St. Vincent De Paul, Pray for Us

Saint Vincent de Paul Feast Day: September 27th

Vincent de Paul grew up in a poor town in the South of France, born around 1581. He was introduced to the faith through a Franciscan education. Then he taught the children of a wealthy family and used his wages to continue his education in theology. He was ordained in 1600 at 19 years old. Shortly after, he was captured and sold into slavery. He escaped and ventured to Rome where he distributed money to the poor, helped establish hospitals, and preached about the necessity of mission to the poor. Later, he expanded his teachings to include care for those in prison. St. Vincent helped reform the church and educate the clergy. He is renowned for his opposition of Jansenism, a French theological movement during the Reformation that centered on the absence of free will in receiving divine grace, because it envisioned a chosen people, predestined for divine grace, and others denied of that grace. He founded the Ladies of Charity, a lay institute of women, and a religious institute of priests called the Congregation of Priests of the Mission, commonly referred to as the Vincentians. He was canonized by Pope Clement XIII in 1737. In the mid-1800s, the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul – a lay Catholic organization working for the relief of the poor – was established by the Blessed Frederic Ozanam in honor of Saint Vincent. St. Vincent is the patron saint of charities. His mission was to aid the poor and marginalized. St. Vincent de Paul, pray for us.

Question for Reflection: Following the example of St. Vincent de Paul, what is one thing we can do today to help those who are poor and marginalized?