Saint Vincent Ferrer
Stored in Cargo: Saint Vincent Ferrer
| Saint Vincent Ferrer | |
| Feast Day | April 05 |
|---|---|
| Liturgical Class | |
| Patronage | Builders, plumbers, fishermen, Valencia, preachers, reconciliation |
| Birthplace | Valencia, Crown of Aragon (now Spain) |
| Death Place | Vannes, Duchy of Brittany (now France) |
| Cause of Death | Natural causes (fever and exhaustion) |
| Primary Shrine | Cathedral of Saint Mary, Valencia, Spain |
Saint Vincent Ferrer, born on January 23, 1350, in Valencia, was a Dominican friar and fiery preacher whose apocalyptic sermons and miracles galvanized Europe during the Western Schism. Joining the Dominicans in 1367, he studied in Barcelona and Toulouse, becoming a theology professor before embarking on a 20-year preaching mission from 1399. Known as the “Angel of the Apocalypse,” he roamed Spain, France, and Italy, urging repentance and healing divisions between rival popes, converting thousands—including Jews and Muslims—with his multilingual oratory. His miracles, like raising the dead and healing the sick, bolstered his fame. Exhausted from ceaseless travel, he died on April 5, 1419, in Vannes, Brittany, after preaching Lent.
Canonized in 1455 by Pope Calixtus III, a fellow Valencian, Vincent’s feast day, April 5, celebrates his zeal and reconciling spirit. His relics rest in Valencia’s Cathedral of Saint Mary, a pilgrimage site, though his cult spread rapidly post-death. Patron of builders, preachers, and Valencia, his *Treatise on the Spiritual Life* and surviving sermons reflect a legacy of faith and action, influencing the Church through his role in ending the Schism and inspiring awe with his supernatural deeds.
Biography
Birth
Saint Vincent Ferrer was born on January 23, 1350, in Valencia, Crown of Aragon (modern Spain), to Guillem Ferrer, a notary, and Constança Miquel, a pious couple. Tradition claims his birth followed his mother’s vision of a preaching friar. Valencia’s bustling medieval port shaped his early world.
His family’s status afforded education, and Vincent’s precocity shone early. Born during plague and political strife, his life’s fervor mirrored a turbulent age.
Early Life
Vincent grew up in Valencia, schooled by local Dominicans from age 14, entering their order in 1367 despite parental hopes for a secular career. He studied philosophy in Barcelona and theology in Lleida and Toulouse, excelling as a logician. By 1379, he taught at Valencia’s cathedral school, ordained a priest around 1374.
The Western Schism (1378) split his loyalties; he initially backed the Avignon papacy under Cardinal Pedro de Luna (later Benedict XIII). This period forged his intellect and missionary zeal, setting him on a preaching path.
Occupation
Vincent’s occupation began as a Dominican friar and scholar, teaching theology in Valencia and Salamanca. From 1399, he became an itinerant preacher, traveling Europe—Spain, France, Italy—during the Schism, delivering thousands of sermons on repentance and unity. Appointed papal confessor by Benedict XIII, he later broke ties to heal the Church divide.
His preaching drew crowds of 10,000, often outdoors, with miracles reported—healings, exorcisms, resurrections. Vincent’s occupation fused scholarship with evangelization, ending in Vannes as a herald of divine judgment.
Vocation
Vincent’s vocation crystallized in 1398, when a vision—Christ flanked by Saints Dominic and Francis—commanded him to preach penance, confirmed by a near-fatal illness’s miraculous cure. From 1399, he roamed as a missionary, urging moral reform and Schism resolution, supporting the Council of Constance (1414–1418). His multilingual sermons converted thousands, notably in Jewish and Muslim communities.
His vocation peaked in Brittany, preaching Lent 1419 despite frailty. Vincent’s life was a trumpet call to repentance, blending mysticism with practical reconciliation, leaving a unified Church as his legacy.
Death
Saint Vincent Ferrer met his end on April 5, 1419, in Vannes, Brittany, dying of fever and exhaustion at 69 after a grueling Lenten preaching tour. Bedridden in a borrowed room, he urged peace and died peacefully, buried in Vannes Cathedral at Duke John V’s insistence. His body, exhumed in 1441, drew pilgrims.
Relics later moved to Valencia’s cathedral in 1455, cementing his cult. Vincent’s death closed a life of ceaseless mission, his sanctity affirmed by immediate devotion and miracles.
Significant events
- Joined the Dominicans in 1367.
- Began preaching mission after a 1398 vision.
- Preached at Salamanca, performing miracles, c. 1412.
- Died on April 5, 1419, in Vannes.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Valencia, Crown of Aragon (now Spain)
Death location: Vannes, Duchy of Brittany (now France)
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Parishes
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Canonization
Servant of God
No formal “Servant of God” step existed in 1419; Vincent’s veneration surged in Brittany and Valencia post-death, with inquiries by 1420s spurred by miracles and preaching fame.
Venerable
No Venerable status then; his sanctity was presumed, accelerating his cause without modern stages.
Beatification
Initial beatification approval came in 1453 from Pope Calixtus III, formalized by Pius II, based on miracles like resurrections, though full canonization followed swiftly.
Canonization
Canonized on June 3, 1455, by Pope Calixtus III in Rome, after miracles—raising a dead woman and healing a crippled boy—verified by a commission, reflecting his vast influence within 36 years of death.
Miracles
Miracle for beatification
No separate beatification miracle; canonization in 1455 cited numerous acts, including a woman raised from death in Spain (c. 1400s) to confess sins, attested by witnesses and pivotal for his early cult.
Miracle for canonization
A crippled boy in Salamanca regained mobility c. 1412 after Vincent’s prayer, one of two key miracles—alongside the resurrection—confirmed by Calixtus III’s inquiry in 1455, meeting medieval requirements.
Other notable miracles
- Multiplied bread for the poor, per tradition. - Converted thousands with sermons, often with healings.
Patronage
Saint Vincent Ferrer is the patron saint of builders, plumbers, fishermen, Valencia, preachers, and reconciliation.
Feast day
The feast day of Saint Vincent Ferrer is celebrated on April 5.
Veneration
Saint Vincent is venerated through prayers for repentance and unity, centered at Valencia Cathedral, where his arm relic rests. Depicted with wings (as the “Angel of Judgment”) or a trumpet, his cult extends to the Anglican Communion via Dominican influence. Festivals in Valencia and Vannes honor his preaching, with his *Treatise* inspiring spiritual renewal.
Books
Written about the saint
Written by the saint
- "Treatise on the Spiritual Life" (available in historical collections)