St. Vincent de Paul: Apostle of Charity
Quick answer
St. Vincent de Paul (1581–1660) was a French priest from a peasant family who, after a comfortable start to his priesthood, gave his life to the poor. He founded the Congregation of the Mission (the Vincentians) to preach to country people and, with St. Louise de Marillac, the Daughters of Charity to serve the sick and the poor. He is the patron of charitable works. His feast is September 27.
Key takeaways
- He was ordained young and at first hoped for a comfortable career.
- In 1617 he was moved by the spiritual and physical poverty of country people.
- He organized lay women into Confraternities of Charity and founded the Vincentians in 1625.
- With St. Louise de Marillac he founded the Daughters of Charity in 1633.
The name of St. Vincent de Paul is on thrift stores and food pantries across the world. Behind it is a priest who discovered that serving the poor is serving Christ.
An Ambitious Start
Vincent de Paul was born in 1581 in the village of Pouy, in southwest France, to a peasant family. He was bright, and his father sold oxen to pay for his schooling. Ordained a priest at about nineteen, he hoped for a good position that would let him support his family. For a time he served as a chaplain to the wealthy Gondi family.
Turning Toward the Poor
In 1617 two experiences changed him. Hearing the confession of a dying peasant on the Gondi estates, he saw how hungry country people were for the sacraments and for the Gospel. Later that year, in the parish of Châtillon, he learned of a family in which everyone was sick and no one could care for them. He preached about them, and so many people brought help that he saw the need for organization. He formed the first Confraternity of Charity, a group of women who visited the poor in an orderly way.
From then on, he said, the poor were his lords and masters.
His Foundations
- The Congregation of the Mission (1625), priests called Vincentians or Lazarists, who preached missions in the countryside and trained priests.
- The Daughters of Charity (1633), founded with St. Louise de Marillac. They did not live in an enclosed convent but went into homes, hospitals and the streets. Vincent told them their convent would be the houses of the sick.
- Care for abandoned infants, galley slaves, the elderly, refugees of war and the mentally ill.
He also helped reform the clergy of France through retreats and seminaries.
Charity with Order
Vincent was a practical man. He raised funds from nobles and the queen, kept careful accounts, and insisted on treating the poor with respect. He taught that charity must be effective as well as warm.
He died in Paris on September 27, 1660, at 79, and was canonized in 1737.
A Prayer for Those in Need (Original Prayer)
St. Vincent de Paul, you saw Christ in the poor. Open my eyes to those in need around me. Make me generous with my time and my goods, and gentle with every person I serve. Amen.
Continue Reading
Read about St. Elizabeth of Hungary, St. John the Almoner, or St. Francis of Assisi.
Frequently asked questions
When is the feast of St. Vincent de Paul?
September 27.
Is the Society of St. Vincent de Paul founded by him?
No. It was founded in Paris in 1833 by Blessed Frédéric Ozanam and his friends, who took St. Vincent as their patron.
What is St. Vincent de Paul the patron saint of?
Charitable societies and works of charity. Pope Leo XIII declared him their patron in 1885.
Sources
- Pierre Coste, The Life and Works of St. Vincent de Paul
- Pope Leo XIII, Brief naming St. Vincent de Paul patron of charitable associations (1885)
- Gospel of Matthew 25:31-46 (Douay-Rheims)
