Vincent Ferrer

Alban Butler — Lives of the Saints, with Reflections for Every Day in the Year (1894) · April 5— ST. VINCENT FERRER.

April 5— ST. VINCENT FERRER.

CHis wonderful apostle^ the " Angel of the Judgment," was born at Valencia in Spain, in 1350, and at the age of eighteen professed in the Order of St. Dominic. After a brilliant course of study he became master of sacred theology. For three years he read only the Scrip- tures, and knew the whole Bible by heart. He converted the Jews of Valencia, and their synagogue became a church. Grief at the great schism then afflicting the Church reduced him to the point of death ; but Our Lord Himself in glory bade him go forth to convert sinners, " for My judgment is nigh." This miraculous apostolate lasted twenty-one years. He preached throughout Europe, in the towns and villages of Spain, Switzerland, France, Italy, England, Ireland, Scotland. Everywhere tens of thousands of sinners were reformed; Jews, infidels, and heretics were converted. Stupendous miracles enforced his words. Twice each day the " miracle bell " summone'd the sick, the blind, the lame to be cured. Sinners the most obdurate became Saints; speaking only his native Spanish, he was understood in all tongues. Processions of ten thousand penitents followed him in perfect order. Convents, orphanages, hospitals, arose in his path. Amidst all, his humility remained pro- found, his prayer constant. He always prepared for preaching by prayer. Once, however, when a person of high rank was to be present at his sermon he neglected prayer for study. The nobleman was not particularly

Biographical overview

Vincent Ferrer, OP (Valencian: Sant Vicent Ferrer [ˈsaɱ viˈsɛɱ feˈreɾ]; Spanish: San Vicente Ferrer; Italian: San Vincenzo Ferreri; German: Sankt Vinzenz Ferrer; Dutch: Sint-Vincent Ferrer; French: Saint Vincent Ferrier; 23 January 1350 – 5 April 1419) was a Valencian Dominican friar who gained acclaim as a preacher, missionary and logician. After supporting Antipope Benedict XIII during the Western Schism, Ferrer travelled to preach across Western Europe and the British Isles. His preaching has been credited in some sources as converting 25,000 Jews to Catholicism. Other sources indicate that it involved support for coercive means, such as the forcible conversion of synagogues into churches. He was canonized in 1455.

The lives of the Fathers, martyrs, and other principal saints · 2 · ST. VINCENT FERRER, C.

From his life, written by Ranzano, bishop of Lucera, in order to his canonization, in Henschenlus, with the notes of Papebroke. See Touron, Homines IUustres de l'Ordre de St. Dominique, t. 3 ; Fleury, b. 110.

A. D. 1419.

St. Vincent Ferrer was bora at Valentia; in Spain, on the 23d of Jan- uary, 1357. His parents were persons distinguished for their virtue and almsdeeds. They made it their rule to distribute in alms whatever they could save out of thr necessary expenses of their family at the ond of every year. Two of their sons became eminent in the church — Bcniface, who died general of the Carthusians, and St. Vincent, who brought with him into the world a happy disposition for learning and piety, which were im- proved from his cradle by study and a good education. In order to subdue his passions, he fasted rigorously from his childhood every Wednesday and Friday. The passion of Christ was always the object of his most tender devotion. The blessed Virgin he ever honored as his spiritual mother. Locking on the poor as the members of Christ, he treated them with the greatest affection and charity, which being observed by his parents, they made him the dispenser of their bountiful alms. They gave him for hia portion the third part of their possessions, all which he in four days' timo

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