St. Vincent de Paul (1581–1660), a French priest who gave his life to the poor, the sick, orphans, galley slaves and the victims of war, is the patron of all works of charity. He founded the Congregation of the Mission (the Vincentians), the Daughters of Charity with St. Louise de Marillac, and confraternities of lay people to serve the poor in their parishes, and the worldwide Society of St. Vincent de Paul bears his name. Below are the traditional prayer to St. Vincent from The Raccolta, prayers for volunteers and for the poor written for this page, Scripture and his story.
The traditional prayer to St. Vincent de Paul
Pope Leo XIII named St. Vincent the heavenly patron of all charitable associations in 1885 and indulgenced this prayer the same year. From The Raccolta (1910):
Glorious St. Vincent, heavenly patron of all charitable associations and father of all the unfortunate, who in thy lifetime didst not reject anyone who had recourse to thee; see now by how many evils we are oppressed, and come to our assistance. Obtain from our Lord help for the poor, solace for the sick, consolation for the afflicted, protection for the abandoned, charity for the rich, conversion for sinners, zeal for priests, peace for the Church, tranquillity among nations, and salvation for all. May all feel the effects of thy merciful intercession, so that, sustained by thee in the miseries of this life, we may be able to join thee above, where there will be no more strife, lamentation or sorrow, but joy, exultation, and beatitude for ever. Amen.
A prayer for volunteers and all who serve the poor
Written for this page:
St. Vincent de Paul, you saw Christ in every poor person
and organized your friends to serve them with love and order.
Bless all who volunteer in food banks, shelters, hospitals and parish societies.
Give them humble, joyful hearts and practical wisdom,
and let the poor they serve feel respected and loved. Amen.
See the works of mercy.
A prayer for the poor
St. Vincent, father of the poor,
pray for all who are hungry, homeless, lonely or in debt,
for families who cannot pay their bills,
and for children who go without.
Move the hearts of those who can help, and begin with mine. Amen.
This prayer was written for this page.
A prayer before a meeting of a charitable society
Lord Jesus, you came to bring good news to the poor.
Through the prayers of St. Vincent de Paul,
guide our work today, help us to listen to one another
and to those we serve,
and make us instruments of your love. Amen.
This prayer was written for this page.
Scripture for St. Vincent de Paul
St. Vincent took as the motto of his Congregation the words of Jesus in the synagogue at Nazareth:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me. Wherefore he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor, he hath sent me to heal the contrite of heart,
To preach deliverance to the captives, and sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of reward.
Then shall the king say to them that shall be on his right hand: Come, ye blessed of my Father, possess you the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
For I was hungry, and you gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me to drink; I was a stranger, and you took me in:
Naked, and you covered me: sick, and you visited me: I was in prison, and you came to me.
Then shall the just answer him, saying: Lord, when did we see thee hungry, and fed thee; thirsty, and gave thee drink?
And when did we see thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and covered thee?
Or when did we see thee sick or in prison, and came to thee?
And the king answering, shall say to them: Amen I say to you, as long as you did it to one of these my least brethren, you did it to me.
The life of St. Vincent de Paul
Vincent was born in 1581 into a peasant family at Pouy, in Gascony, in southwestern France. He was ordained a priest very young, in 1600, and at first hoped for a comfortable career in the Church. In his letters he later told of being captured by pirates and sold as a slave in Tunis before escaping; historians debate the details of the story.
In Paris he became chaplain to the powerful Gondi family. In 1617 two experiences changed his life: hearing the confession of a dying peasant who had never dared to confess his sins, and finding a whole family sick and without food in the parish of Châtillon-les-Dombes. He realized that the poor of the countryside were abandoned both spiritually and materially, and he began to organize help. He founded the Confraternities of Charity (Ladies of Charity), the Congregation of the Mission in 1625 to preach missions to the rural poor and train priests, and, with St. Louise de Marillac, the Daughters of Charity in 1633, sisters who went out into the streets and hospitals instead of living enclosed.
He cared for foundlings abandoned on the streets of Paris, for convicts chained to the oars of the galleys, for the sick, the elderly and the victims of war and famine, while advising kings and bishops and helping to reform the training of priests. He died in Paris on September 27, 1660, and was canonized in 1737. In 1833 Blessed Frédéric Ozanam and his friends founded the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, which today serves the poor in more than a hundred countries.
Feast day and patronage
- Feast day: September 27. A novena can run from September 18 to 26.
- Patron of: charitable societies and works of charity, volunteers, the poor, hospitals, prisoners and Madagascar.
- Symbols: a priest with children in his arms, especially foundlings.
Frequently asked questions
When is the feast of St. Vincent de Paul?
September 27, the day he died in 1660.
What is St. Vincent de Paul the patron saint of?
All charitable societies and works of charity, as declared by Pope Leo XIII in 1885, and the poor and those who serve them.
Who founded the Society of St. Vincent de Paul?
Blessed Frédéric Ozanam, a young French scholar, with a group of friends in Paris in 1833. They placed it under the patronage of St. Vincent.
What orders did St. Vincent de Paul found?
The Congregation of the Mission (Vincentians or Lazarists), the Daughters of Charity, with St. Louise de Marillac, and the Ladies of Charity.
More prayers
- St. Lawrence prayer
- St. Elizabeth Ann Seton prayer
- St. Martin de Porres prayer
- St. Teresa of Calcutta prayer
- Works of mercy
- Prayers of the faithful for St. Vincent de Paul
- Prayers to popular saints
- Saint feast days
Texts and sources
- Prayer to St. Vincent de Paul: The Raccolta, or Collection of Indulgenced Prayers and Good Works (London: Burns and Oates, 1910), no. 350, public domain (archive.org).
- Scripture: Luke 4:18–19; Matthew 25:34–40, Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner), public domain.
- The other prayers were written for this page.