Saint Essay (1)

St. Vincent de Paul The man of charity By: Vincent echano 8b In his 79 years of existence, St. Vincent de Paul did almost everything that was possible to make a difference in the lives of the poor people. St. Vincent de Paul lived in France and is the patron saint of many things, most notably, the patron saint of charities. He was declared patron of all charitable groups by Pope Leo XIII in 1885. Saint Vincent did more than just serve the poor. He gave his full commitment and lived his life to change the lives of the poor. He helped the galley slaves even though he knew they were dangerous and unhealthy, he did everything to serve the poor people, and he established orders that would carry out his legacy for many generations to come.

St. Vincent de Paul was born around the year 1850 near the village of Pouy, Gascony, in southwestern France. He was born into a peasant family and had four brothers and two sisters. Vincent studied theology at the University of Toulouse. He was ordained as a priest at age 19, and went back to Toulouse to finish his theological studies four years later. St. Vincent de Paul is best known for his charity work and great service to the poor. He was fully committed to charity and is the patron saint of charities. St. Vincent de Paul died of old age on September 27, 1660 in Paris, France, after living a life of doing God’s

will. Vincent was declared venerable in 1705, beatified on August 13, 1729 by Pope Benedict XIII and canonized on June 16, 1737 by Pope Clement XII. St. Vincent de Paul lived a very saintly life and he was more than happy to serve the poor, even if the conditions were horrible.

In 1622, St. Vincent de Paul was appointed chaplain to the galleys, where he gave missions for galley slaves. Vincent was concerned for the slaves because of the terrible conditions in the galleys. The galleys were dark, damp, and the only food the slaves got was black bread and water. Worse, the slaves were covered with vermin and ulcers, and their moral state was worse and more fearful than their physical state. These conditions did not scare de Paul though; they only made him more determined to help the slaves. With the help of another priest, St. Vincent de Paul gave missions to the galley slaves, and did any service the slaves required no matter how repulsive. Eventually, Vincent won their hearts and converted them to Christianity. This shows that St. Vincent de Paul would have gone to extreme measures to make a difference in the lives of the poor and needy.

St. Vincent de Paul was arguably the best known saint for charity work or serving the poor. His work with the poor and his preaching attracted widespread attention. After returning to France from slavery, he was appointed to a parish near Paris where he organized several

missions for the poor in the French countryside. In time, his charity work spread all over France and eventually to other parts of Europe. St. Vincent de Paul served poor of all ages, from babies to the elderly. He also established several hospitals, such as the Hospice in the Name of Jesus. To do this, he used his social status to persuade the wealthy lay people of Paris to dedicate some of their time and money to helping the poor. Vincent de Paul also established parish co-fraternities to aid the poor. These are just a few reasons why Vincent de Paul is the patron of all charities. His legacy lives on today in the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, which has about 950 000 members in 132 countries worldwide, and they continue his legacy of charity work all over the world. St. Vincent de Paul also established orders when he was alive, all of them committed to serve the poor.

St. Vincent de Paul established two orders in his lifetime, and both worked to serve the poor. The first order he established was the Congregation of the Mission in 1625. The order is made up of priests and brothers who went out and evangelized the poor. Members of this order are known as Vincentians or Lazarists. They also gave missions to spiritually poor peasants and the sick. The second order that St. Vincent de Paul established was the Daughters of Charity in 1633, which was cofounded by his close friend, Louise de Marillac. The order was made up of women that ministered to the sick, the poor, and to abandoned

children. The Sisters of Charity also helped St. Vincent de Paul in establishing hospitals. Both these orders still exist today and carry on St. Vincent de Paul’s charity work.

St. Vincent de Paul did everything he could to make a difference in how people treated and viewed the poor. His whole life was devoted to the alleviation of human suffering and misery. He went out of his way to organize missions for the poor, risked his life to serve and convert the galley slaves, established orders to serve the needy in different ways, and highlighted the importance and value of our poorest citizens. Other than the orders St. Vincent de Paul established, his legacy lives on today with the work of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, serving the poor all around the world. Essentially, St. Vincent de Paul’s commitment and dedication didn’t die with him. With the charity work happening all around the world, his spirit lives on, and it will never die.