Why St. Vincent Ferrer is our Patron Saint.
His Times...
We implore St. Vincent Ferrer's patronage because he helped restore the Catholic Church during the 14th century. At this time, Holy Mother Church was devastated by the Great Western Schism. At one point, there were even three claimants to the papal throne.
The crisis in authority was coupled with rampant immorality and loss of faith among the clergy and lay faithful. Heretics, infidels, pagans, and even satanists encroached upon the lands of Christendom.
Our Lord appeared to St. Vincent Ferrer and entrusted him with a divine mission. He was to call a decadent Christendom to repent and do penance, that they may be saved from cataclysmic disasters of the End Times.
He was God's chosen instrument to be the Angel of the Apocalypse (cf. Apoc 14:6) who preaches: "Fear God, and give Him honor, for the Day of Judgment is at hand" (Apoc 14:7). Through St. Vincent's tireless efforts and profound interior life, God brought about tens of thousands of conversions, among both believers and unbelievers.
His preaching is unsurpassed.
His countless miracles unmatched in history.
His life defined by his motto:
"Whatever you do, think not of yourself, but of God."
Our Times...
We see a striking parallel between our own days and those of St. Vincent Ferrer. Once again, our world is spiraling towards cataclysmic perils. Humble conversions, profound penance, fervent faith, deep devotion to our Blessed Mother, and obedience to God are absolute necessities in our day and age. Today, we desperately need the spirit of St. Vincent Ferrer to inspire all Catholics and forge new saints. As a Foundation and with all those united to our Apostolate, we humbly beg God to mercifully send us yet another Angel of the Apocalypse.
Yet despite how desperately our world needs the 'spirit' of St. Vincent Ferrer and how popular he has been in the past among Catholics, today he remains relatively unknown. We believe it is because his life and message stand in stark opposition with what is so often proclaimed in the world today; even touted within the hierarchy of the Church.
We have compiled a list of twelve very important aspects of St. Vincent Ferrer's life which oppose the errors of today's zeitgeist or 'spirit of our age.'
Erroneous Worldly Message
Modernism & nouvelle theologie [1]
Naturalism & Rationalism [2]
Occult, New Age mysticism, 'devil not real' [3]
Hedonism and licentiousness [4]
Materialism & aggiornamento [5]
False optimism, 'its a springtime' [6]
False tolerance & human respect [7]
Social justice; focus on temporal things [8]
Interfaith Abrahamic Family House [9]
Religious indifferentism & false ecumenism [10]
Papolotry & false collegiality [11]
Separation of Church and State; [12]
expel God from the public sphere;
and uncrown Christ, even in His Church
St. Vincent's Message
[1] Thomistic Scholasticism
[2] Grace and supernatural miracles
[3] Exorcisms; Combat with the devil
[4] Mortification of the flesh and soul
[5] Reject the world and worldly honors
[6] Great insistence upon penance
[7] Holy fear of God
[8] Four Last Things; focus on eternal things
[9] Conversion of Muslims and Jews
[10] Conversion of all heretics
[11] True Loyalty to Papal Office
[12] Union of Church and State;
Powerful influence upon State rulers;
all under Christ the King
St. Vincent and Fatima
As a Dominican, St. Vincent had a great love for and fervent devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and her most Holy Rosary.
In addition, the message of St. Vincent Ferrer has a great conaturality with the greatest heavenly message of our time: The Message of Our Lady of the Rosary at Fatima.
Not only are there significant parallels in the two (presence of angels, concern for Moslems, apocalyptic overtones, emphasis on true Marian devotion, and reverence for the Blessed Sacrament), but St. Vincent heralded salient points of Our Lady's Message:
(1) Hell is real and many people go there.
- We must always remain focused on Heaven and meditate upon the Four Last Things.
(2) Conditional prophecy of imminent and cataclysmic disasters.
(3) Penance, Penance, Penance!
- We must convert, offer reparation, and seek pardon for sinners.
(4) Pray for the Pope, for he will have much to suffer.
St. Vincent Ferrer, ora pro nobis!
Download a lengthier biography of his life, a timeline of his life, his sermon on the Last Judgement, and/or a prayer to St. Vincent Ferrer.
Note: If you wish to read a well-written biography on St. Vincent Ferrer, we recommend St. Vincent Ferrer, Angel of the Apocalypse by Fr. Andrew Pradel, available through TAN books. You can also download a free pdf copy of that same text HERE (from the public domain). We also recommend the books on this saint by Fr. Stanislaus Hogan O.P. and Henri Ghéon.
This same product is available in a 3-Audio CD set. To order a copy please contact our Foundation at info@svfonline.org.
* CD #1 - St. Vincent Ferrer, Angel of the Judgment: "His Life and Times"
* CD#2 - St. Vincent Ferrer, Glory of the Dominicans: "His Divine and Apostolic Mission"
* CD#3 - St. Vincent Ferrer, Angel of the Apocalypse: "His Spirituality and Wisdom"
- You can view the explanation for the CD / MP3 set or download it in booklet format (print double-sided and fold down the middle).
