St. Vincent Ferrer: The Angel of the Judgment
Quick answer
St. Vincent Ferrer (1350–1419) was a Spanish Dominican priest from Valencia. After years as a teacher and adviser during the Great Western Schism, when rival claimants divided the papacy, he spent the last twenty years of his life as a traveling preacher in Spain, France, Italy and Switzerland, calling vast crowds to repentance and preparing them for Christ's judgment. He helped bring the schism to an end. His feast is April 5.
Key takeaways
- He entered the Dominicans at Valencia in 1367.
- For years he supported the Avignon claimant Benedict XIII, then urged him to step down for unity.
- From 1399 he preached across Europe, often to crowds of thousands.
- He died in Vannes, Brittany, in 1419, where he is buried.
At a time when the Church was badly divided, with two and then three men claiming to be pope, a Dominican friar walked the roads of Europe calling people to repentance and unity. St. Vincent Ferrer was one of the most famous preachers of the Middle Ages.
A Dominican of Valencia
Vincent Ferrer was born on January 23, 1350, in Valencia, Spain. At seventeen he entered the Dominicans. He studied philosophy and theology and became a respected teacher. He was known for his prayer, his fasting and his kindness.
The Great Western Schism
In 1378 a disputed papal election divided the Church. One pope reigned in Rome and a rival in Avignon, in France. Saints were found on both sides. Vincent, like many in Spain, sincerely believed the Avignon line was legitimate and served as confessor and adviser to the Avignon claimant, Pedro de Luna, who took the name Benedict XIII.
Over time Vincent saw that the division was ruining the Church. He urged Benedict to resign for the sake of unity. When Benedict refused, Vincent in 1416 publicly withdrew support from him, which helped the Council of Constance end the schism with the election of Pope Martin V in 1417.
Preacher to Europe
In 1398, during a serious illness, Vincent had a vision of Christ with St. Dominic and St. Francis, who sent him to preach. He recovered and from 1399 spent the rest of his life walking from town to town through Spain, southern France, northern Italy and Switzerland.
His message was urgent: repent, for God’s judgment is near. Huge crowds gathered, so large that he often preached in open fields. Many people went to confession, enemies were reconciled, and lives were changed. Accounts of his life report many miracles.
He traveled with a band of followers, including priests to hear confessions, and kept strict penance himself.
A Complicated Legacy
Vincent lived in an age of tension between Christians, Jews and Muslims in Spain. He preached to Jewish communities hoping for conversions, and many were baptized. Some of this took place during a period of laws and pressure that the Church today recognizes as unjust. St. John Paul II asked forgiveness for the ways Christians failed to respect the freedom and dignity of the Jewish people. Vincent is honored for his personal holiness and his zeal for souls.
His Death
Exhausted, Vincent died in Vannes, in Brittany, on April 5, 1419. He was canonized in 1455.
A Prayer for Repentance (Original Prayer)
St. Vincent Ferrer, you called sinners to repentance. Help me examine my life honestly, make a good confession, and be ready to meet the Lord. Pray for the unity of the Church. Amen.
Continue Reading
Read about St. Dominic, St. Catherine of Siena, who also worked to heal the schism, or Catholic end times teaching.
Frequently asked questions
When is the feast of St. Vincent Ferrer?
April 5, the day he died in 1419.
Why is he called the Angel of the Judgment?
Because his preaching focused on repentance and the coming judgment of God, and he applied to himself the angel of Revelation 14:6-7, who calls all nations to fear God.
What is St. Vincent Ferrer the patron saint of?
Builders, plumbers and Valencia, among others.
Sources
- Process of Canonization of St. Vincent Ferrer (1453–1454)
- Pope Callixtus III, Canonization (1455)
- Revelation 14:6-7 (Douay-Rheims)
