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Baroque portrait of Vincent de Paul
FEAST · SEPTEMBER 27

VINCENT DE PAUL

Patron of charity workers, hospital workers, prisoners, the poor, volunteers.

Vincent de Paul was born to a peasant family in Pouy, France, in 1581. Ordained a priest in 1600, his early clerical life was marked by a desire for comfort, but a profound spiritual conversion led him to dedicate his life entirely to serving the poor. He founded the Congregation of the Mission, known as the Vincentians, to evangelize rural areas and reform the clergy. Together with St. Louise de Marillac, he co-founded the Daughters of Charity, the first non-cloistered religious community of women devoted to active service among the sick and impoverished. His organized, practical charity revolutionized social service in 17th-century France. For Catholics today, he remains a model of humility and tireless compassion, demonstrating that love for God is inseparable from concrete love for one's neighbor. He is the patron saint of all charitable societies, hospital workers, prisoners, and those who serve the forgotten.
A PRAYER TO VINCENT DE PAUL

Heavenly Father, you endowed Saint Vincent de Paul with a priestly heart to serve the poorest and most abandoned. Through his intercession, grant us the grace to see your face in those who suffer. Inspire in us a spirit of true charity, that we may serve our neighbors with humility, generosity, and perseverance. Help us to build a world where no one is forgotten, and guide all who work in hospitals, prisons, and charitable organizations. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

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