St Vincent Ferrer--1350-1419

St. Vincent was born in Valencia, Spain, in the Catalan country. Remarkable legends are connected to his birth and early childhood. As a young man he entered the Dominican Order where he first excelled in philosophy. He then became a dedicated student of sacred scripture learning Hebrew and Greek. Called to service of the Avignon popes – this was a time of a divided papacy – he served as spiritual counselor and preacher to several pontiffs. Surviving a near fatal fever, he determined to devote his life simply to preaching to the public, for which he received Papal authorization. His missions reached out to both Jews and Moors in southern Spain converting many of them to Christianity. Traveling with an entourage of confessors penitential followers he and He traversed Spain and France as well as England and the Low Countries. A revivalist preacher of the last judgment, preaching the Apocalypse, he called many to a conversion of life.

Vincent is symbolized by the Book of Revelation -- The Apocalypse -- which tells of the end of time and the trumpets of the angels announcing the final judgment. The book has the CHI-RHO for Christ, who is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.