St Vincent de Paul

Each year the feast of St Vincent de Paul falls on 27th September. As in 2026 this is a Sunday, St Vincent’s feast is not observed liturgically; but we choose this year to highlight this great Saint (in what is sometimes called a “hidden feast” as not mentioned in the liturgical prayers) who is of such importance to the Church’s mission to the poor, who is linked to the fruits of St Philip Neri’s work and who collaborated with his followers, and who is honoured specially in our parish as the patron of “The Society of St Vincent de Paul.”

Born in Southern France in 1581, St Vincent was ordained priest in 1600. Vincent’s tumultuous early life included his capture by pirates and two years spent as a slave in Tunisia. Later St Vincent did pastoral work in the Paris area and started to excel in ministry to the poor to which a large portion of his life became devoted. He subsequently founded the Congregation of the Mission (Lazarists) for the giving of missions and the training of priests – this Institute, founded in 1625, celebrates its 400^th anniversary this year. Vincent also collaborated in the foundation of the Sisters of Charity with St Louise de Marillac. (St Catherine Labouré, the visionary of the “Miraculous Medal”, was a member of this congregation in the 19^th century.) Later, St Vincent’s ministry intersected closely with those influenced by St Philip Neri: he received spiritual guidance from Father (later Cardinal) Pierre de Bérulle, founder of the Oratory of France; he was also entrusted with pastoral missions by St Francis de Sales. A person astonishingly active in many different works, St Vincent’s apostolate was built on prayer, the practice of which he was faithful to throughout his life. The saint died in 1660 and was canonised in 1737. In modern times, St Vincent’s name is often associated with his patronage of the “Society of St Vincent de Paul”, founded by Blessed Frédéric Ozanam in 1833 and devoted to the service of the poor.