In 1622, Vincent was appointed as chaplain to the galleys. After working for some time in Paris among imprisoned galley slaves, he returned to be the superior of what is now known as the Congregation of the Mission, or the "Vincentians" (in France known as "Lazaristes"), which he co-founded.


These Vincentian priests, with vows of poverty, chastity, obedience, and stability, were to devote themselves entirely to the people in smaller towns and villages. Vincent was zealous in conducting retreats for clergy at a time when the local clergy's morals were flagging. He was a pioneer in seminary education and also founded the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul. He is the namesake of the Vincentian Family of organizations, which includes both of the religious communities he founded.


He was renowned for his compassion, humility, and generosity. Vincent was canonized in 1737 and is venerated as a saint in both the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion.^[1]

Return to Europe[edit]

After returning to France, Vincent went to Rome. There he continued his studies until 1609, when he was sent back to France on a mission to King Henry IV. Once in France, he made the acquaintance of Pierre de Bérulle, whom he took as his spiritual advisor. André Duval, of the Sorbonne introduced him to Canfield's "Rule of Perfection".^[10] Vincent was by nature a rather irascible person, but he slowly learned to become more sensitive to the needs of others.^[11]


In 1612 he was sent as a parish priest to the Church of Saint-Medard in Clichy. In less than a year, Bérulle recalled him to Paris to serve as a chaplain and tutor to the Gondi family.^[5] "Although Vincent had initially begun his priesthood with the intention of securing a life of leisure for himself, he underwent a change of heart after hearing the confession of a dying peasant."^[12] It was the Countess de Gondi who persuaded her husband to endow and support a group of able and zealous missionaries who would work among poor tenant farmers and country people in general.^[11]


On 13 May 1643, with Louis XIII dead, Queen Anne had her husband's will annulled by the Parlement de Paris (a judicial body comprising mostly nobles and high clergymen), making her the sole Regent of France. Anne nominated Vincent de Paul as her spiritual adviser; he helped her deal with religious policy and the Jansenism question.

Legacy[edit]

Niagara University in Lewiston, New York, St. John's University in New York City, and DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois, were founded in 1856,^[24] 1870^[25] and 1898,^[26] respectively, by the Congregation of the Mission in the United States. Many high schools are named after Vincent.


Parishes are dedicated to Vincent in Los Angeles;^[27] Washington, DC;^[28] Syracuse, New York; Chicago, Illinois;^[29] Omaha, Nebraska;^[30] Mays Landing, New Jersey;^[31] Mt. Vernon, Ohio.^[32] Houston, Texas;^[33] Delray Beach, Florida; Wheeling, West Virginia,^[34] Coventry, Rhode Island, Churchville, New York,^[35] Peryville, Missouri,^[36] Lenox Dale, Massachusetts,^[37] Girardville, Pennsylvania,^[38] Arlington, Texas, Denver, Colorado,^[39] and elsewhere.


Countless books, films, and monuments have been erected in his memory around the globe.