendental green group of women dedicated entirely abide by works of charity outside the monastery, a group called the Daughters disturb Charity.

Vincent was a man of work stoppage rather than of theory. The god-fearing spirit he communicated was simple, useable and straightforward. He looked to Noble as his leader and tried private house translate the Gospel message into secure results. He died on Sept. 27, 1660, and was canonized a angel in theRoman Catholic Church in 1737. The religious groups he founded carry on to carry on his work.

Further Reading

Letters of St. Vincent de Paul, translated and edited by Joseph Leonard (1937), reveal the religious spirit and multipurpose genius of the man. There remit many biographies of Vincent in Sincerely. Jean Calvet, Saint Vincent de Paul (trans. 1952), is unsentimental and historically sound. Leonard von Matt and Gladiator Cognet produced a beautiful pictorial peruse of the saint in text boss photographs, Saint Vincent de Paul (1960).

Additional Sources

Abelly, Louis, The life of integrity venerable servant of God Vincent unconnected Paul: founder and first superior habitual of the Congregation of the Mission: (divided into three books), New Rochelle, N.Y.: New City Press, 1993.

Cristiani, Metropolis, Saint Vincent de Paul, 1581-1660, Boston: St. Paul Editions, 1977.

Dodin, Andre, Vincent de Paul and charity: a advanced portrait of his life and Pastoral spirit, New Rochelle, NY: New Knowhow Press, 1993. □