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The Life of St. Vincent de Paul
St. Vincent de Paul was born in 1580 to a large and poor farming family. At the extraordinary age of 20, he was ordained a priest.
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St. Vincent De Paul
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In 1605, on a voyage by sea from Marseilles to Narbonne, he fell into the hands of African pirates and was carried as a slave to Tunis. He was held captive about two years, until Divine Providence enabled him to escape.
After a brief visit to Rome he returned to France, and became tutor to a wealthy noble family. During that time he saw the terrible spiritual state of the peasantry of France.
In 1617, he began to preach missions. So many people came to hear him preach that priests from elsewhere were called to assist him in hearing confessions.
In 1625, he laid the foundations of the Congregation of the Mission, later to be known as the Lazarists or Vincentians.
Charity was St. Vincent de Paul’s predominant virtue. He was a holy charismatic man able to procure funds and assistance from wealthy Parisian women. He used the gifts to assist the poor and destitute in the city.
Despite setbacks, disappointments and slanders, St. Vincent de Paul preserved serenity and evenness of mind, having no other desire than to glorify God in all things.
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Antoine Frederic
Ozanam
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He suffered greatly from ill health toward the end of his life. On Sept. 27, 1660, at the age of 89, he died calmly in his chair.
The peasant priest was canonized by Pope Clement XII in 1737 and his feast day is Sept. 27. Pope Leo XIII proclaimed him patron of all charitable societies.
In 1833, Antoine Frederic Ozanam, a university student at the time, founded the St. Vincent de Paul Society as a Catholic charitable organization of laypersons to serve those with emotional, material or spiritual needs.
What is the St. Vincent de Paul Society?
Contact Us:
St. Vincent de Paul Society
PO Box 5147
Trenton, NJ 08638-0147
609-406-7400 Fax: 609-406-7412
Director: Rev. Arthur F. Conlon
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