Today, April 5, is the commemoration of Saint Vincent Ferrer.
Vincent was born in 1350 to Anglo–Scottish nobleman William Stewart Ferrer and his Spanish wife, Constantia Miguel. It is said that William dreamt that Vincent would become a renowned Dominican friar.
The young Vincent entered the Dominican Order in 1367. He earned his doctorate of theology, became a priest and missionary, taught theology, and served as adviser to the King of Aragon.
When Vincent had a bad fever, Jesus, St. Dominic de Guzman, and St. Francis of Assisi appeared to him in a vision. Soon after this mystical experience, he received supernatural gifts. He had the gift of tongues; he spoke Spanish only, but non-Spanish speaking people completely understood him. He slept on the floor and fasted all his life.
He was a miracle worker. Among his miracles was bringing a murdered man back to life to prove the power of Christianity to the onlookers. He healed all the patients in a hospital just by praying in front of it. He worked so hard to build up the Church that he became the patron of people in building trades.
He believed that he was a messenger of penance, an “angel of the apocalypse” sent to prepare humankind for the Judgement of Christ.
His father’s dream came true: Vincent became a great preacher who converted thousands in Spain, France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, England, Scotland, Ireland, and in Muslim Granada. He was the counselor to Pope Benedict XIII. He went to Spain, France, Switzerland, and Italy, working to end the Western Schism.
Vincent died in 1419 at age 69. Pope Calixtus III canonized him in 1455.