Vincent Ferrer
Born c. 1350, St. Vincent was the son of an Englishman and a Spaniard. At 27, he entered the Dominican order and taught theology. He also began to preach to the Jews and Muslims. He later became the confessor of Queen Yolanda of Aragon. A friend of Pedro, Cardinal de Luna, Vincent entered his curia in 1394, when de Luna became Benedict XIII. At the time, Benedict ruled as anti-pope in Avignon, and Boniface IX ruled as pope in Rome. Vincent believed that the pope in Avignon was the legitimate pope. He left his post with de Luna five years later, after he had a vision of Sts. Francis and Dominic, who instructed him to preach. Vincent travelled in Spain, France, Switzerland, and Italy, where he gained a reputation as a powerful preacher of repentance and penance. Many called him the Angel of Judgement, and a group of penitants (male and female), some flagellants, began to follow him. He is said to have converted many Muslims and Jews. In 1412, he was among the people chosen to elect a new king for Aragon. By then, Vincent had changed his mind about the validity of the papacy in Avignon and persuaded Ferdinand of Aragon to withdraw his support of de Luna, an act which helped to end the schism. Vincent died in 1419 while on a preaching tour; Callixtus III canonized him in 1455.
Karen Rae Keck
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