Saint Vincent de Paul: discover the life of this famous 17th-century French saint whose charitable works strengthened the Catholic faith and led to the creation of social missions in Europe, which today follow his example of charity and solidarity.
Biography and history of Saint Vincent de Paul
Saint Vincent de Paul was a priest born at the end of the 16th century in the town of Puoy, now Saint Vincent de Paul, in the Hautes-Pyrénées in France. His parents, Jean Paul and Beltrande de Mora, had six children, of whom Saint Vincent de Paul was the third. From childhood, he devoted himself to tending sheep and other animals on the modest family farm, but because he showed early signs of intelligence, his parents endeavoured to send him to study theology.
His first studies were completed in the convent of Dax, located in the city of Dax and relatively close to his native village of Puoy, near the Spanish border, in this monastery dedicated to St Francis of Assisi, the friars educated him in religion and the Latin language, for his educational application the young St Vincent de Paul, was accepted as an instructor of the children of a magistrate of Puoy, Mr Comet.
Later, St Vincent de Paul studied philosophy as well as theology in the city of Toulouse, in the south of France, and completed his studies in the city of Saragossa, Spain, graduating from the University of Toulouse in September 1600, at the age of twenty, as a priest of Jesus Christ. From the beginning of his Christian priesthood, St Vincent de Paul showed a character of patience and humility which made him very popular with the citizens of these cities (see: How to become a priest?).
In 1605 he was forced to travel to the port city of Marseilles, but during his journey he was captured by Turkish pirates who auctioned him off as a slave, but after two years of slavery he managed to convince those who had bought him as a slave of the goodness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, converted him to Catholicism and obtained his freedom. (See: Who is Jesus Christ for Catholics).
In 1607 he arrived in Avignon, where a cleric with papal influence helped him. During his stay in this city, he participated in the conversion of the Lutheran Protestants, called Huguenots, and later, after about three months in this city, he travelled to Rome, accompanied by the papal ecclesiastic, in order to continue his studies and because this prelate had promised him a position that would stabilise his position.
This promise was not kept, but in Rome he met several confraternities, such as the Charity of the Hospital of the Holy Spirit and the Parish of San Lorenzo, which would inspire him to found his charitable institutions to help people with fewer economic resources. Unable to stabilise himself in Rome, he continued his pilgrimage to the city of light, Paris, where he arrived at the end of 1608.
St Vincent de Paul wrote a letter to his mother from Paris, telling her of the difficulties he had encountered during his travels and, in a discouraged mood, suggesting that one of his nephews should study for a career in the Church, telling her that perhaps some of them would have better luck than he had. In those discouraged times, St Vincent de Paul, still very young, did not realise that God had a bright future in store for him. (See: Biblical passages of encouragement).
In Paris, he sought to satisfy his longing for stability and a better paid priestly position. At that time it was said that he had a papal mission, unspecified, secret, connected with the Bourbon King of France, Henry IV, 1553-1610, although it is outlined in his history, it is still not known with certainty if such a mission was true, especially when Cardinal d’Ossat, who entrusted him with the mission, died about four years after his death (See; How much a priest earns).
He began his priestly ministry in a parish near Paris, in Clichy La Garenne, a community where his vocation to serve God was strengthened by the opportunity to help the many needy people who frequented that parish; it was there that he met an influential and aristocratic family, surnamed Gondi, who entrusted him with the task of teaching their children the Holy Scriptures. (See: How to Teach the Word of God to Children).
It was through Mrs Gondi that St Vincent de Paul founded his first charitable missions, thanks to the donation of this family. He also exercised his priesthood in Chatillon Les Dombes, where his vocation to charitable service is reflected in other missions dedicated to the service of the community, such as the missions of Joigny, Châlons, Mâcon and Trévoux.
In the biographies of Saint Vincent de Paul it is said that he extended his priestly service to those condemned to serve their sentence by rowing in the king’s ships, in the galleys, he helped them by providing them with food and health care, which led him to found a modest hospital, which later King Louis XIII (1601-1643) of France supported by giving him lismonas and other material donations and appointing him chaplain of these galleys. (See; Biography of St Vincent de Paul).
