St Vincent Ferrer (1350-1419) Dominican friar
Successful Dominican preacher
Vincent's father,
William Stewart Ferrer, was an Englishman who married a Spanish woman
Costanza Miguel and settled in Spain.
Vincent joined the Dominicans and
at twenty-one was teaching philosophy at the university of the Catalan
city of Lleida.
Ordained in 1374, he taught in Barcelona and then
studied theology and Hebrew at Toledo.
He was successful in converting
Jews to Catholicism, including Solomon ha-Levi, who later went on to
become Bishop of Cartagena and then Archbishop of Burgos.
An associate of Cardinal Pedro de Luna (Avignonese Pope Benedict XIII)
During
the confusion of the Great Schism (1378-1417), Vincent became an
associate of Cardinal Pedro de Luna who became Avignonese pope as
Benedict XIII (also called Papa de Luna).
But when Vincent became aware
that de Luna was hindering attempts at a solution, he left Avignon to
work as a missionary preacher in France, Spain and Italy.
In 1416
Vincent withdrew his support for Pedro de Luna and persuaded King
Ferdinand of Arragon to do likewise, thus paving the way for the
election of Pope Martin V at the Council of Constance (1417).
Last years
Many were moved by Vincent's preaching
to change their lives.
Some entered La Grande Chartreuse where his
brother was prior.
In his later life Vincent moved his missionary
preaching to Normandy and Brittany.
He died at Vannes in 1419 and was
buried at the cathedral there.