Inspiration for the Society

St. Vincent de Paul (1581 - 1660)

1581 St. Vincent de Paul was born in in the village of Pouy near Dax at the foot of the Pyrenees. The de Paul family was poor but by no means destitute.

1595 Vincent's father recognised Vincent's talents and enrolled him in the boarding school at Dax with the Franciscans.His proficiency in Latin won him admission to Toulouse University.

1600 In September he was ordained a priest at the age of nineteen.

It was while visiting the galley slaves in prison that Vincent got the idea of organising a mission for those condemned to the oars. He started to go from village to village preaching and giving missions.

1625 The Congregation of the Mission was established by him and is known today as Vincentian Fathers.
His mission was "to go all over the earth to inflame people's hearts to do what the Son of God did".
Missionaries joined Vincent from all over Europe amongst them Dermot Duggan and Francis White who were sent to the Hebrides in 1651.

1657 "Another reason for trying continually to make some progress is that it is certain that if we are no better today than we were yesterday, then we are worse"

1660 Vincent died.

1737 Declared a Saint by Pope Clement XII.