In 1615, St. Vincent de Paul was recognised as a priest with a profile of sanctity due to the various missions he had promoted. However, due to religious disputes that discouraged the formation of new clergy, many of his missions disappeared, but he continued to promote other missions in Marseilles and Bordeaux in his process of preaching the Gospel of God. (See: How to preach the Word of God for the first time).
In 1617, St Vincent de Paul persuaded a group of ladies from wealthy families who wanted to help the poor to found the Confraternity of Charity, which also helped the sick. Shortly before his death, St Francis de Sales gave him the direction of the convents in Paris.
His charitable missions were influenced by saints such as St Ignatius of Loyola and St Francis de Sales. He encouraged the formation of clerics, priests in seminaries, whom he exhorted to have a clear vocation of service and mercy to others, which was necessary at a time when France was facing wars such as that of the Fronde.
He went on to found and promote missions in many places, one of his most famous being that of the Vincentian Fathers, which survives to this day and is synonymous with charity and relief in various parts of the world. He also saw the need for women to be involved in charitable work, and in 1633 he founded the institution of the Sisters of Charity, dedicated to helping the poor.
Saint Vincent de Paul, who died at the age of 80, lived a life dedicated to alleviating the plight of the most needy, inspired by Jesus Christ, whose preaching in favour of the most disadvantaged was one of his priorities. His charitable work is reflected in the creation of the Congregation of the Missions, which brings together a large number of priests, nuns and other French social workers.
He was canonised by Pope Clement XII in 1737 and his feast day is celebrated on 27 September. He is the patron saint of the Sisters of Charity and of those who work in the field of social and spiritual assistance, as well as of the sick, prisoners, those suffering from leprosy and similar diseases, and of the Vincentian Fathers.
The works of St Vincent de Paul
From the very beginning of his priesthood, St Vincent de Paul’s work focused on social assistance and the promotion of spirituality among the poor of France. His gift of charity made him well known among the influential families of his time, whom he also convinced to practice charity and mercy towards others, and to give him enough alms to start his missions (see: What is mercy?).
His fame as a priest and good Samaritan reached the court of the French King Louis XIII, whom he persuaded to improve the treatment of prisoners serving sentences in the royal galleys, who were subjected to cruel treatment. He also persuaded Queen Marguerite de Valois (1553-1615) to donate her jewels to the poor at a time when France was at war.
St Vincent de Paul encouraged the creation of hospitals, seminaries and charitable missions, which he then brought together in the Congregation of the Missions to protect and distribute material goods efficiently to the most needy. He also founded the Association of the Ladies of Charity, which brought together aristocratic ladies who made donations for their social activities, channelled through the Daughters of Charity.
His life dedicated to social service led to the creation of the Paulist Fathers, an association that offers its services in various cities and towns in France and other countries, which always remember how St Vincent de Paul managed to collect a large amount of food and, together with his followers, organised soup kitchens to alleviate the hunger of the poor, who suffered most from the rigours of war.
St Vincent de Paul, his charitable works
St Vincent de Paul’s charitable work is reflected in the many missions he founded to alleviate the material and spiritual needs of a country, France, which was embroiled in religious wars and territorial disputes, resulting in impoverishment and famine, which affected the poor the most.
In order to carry out his charitable work, he obtained funding from kings and queens, whom he convinced by preaching the Gospel of Saint Luke, in which Jesus Christ shows his preference for helping the needy, both materially and spiritually, and by teaching them Christian doctrine. St Vincent de Paul promoted the creation of the Paris public hospital and the improvement of the humane treatment of prisoners.
St Vincent de Paul also promoted social and spiritual help for the lepers and other infectious diseases of his time, and he created associations of people of good conscience from whom he received generous donations and alms to carry out his ongoing missions. He transformed these associations into social institutions such as the Daughters of Charity, which he promoted together with the eminent Saint Louise de Marillac.
Saint Vincent de Paul was the inspiration for the creation of the Congregation of the Missions and the Vincentian Fathers, responsible for the coordination and distribution of works of social interest, which promoted the creation of clinics and canteens for the poorest of the poor in France, which was plagued by social and religious differences.
