Saint Vincent was born to a poor French peasant family. His first formal education was provided by the Franciscans. He did so well, he was hired to tutor the children of a nearby wealthy family. He was ordained but then was kidnapped and sold into slavery. After escaping,he focused on studying in Rome. He focused on helping the poor. He’s known for reforming the clergy and the process for instructing seminarians for the priesthood. He did this first through the presentation of retreats and later by helping develop a precursor to our modern-day seminaries. The Vincentians remain with us today with nearly 4,000 members in 86 countries.
