Saint Vincent
Vincent Ferrier was born on January 23, 1350 near Valencia, Spain. A Dominican priest, he was famous for his preaching and his participation in many conversions.
He died on April 5, 1419 at Vannes in Brittany. At the age of 69, he was canonized in 1455 by Calixtus III. He is celebrated every year by the Church on April 5. So, let's meet Saint Vincent Ferrier: his life, his influence and what he can still tell us today.
At the end of this article, we also invite you to discover other saintly figures inthe Guide to Saints on Hozana.
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Biography of Vincent Ferrier
Coming from a very Christian family and being the fourth child of a notary, legend has it that his father had a dream informing him that he would have a Dominican son. This dream would become reality: Vincent Ferrer entered the Order of Preachers (the Dominicans) at the age of 17 and took his vows a year later. During the first years, he thought of leaving the clergy, but his parents encouraged him to persevere. His perseverance paid off, since some time later, he wrote two books: one on astronomy, and one on dialectics. Being intellectually brilliant and knowing Latin, Hebrew, and physics, he was given the post of professor for his Dominican brothers. He was ordained a priest in 1379 in Barcelona, where he taught theology. He later obtained a doctorate in theology.
In the image of Dominican charisma, Vincent Ferrier asserted himself as a true preacher. Tireless, he traveled for twenty years from 1399 to his death, throughout much of Europe: Spain, France, Italy, Switzerland, England, and Scotland.
An outstanding speaker, he was accompanied at each of his preaching sessions by a large crowd, which forced him to preach in large outdoor spaces. He was attributed the gift of tongues and healing.
A renowned preacher and missionary, especially to the Jews and Muslims of Spain, he was considered one of the greatest missionaries of his time.
He died in April 1419 from exhaustion. Some of his relics are venerated in the Cathedral of Saint-Pierre de Vannes, a city of which he is the patron saint. He is also the Patron Saint of builders, roofers, and plumbers.
At his death, many miracles were attributed to him at his tomb. Today, a fraternity in France bears his name: the Fraternité Saint-Vincent-Ferrier, a male monk community, located in Chémeré-le-Roi, in Mayenne.
Discover other great Dominican figures include Saint Dominic, Saint Catherine of Siena, and Saint Thomas Aquinas.
What can we learn from Saint Vincent Ferrier?
Vincent Ferrier, a courageous missionary
Vincent Ferrier was involved in preaching to the Jews and Muslims of Spain to proclaim the Good News to them.
The Dominican Brother Bertrand-Marie Guillaume, shows how much Vincent Ferrier was able to convert the Jews by explaining that: “his empathy and benevolence towards them, as well as his in-depth knowledge of Hebrew and Torah, allowed him to win many of them to Christ, including rabbis, such as Yeoshua ha-Lurqui who took the name of Jerome of Holy Faith.”
To explain his sensitivity to the Jews, Vincent Ferrier said, “We must have more sympathy for [the Jews] because Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin were of Jewish race. ”
Regarding the Muslims, the Moorish kings of Granada wanted to hear the voice of Vincent Ferrier. It is said that 8,000 Muslims were baptized in Castile, thanks in particular to his preaching.
In addition to traveling throughout much of Europe, his missionary courage was also highlighted. A year before his death, and despite his fatigue, he preached almost everywhere in Brittany: in Nantes, Vannes, Redon, Rennes, Dol, Saint-Malo, St-Brieuc, Tréguier, St-Pol de Léon, Quimper, etc. He attracted large crowds that he called for conversion. Sick people were also cured.
In addition to Brittany, Vincent Ferrier also preached in other regions of France, such as Toulouse, the Massif Central, Burgundy, Franche-Comté, and Savoy.
Finally, his missionary courage brought him to preach on the announcement of the return of Christ, which is why he is sometimes referred to as “the preacher of the end of the world.”
Vincent Ferrier, a love for the Church
Between 1378 and 1415, the Western Church faced a division: there were three rival popes, one in Rome, one in Pisa, and one in Avignon. In a great love for the Church, Vincent Ferrier spared no effort with the Pope of Avignon, Benedict XIII, to work to put an end to this schism. By asking Pope Benedict XIII to relinquish his office, Vincent Ferrier contributed in particular to the end of the Western Schism with the election of Pope Martin V.
In addition, preferring preaching and the proclamation of the Gospel, Vincent Ferrier refused certain honors, such as the proposal of Pope Benedict XIII to appoint him a member of his council.
What can Saint Vincent Ferrier bring us today?
A true missionary, Saint Vincent Ferrier can remind us that mission and evangelism is not an option, but a duty. The Second Vatican Council and many other documents of the Magisterium (writings of the Bishops) show us that by virtue of our baptism, we must testify and proclaim the Good News of the death and resurrection of Christ. We can also add that Pope Francis invites us to go out to the peripheries, that is to say to the places where people who have not yet heard of the Gospel are.
To deepen your understanding of Saint Vincent Ferrier
Books written by Saint Vincent Ferrier
Discover some books and writings by Saint Vincent Ferrier:
· Treatise on the Spiritual Life
· Treatise to Unblind Jews
Books written on the life of Saint Vincent Ferrier
To deepen your knowledge of his life, you can also read:
· Henri Ghéon, Saint Vincent Ferrier: the apostle of difficult times
Praying with Saint Vincent Ferrier
Prayer by Saint Vincent Ferrier “Good Jesus, let me be permeated with love”
“Good Jesus, let me be penetrated to the depths of the heart and soul of love, sovereign fear, respect and ardent zeal for Your Glory, so that, jealous of Your Honor, I feel the most violent horror against all the outrages that are addressed to You, especially, O my God, against those who have been fulfilled in me, by me or for my sake”.
Amen
Prayer of Saint Vincent Ferrier on his apostolate “Give me the Grace, O my God, to realize more every day that I am nothing and that You are All!”
“I am a galley of the apostolate, a galley of God, but this galley is sweet to me and I thank You, O my Lord! In the awareness that I am inferior to my task, I bless You for having given me this ineffable consolation of resembling Your Christ Jesus, of having to imitate His own teaching and wandering Life. Despite the affection of this crowd that presses behind and around me, I am alone, I am lonely, because I consider the distances that separate the peoples, I see the land to be rechristianized, and it is for this task that You have torn me from my homeland and my brothers. I am a poor old man, broken, who can't take it anymore, who knows nothing, or rather who knows only his ignorance and his cowardice… Give me the Grace, O my Lord, O my God, to realize more every day that I am nothing and that You are All!”
Amen
Root yourself in prayer to become a missionary with Hozana
Saint Vincent Ferrier was able to be a tireless missionary primarily due to his life of prayer. It is important to remember that prayer is essential to the mission of evangelism. In other words, there is no evangelism without contemplation of Christ.
Here are some proposals from Hozana to ground yourself again in prayer
· Discover our communities to pray regularly
- Rediscover how to pray the Rosary
