4/5/22

The Saint of the Day is Saint Vincent Ferrer!

Vincent was born in 1350, in Spain. At the age of 19 and at the opposition of his parents, he joined a Dominican order.
After brilliant studies, he was ordained a priest by Cardinal Peter de Luna.

He was very enthusiastic in the austerities of his order which made him Prior, shortly after his ordination.

During his lifetime, there was a great schism in the Church called the Western Schism. It divided Christianity between two and then three popes! One, Clement VII lived at Avignon in France and another, Urban VI lived in Rome.
Vincent was on the side of Clement.

Years later, Clement VII passed away and was replaced by the one who ordained Vincent, Cardinal Peter de Luna. He became Benedict XIII.

Vincent worked for him as apostolic penitentiary and Master of the Sacred Palace. But the new pope did not resign as all candidates in the conclave had sworn to do. He remained stubborn, despite being deserted by the French king and nearly all of the cardinals.

Vincent became disillusioned and very ill, but finally took up the work of simply “going through the world preaching Christ,” though he felt that any renewal in the Church depended on healing the schism. An eloquent and fiery preacher, he spent the last 20 years of his life spreading the Good News in Spain, France, Switzerland, the Low Countries and Lombardy, stressing the need of repentance and the fear of coming judgment. He became known as the “Angel of the Judgment.”

Vincent tried unsuccessfully, in 1408 and 1415, to persuade his former friend to resign. He finally concluded that Benedict was not the true pope. Though very ill, he mounted the pulpit before an assembly over which Benedict himself was presiding and thundered his denunciation of the man who had ordained him a priest. Benedict fled for his life, abandoned by those who had formerly supported him. Strangely, Vincent had no part in the Council of Constance, which ended the schism.

St. Vincent Ferrer is the patron saint of builders, businessmen and reconciliation!

St. Vincent Ferrer, pray for us!

God Bless!

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