St. Vincent de Paul

Feast Day: September 27

“Go to the poor: you will find God.” – St. Vincent de Paul

St. Vincent de Paul is honored as a great apostle of charity, a tireless servant of the poor, and a reformer of the clergy. His feast day, celebrated on September 27, commemorates his remarkable life of service to the poor, the sick, and the most vulnerable.

A Priest Transformed by the Poor

Vincent was born in 1581 in France to a poor farming family. He was ordained a priest at the young age of 19, originally motivated by the hope of obtaining a comfortable life. However, through a series of profound experiences serving the poor and hearing their confessions, Vincent’s heart was transformed.

He came to understand that his priesthood was not for his own comfort but for the service of Christ in the poor and suffering.

Founder of a Mission of Charity

Seeing the immense spiritual and physical needs of the poor, Vincent founded the Congregation of the Mission, known as the Vincentians, whose mission was to preach the Gospel to the rural poor and to form good and holy priests.

Together with St. Louise de Marillac, he also founded the Daughters of Charity, a community of women religious devoted to serving the sick, orphans, and the destitute wherever they were needed. This was revolutionary for its time, as it was the first religious community of women that worked outside of convent walls.

A Life of Tireless Service

Vincent organized countless charitable works—shelters for abandoned children, hospitals for the sick, and homes for the elderly. He ministered to prisoners, galley slaves, and refugees, always seeing in them the face of Christ.

He was also a reformer of the clergy, working to improve the training and holiness of priests through retreats and seminaries.

A Saint for the Poor and the Forgotten

St. Vincent de Paul died in 1660, leaving behind a legacy of charity that continues today through the many Vincentian communities and organizations, including the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, which serves the poor around the world.

He is the patron saint of charitable societies, the poor, and volunteers, a constant reminder that Christian love is not just words but action.

A Witness of Love in Action

St. Vincent de Paul’s life reminds the faithful that to love Christ is to love Him in the poor. His legacy calls the Church to acts of mercy, justice, and compassion.

St. Vincent de Paul, pray for us!