Saint Vincent de Paul Icon Print

Saint Vincent de Paul ready to frame print Born into a poor family in France in 1581, Vincent de Paul felt an early call to the priesthood and was ordained at the age of nineteen, an age which was quite unusual even at that time. Five years later, he was traveling by ship from Marseilles to Castres when he was captured by the Barbary Pirates and sold into slavery in Tunis. After two years he escaped back to Europe where he resumed his studies and his ministry as a priest. He was soon drawn to focus on ministering to the poorest of the poor. He raised money to provide food and other necessities to poor families, and to ransom galley slaves from North Africa as he had himself once been. In 1622 he was appointed chaplain to the galleys and spent time working with and ministering to galley slaves. He founded the Congregation of the Mission also called the Vincentians, a religious order dedicated to serving the poor. He died in 1660 and was canonized in 1737.  In 1833 the Society of Saint V