Saint Vincent Ferrer

Who is he?

Saint Vincent Ferrer was a priest of the Dominicans, also called the Order of Preachers. He was a famous preacher. People called him “the Angel of the Judgment,” because he went everywhere calling people to repent (cf. Rv 14:6-7). He was a man, not an angel.

Life story

Vincent was born in 1350 in Valencia, Spain. At 17, he joined the Dominicans. He was an excellent student and became a priest and a teacher of theology.

At that time, the Church was suffering greatly from the Great Western Schism: at the same time there were two, and later three, men each claiming to be Pope, and the faithful were divided. At first, Vincent believed the Pope in Avignon was the true one and supported him. But later, when he saw that this man refused to step aside so the Church could be united, he withdrew his support. That brave act helped the Church become united again.

In 1399, he began traveling to preach. During about the last 20 years of his life, he went through Spain, France, Italy, Switzerland and many other regions. He usually traveled on foot, lived in poverty, fasted and prayed a lot.

He preached that the Lord would come to judge, so everyone should repent, go to Confession and live good lives. According to witnesses, huge crowds came to hear him; sometimes he had to preach out in open fields because the churches were not big enough. Many sinners came back to God, many enemies made peace, and people told of many miracles.

He died on 5 April 1419 in Vannes, France, while he was on a preaching journey. In 1455, he was canonized.

Why is he a saint?

Saint Vincent Ferrer loved God and cared about the salvation of every person. He did not mind long roads or tiredness, so long as he could bring many people back to God. He was also humble enough to see that his earlier choice had been wrong, and brave enough to change direction for the good of the Church.

A lesson for you

• Each evening, examine your conscience a little: what good did you do today, what wasn’t good, then ask God to help you do better.
• Go to Confession often, so your heart is always ready to meet God.
• When you see that you were wrong, be brave enough to admit it and put it right.