This section contains 418 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) |
Encyclopedia of World Biography on Vincent de Paul, St.
The French priest St. Vincent de Paul (1581-1660) organized works of charity, founded hospitals, and started two Roman Catholic religious orders.
Vincent de Paul was born into a peasant family on April 24, 1581, in the village of Pouy in south-western France. He studied theology at the University of Toulouse, was ordained a priest at 19, and completed his theological studies 4 years later. Using his status as a priest to escape the dull village life of southern France, Vincent went to Paris in 1608. He wrote a curious letter to some friends at this time, telling in detail how he had been captured by Barbary pirates and taken as a slave to Tunisia. This story is not supported by any other evidence, and Vincent never referred to it later in his life.
In Paris, Vincent came under the influence of a wise spiritual guide who gradually caused him to see that helping...
This section contains 418 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) |