Editions of Vincent were published by Baluzius, Cos- ter, and Kliipfel — the latter in Augsburg, 1843. Con- cerning him, see Tillomont, Menurires, xv, 143-147; Dupin, Nouvdle Biblioth. iv, 114 sq. ; Cave, Hist. Lit. i, 425 ; Elpelt, J)es heil. Vine. v. Lerinum Frmuhnumjs- huch, sein Leben u. s. Lehre (Hreslau, 1840); Vossius, Hist. Pelagiana, p. 575 ; Norisius, Hist, Pelagianu, ii, 2,
3, 1 1 ; VV^alch, Ketzerfjesch. ; Wiggers, A ugustinismus u. Semipelag. ii, 195, 208-21(5; Baur, J)as Christenthitm vom
4. bis zum G. JahrJuindert ; Gengler, in the Quarttdschr. fiir kuthol. Theoloi/ie, 1833, p. 579; KiiUner, Si/mbolik d. katlujl. Kirc/ie. — Herzog, Reul-Fnci/khip. s. v.
Vincent (tSt.) de Pall, a Roman Catholic ecclesi- astic and philanthropist, was born April 24, 1576, at Pouys, near Acqs, in Gascony, in the reign of Henry III. His education was intrusted to the Franciscan monks after he was twelve years old, and in 1()00 he was ordained. He was captured by corsairs while voy- aging from Toulouse to Narhonne, taken to Tunis, and purchased by a renegade of Nizza, whom he induced to return to Christianity. After being liberated, he so- journed for a time in Rome, and on his return to F'rance became house chaplain to queen jNIargaret, where he was involved in temporary scepticism with regard to religious matters. His friend BeruUe, foimder of a so- ciety of Peres de I'Oratoire de Jesus, obtained for him the pastorate of Clichy, and the position of chaplain to count Gondy and tutor to his three sons. His faithful visitation of his jiarish caused the countess to set apart the sum of 1(),000 livres for purposes of priestly visi- tation over her domains; but the great confidence re- posed in him by the countess oppressed him, and he ob- tained a new parish at Chatillon-les-Dombes (1017) among the poor. Here, again, he was eminently use- ful, converting Calvinists and worldlings of either sex, and organizing the first sisterhood of charity (Confrerie de Charite) with a view to regular and systematic care of the poor by women. Having been persuaded to re- turn to count Gondy's parish, he repeated the measure of organizing sisterhoods, and began to visit the pris-
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oners, especially the gallej'-slaves, whose condition was ' face of sharp stones, etc. In this condition of misery miserable in the extreme. For tliein he established a he be^an to experience his gloritiiatioii. Angels broiiglit hospital, and he so devoted liimself to care for their him celestial food and changed his rough coiicli into a physical and spiritnal welfare that many other persons bed of roses; and wlien the people, attracted by the were led to imitate his sjiirit. Louis XIII gave him report of the miracle, thronged about him, he found authority to prosecute such labors in 1G19 by commis- I strength to preach to them. Even the fanatical gov- sioning "him Aumonier Koyal dcs tialeres de France, j ernor, Datian of Saragossa, was temporarily subdued, At Macon, in Burgundy, he found a surprising number and ordered Vincent to be brought from the dungeon of be<'->'-ars, who were, besides, ignorant of the common- ; and placed on a soft bed ; but when the latter died, his est and most necessary articles of the faith ; and he | rage broke out afresh, and he commanded that the body consequently delayed Ids journey long enough to organ- should be thrown to the wild beasts for food. There- ize, with the assistance of the local authorities, a socie- , upon angels, and even ravens, protected the corpse from ty of St. Charles liorromeo in their behalf (1023). In j the ravenous wolves and vultures. It was then cast 1625 the donation of the countess (iondy bore fruit in | into the sea, but floated, and reached a safe shore, where the founding of the organization of Priests of the Mis- j it was taken up by Christian hands and honorably in- sion (confirmed by Parliament in 1G31, and provided | terred. At a later day the erection of an altar and a with a rule of his" devising thirty years later), and to ' chapel introduced the worship of the precious relics, the service of this society Vincent devoted the princiital This legendary history was already familiar to Augus- energies of his later years. The object of the order was , tine (see serm. 4, De Jacob et Euan [in Xala/i ,S. I 'incentii'], the prosecution of "preaching and pastoral labor, per- ] and serm. 274, 275, 276; comp. also Prudent i us, /Vrw^e^
formed in harmony with the plans of the resident bish- ops, among the peasantry; but its operations were sub- sequently carried on over the cities also. It received the cordial support of a number of ladies, some of them belonging to the higher orders of society. Its house became a benevolent asylum, in which as many as eight hundred laymen found a temporary refuge in a single year. Especially noteworthy were the labors
phanon [ed. Dressel], hymn v, p. 350-371 ; Pauliinis of Nola, /V7?(. 27; Venantius Fortunatus, C«n». viii, 4; (iregory of Tours, Z^e Glui-. Murlt. c.90; Ilistoi-.Francor. iii, 29; BoUand, Passio S. Vine, sub Jan. 22; and Lui- nart, .4c/« Martt. [ed. Galura], ii, 339). The relics of Vincent were mostly brought to Lisbon in the ]Middle Ages; but a portion, including his stole, is claimed to be in the possession of Paris, and another portion, in