St. Vincent Ferrer

Their story

Vincent Ferrer was born in Valencia, Spain, in 1350. He joined the Dominican order at seventeen, studied philosophy and theology, and became a well-known teacher and preacher. He lived during one of the most painful times in the Church's history, the Great Western Schism, when two and later three men each claimed to be the true pope, and Catholics were bitterly divided. Vincent at first supported the pope who lived in Avignon and served at his court. In 1398 he became gravely ill, and in a vision he saw Christ with St. Dominic and St. Francis, who sent him out to preach repentance. For the next twenty years he traveled on foot through Spain, France, Switzerland and Italy, calling people to turn from sin and prepare to meet God. Huge crowds gathered to hear him, sometimes many thousands at once, and countless people were converted. Many stories were told of his miracles. Vincent also worked to end the schism. When he became convinced that the Avignon pope was blocking peace, he withdrew his support, a decision that helped lead to the end of the division in 1417. He died while preaching in Brittany, France, on April 5, 1419, and was canonized in 1455. He is a patron of builders, perhaps because he built up the Church through his preaching.