Vincent Ferrer

Saint Vincent Ferrer, (In Valencian Sant Vicent Ferrer) (23 January 1350 – April 5, 1419) was a Valencian Dominican missionary; born in Valencia, Kingdom of Valencia (modern day Spain).

Ferrer was professed in the Order of Saint Dominic at the age of 18, and after studying, became Master of Sacred Theology. He was commissioned to deliver lectures on philosophy. He was sent to Barcelona and received his doctorate at Lleida, the main university city of Catalonia at the time.

He was depressed because of the great schism and was close to death at the age of forty, but was supposedly healed by the Lord who instructed him to go out and convert many sinners. For twenty-one years, he was said to have traveled to Aragon, Castile, Switzerland, France, Italy, England, Ireland, and Scotland, preaching the gospel and converting many sinners. Ferrer is also said to be responsible for converting many Jews to Christianity, with one Rabbi becoming Bishop of Cartagena .

He is also well known in Spain for his intervention during the political discussion known as the Caspe Compromise , a debate by which the succession of the King of Aragon was solved giving the throne to a Castilian prince: this would later help the union of the crowns of Castile and Aragon, approximately corresponding to today's Spain's territory.

Saint Vincent died on the 5th of April, 1419 at Vannes, Brittany, France. He was canonized by Calixtus III on the 3 June, 1455. His feast day is celebrated on the 5th of April.

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