Saint Vincent de Paul
Feast day: September 27
Saint Vincent de Paul, priest of the poor, father of orphans, patron of charities (27/09)
Who is he?
Saint Vincent de Paul was a French priest, called “the father of the poor.” He founded the Congregation of the Mission, and together with Saint Louise de Marillac founded the Daughters of Charity, two communities that still serve the poor all over the world today.
Life story
Vincent was born in 1581 into a poor farming family in southern France. As a boy, he looked after the pigs and sheep in the fields. Seeing how bright he was, his parents worked hard to send him to school. He became a priest when he was still very young.
At first, he hoped to find a good position so he could live comfortably and help his family. But little by little, God changed his heart. Once, he was called to the side of a dying farmer. The man went to Confession and admitted that if no priest had come, he would have died in his sins. Vincent realized that the country people badly needed someone to teach them the faith.
Another Sunday, he heard about a family in the parish who were all sick, with no one to take care of them. He preached about them at Mass. That afternoon, a great many people brought them food. He thought: kindness needs to be organized so that the poor can be helped for a long time. And so he started the first charity groups.
From then on, he gave his whole life to the poor. He founded the Congregation of the Mission to preach to country people. With Saint Louise de Marillac, he founded the Daughters of Charity to care for the sick and the poor. He visited the galley slaves, prisoners punished by being made to row heavy ships. In Paris, many newborn babies were abandoned in the streets; he arranged for them to be taken in, and found people to raise and care for them.
He died in Paris on 27 September 1660, at almost 80 years old, and was canonized in 1737.
Why is he a saint?
Saint Vincent saw Jesus in every poor person. He lived the words of Jesus: “as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me” (Mt 25:40). He didn’t help just once; he found ways for many people to help together, and to keep on helping.
A lesson for you
- When you see someone in need, invite your friends to help together, like collecting gifts for a poor classmate.
- Be gentle with younger children, especially those who have no one to care for them.
- Pray for the poor, the sick and people in prison.
Identifying marks
- Holding a newborn baby wrapped in a blanket: he worked to rescue abandoned newborn babies in Paris.
- A hand resting on the shoulder of a poor child: he protected and raised poor children.
- A black cassock, a white collar, a small black cap and a white beard: the clothes of a French priest of the 17th century, and the familiar look of a kind old man.
- Old streets of Paris: where he lived and served the poor for most of his life.
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