St Vincent de Paul left many of his missionary experiences in writing, in the thousands of letters he wrote asking for help for his charitable works, and also exhorting other priests and religious leaders to follow the preaching example of the Christian Apostles such as St Peter, St Paul and St Luke, who on their pilgrim journeys helped and healed many, especially the poor of the world. (See: St Paul and St Peter).
St Vincent de Paul, contributions to social work
St Vincent de Paul was an example of how social work can succeed in helping people and how it can become a reality with the cooperation of all; this way of doing social work by uniting different sectors of society, donors, social workers, governors and poor people is the noblest contribution of St Vincent de Paul to social work as he was a pioneer in this form of contribution to society.
One of Saint Vincent de Paul’s wishes was to obtain an ecclesiastical position that would give him economic stability, thanks to the Gondi family, who owned a feudal villa in the parish of Clichy. He achieved this by being granted the position of chaplain of the town, which ensured him a relationship with the French elite, but during the feast of the conversion of St Paul, he made a day of general confession, which made him reflect.
After hearing the confessions of a large group of peasants, helped by the Jesuits, St Vincent de Paul turned his energies to founding missions to alleviate the hardships of people working in the countryside, so he left his chaplaincy in Clichy and, in 1617, began to found the charitable missions that would be the north of his life.
Combining her social work with the constant preaching of Christian and Catholic doctrine, with her faith in God and in Jesus Christ, she created and placed at the service of society various projects financed by the alms given to her by the wealthy families of these areas and by the French royalty. In 1633 her missionary confraternities were recognised for their social contribution and in 1617 she founded the Society of the Daughters of Charity.
With these ladies of charity, she helped those suffering from the ravages of war, the sick of limited means, the poor and destitute beggars, and promoted the establishment of public hospitals in various cities, including the foundation of the public hospital in Paris. He then founded the Confraternity of the Missions and the Association of the Paulist Fathers, all of which were dedicated to social work.
Prayer to Saint Vincent de Paul
During his priestly life, St Vincent de Paul was recognised as a man with the characteristics of holiness, because he was the one who constantly brought together the other clerics to create missions to bring spiritual encouragement to the many people who suffered from illness, abandonment or were social outcasts, such as children living on the streets.
Because of his reputation for honesty, St Vincent de Paul was sought out by people with financial resources when they wanted to make donations to alleviate the plight of the economically poor. St Vincent’s participation during the Black Death epidemic that devastated France and the rest of the European continent was also praiseworthy and generous.
Lord Jesus Christ, in these prayers I humbly ask You to allow the power of Your holy and divine Providence to bless this prayer to St Vincent de Paul, kind saint, model of the Good Samaritan, who helped the poor, the sick, the beggars and all those who came to his aid; Lord, who blesses those who help their neighbour, bless the goodness of St Vincent de Paul. Amen.
Jesus Christ, merciful Lord, let St. Vincent de Paul, saint with innumerable followers, come to my aid and save me from these bad situations I am going through, grant me with your blessed grace the opportunity to find a solution to my ills and illnesses, make the good hearts of others open to your love and help me out of my troubles, Lord, Jesus Christ, in you alone I trust. Amen.
St Vincent de Paul, generous saint, I ask your pious intercession before God in these difficult moments that I am going through, so that I may get out of these difficulties, saint who made charity your own, as our Lord Jesus Christ commands in his Gospel, may I find the necessary help to face my difficulties, directing my thirst to those who are able to help me. Amen.
Prayer to St Vincent de Paul for children
St Vincent de Paul is represented in his iconography with children, because among his charitable missions he created soup kitchens where they fed the children of the poor, of the cities and of the countryside, since his childhood was also spent in a house of economic hardship, so that from childhood he dedicated himself to taking care of sheep and other domestic animals in the fields where he lived with his humble family.
Throughout his life, he considered children to be the most neglected members of society, which is why he promoted the creation of popular schools in the poorest rural and urban areas, through associations such as the Damas Caritativas, which provided children and young people with food, shelter and religious education.
O Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of all the creatures that inhabit this beautiful planet, I come before Your Grace with respect and humility to beg Your mercy for the orphaned and abandoned children, without a roof to shelter them and protect them from the rain and the cold, I implore You to give Divine strength to Saint Vincent de Paul so that some of his associations may have the means to help the abandoned children.
St. Vincent de Paul, Saint who gave material and spiritual help to the sick and the poor, with a heart full of humble gratitude I ask You to help the children who suffer great misfortune living in the streets without social assistance, make the rulers turn their generosity towards those who give social assistance to children living without protection and give them Your Blessing. Amen.
Hymn to St Vincent de Paul
On the occasion of the celebration of the 400th anniversary of the founding of the Vincentian Missions, which were inspired by St Vincent de Paul’s social assistance to the most marginalised sections of society and the spreading of the holy teachings of Christianity and Catholic doctrine, the Hymn to St Vincent de Paul was written by Fr Juan Javier Iñigo Monrea in 2017.
This hymn highlights the works of St Vincent de Paul in the service of Jesus Christ, fulfilling the biblical commandment, according to St Matthew 25:40, to do works for the poor. For the impulse he gave to the most needy through the charitable associations of social assistance and the spreading of the Word of God, he is also honoured with the creation of a hymn in his honour.
The sayings of St Vincent de Paul
The writings of St Vincent de Paul are numerous and they have been used to promote his missionary work. From these writings, especially from his hundreds of letters, which have been collected since the 17th century, as in the document “Extract from the Letters and Spiritual Conferences of St Vincent de Paul, Priest”, we can extract his many phrases that encourage people to take part in social work. (See; Phrases of St Vincent de Paul).
In his words, St Vincent de Paul exhorts us to live in accordance with the precepts of Jesus Christ and to follow the Christian example of charity and the preaching of the holy word, like the apostolate of the first Christians such as St Peter, St Luke, St Paul and so many others who followed them in spreading Christianity and helping the sick and the marginalised. (See what Christianity teaches).
St Vincent de Paul film
St Vincent de Paul, since the beginning of the creation of his missions and charitable confraternities, became known as one of the best benefactors of his country, in terms of social assistance to the sick, poor, prisoners and abandoned children who suffered the ravages of the continuous wars that France faced during most of the seventeenth century, his life would be taken as an example of solidarity in France after the Second World War.
The film “Monsieur Vincent”, which recounts the life of St Vincent de Paul, sought to raise awareness of solidarity after France began to rebuild from the disasters of the bloody Second World War of the 20th century, with its creators rescuing St Vincent de Paul’s example of solidarity, which helped to alleviate the hardships caused by the misery of his time and the black plague.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUf01IHmsps
The low-budget film Monsieur Vincent, which won awards including Best French Film and Best French Actor, went on to win the 1949 Oscar for Best Non-English Language Film. The film about St Vincent de Paul was directed by Maurice Cloche (1907-1990).
With a running time of approximately 111 minutes, the film is considered a jewel of 20th century French cinema, in which the performance of the actor Pierre Fresnay shows us all the vicissitudes that Saint Vincent de Paul experienced during his priesthood and as a promoter of charitable works. His interpretation of this role moved him so much that his faith in Christianity was strengthened and led him to convert to the Catholic religion (see; Where does the Catholic religion come from).
Poem on St Vincent de Paul
In addition to songs, hymns, prayers, videos and films, poems are constantly being dedicated to St Vincent de Paul, highlighting his work of social and spiritual assistance to the less fortunate in society. In any Catholic school, it is common for children and young people to be asked to write literary pieces, such as poems, highlighting the life of this great saint as homework. (See: Poem on St Vincent de Paul).
The poems dedicated to St Vincent de Paul have the following tenor, highlighting the virtuous life he lived in favour of the sick and the socially excluded;
Saint Vincent de Paul, saint of shining light,
Conqueror of the shadows of misery,
To God we give thanks for your radiant charity,
With your voice the poor were listened to and heard,
With your priesthood you consoled the outcast,
The sick, the imprisoned and the crippled,
Your religious vocation was that of the Good Samaritan,
To you we dedicate our prayers
You will always be an example to the generations, St. Vincent de Paul, Saint of shining light, We love you today and forever.
