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.
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