St. Vincent de Paul was born in 1580 to a large
and poor farming family. At the extraordinary age of 20, he was
ordained a priest.
In 1605, on a voyage by sea from Marseilles to Narbonne, he fell into
the hands of African pirates and was carried as a slave to Tunis. He
was held captive about two years, until Divine Providence enabled him
to escape.
After a brief visit to Rome he returned to France, and became tutor to
a wealthy noble family. During that time he saw the terrible spiritual
state of the peasantry of France.
In 1617, he began to preach missions. So many people came to hear him
preach that priests from elsewhere were called to assist him in hearing
confessions.
In 1625, he laid the foundations of the Congregation of the Mission,
later to be known as the Lazarists or Vincentians.
Charity was St. Vincent de Paul’s predominant virtue. He was a holy
charismatic man able to procure funds and assistance from wealthy
Parisian women. He used the gifts to assist the poor and destitute in
the city.
Despite setbacks, disappointments and slanders, St. Vincent de Paul
preserved serenity and evenness of mind, having no other desire than to
glorify God in all things.
He suffered greatly from ill health toward the end of his life. On
Sept. 27, 1660, at the age of 89, he died calmly in his chair.
Antoine Frederic
Ozanam
The peasant priest was canonized by Pope
Clement XII in 1737 and his feast day is Sept. 27. Pope Leo XIII
proclaimed him patron of all charitable societies.
In 1833, Antoine Frederic Ozanam, a university student at the time,
founded the St. Vincent de Paul Society as a Catholic charitable
organization of laypersons to serve those with emotional, material or
spiritual needs.
