It is becoming increasingly clear that Europe is slipping into a profound economic and religious crisis. It’s happened before. For example, in the fourteenth century the continent was in deep trouble for four main reasons. Firstly, the black death (1347-51), which ravaged every country, resulted in the loss of a third of the population. Secondly, the hundred years war (1337-1453) between England and France had a destructive and destabilizing effect. Thirdly, because so many people died as a result of bubonic plague and violence, the economy declined and poverty increased. Fourthly, the Church was convulsed by the great schism which lasted from 1378 to 1417, and was undermined by the heresies of people like John Wycliffe (1330-84) and John Huss (1372-1415). These all served to weaken ecclesiastic authority, divided the faithful, and diluted spirituality. Clearly, there was an urgent need for renewal and a new evangelisation. As the saying goes, “commeth the hour, commeth the man.” Providentially, that man was St. Vincent Ferrer. His remarkable ministry is still relevant today.

Even before his birth in Valentia, Spain, it seemed that Vincent was predestined by God to accomplish great things. A Dominican said prophetically to his father, “I congratulate you William. In a few days you will have a son who will become a prodigy of learning and sanctity. . . The world will resound with the fame of his wondrous deeds; he will fill heaven with joy and hell with terror. He will put on the habit which I wear, and will be received in the Church with universal joy as one of its first apostles.” Vincent did join the Dominicans at the age of twenty two, became a doctor of theology, and began to teach and preach. During this time he wrote a Treatise on the Spiritual Life. It is a succinct, practical, and demanding summary of how to live a life of Christian perfection. For example, he says “it is more advantageous to rule oneself by the will of another, provided it be good, although our own judgment may appear better and more perfect.” Subsequently his treatise influenced a number of saints such as Louis Bertrand and Vincent de Paul.

One of the most extraordinary missionary outreaches in history of the church

During a time of serious illness in 1399, Vincent had a vision of Christ standing between Sts Dominic and Francis, who told him to go forth and preach repentance and the immanence of the end times. That religious experience kick-started one of the most extraordinary missionary outreaches in the history of the church. For the next twenty years, Vincent travelled tirelessly the length and breadth of Europe preaching in places such as Marseilles, Geneva, Lausanne and Freiburg. Although some books say that he visited Britain and Ireland, there is no evidence that he did so. Popularly known as “The angel of judgement” Vincent was a crisis preacher who urged the people to turn back to the Lord before it was too late.

Each day, Vincent celebrated Mass, and preached at length to thousands of people. We know how he spoke because as many as 400 of his sermons are still extant. He was evangelical in style. He knew all the scriptures by heart and often quoted them. He never referred to secular authors. As he explained, nowhere did Jesus say “preach Ovid, Virgil or Homer.” Evidently he practiced what he advocated in his Treatise on the Spiritual Life, “Use simple and familiar words in preaching and teaching, to explain in detail what you mean; and, as far as possible, illustrate what you say with some examples, in order that the sinner, finding his conscience guilty of the same sins which you reprehend, may feel as if you were speaking only to him.” Vincent went on to say that that the preacher’s words need “to spring from the bowels of compassion, from the tender love of a father, who is grieved at the faults of his children.” Clearly, Vincent’s ministry was blessed by God. Everywhere he went, he was accompanied by up to fifty priests and sometimes thousands of people. Although he had no means of amplification, even those on the edge of vast crowds of 50,000 people or more could hear him clearly. Finally, not only was he instrumental in the conversion of countless thousands of nominally Christian people, he also won over tens of thousands of Jews and Moslems to the faith.

Great gifts of revelation, proclamation and demonstration

Vincent had great admiration for his fellow Dominican, St. Thomas Aquinas, and often referred to his writings. Thomas believed that the gifts were given in order to evangelise effectively. There are charisms of revelation, proclamation and demonstration. Vincent Ferrer was an outstanding example of what Thomas had in mind. He seemed to exercise all the gifts mentioned in 1 Cor 12:8-10. He regularly received revelation of a prophetic kind. Not only could he read hearts, he often foretold future events. For instance, in 1375, he said to starving crowds in Barcelona, “Have courage, and be glad, for this very night two vessels will arrive in this port laden with wheat.” People were sceptical because a storm was raging at sea. But everything happened as Vincent had predicted. He proclaimed the Gospel with the aid of supernatural help. For example, although he always spoke in his own native dialect, people of other languages understood every word he spoke without interpretation. As his canonization process attested, he demonstrated the truth of the merciful love he proclaimed by means of deeds of power. It is estimated that over a period of twenty years he performed more than 50,000 miracles, among them healings, exorcisms and more than thirty raisings from the dead.

He believed revival of faith and morals depended upon restoration of church unity and effective evangelisation. Because St. Vincent’s heart was moved to compassion by the economic plight of the people, he built hospitals, asylums, refuges and even bridges. The divisions and heresies in the church caused him even more anguish of spirit. He believed that a revival of faith and morals depended upon the restoration of church unity and effective evangelisation. Although he supported the Avignon Popes, he came to see that his mentor Benedict XIII, was not the true successor of Peter. Eventually his prayers were answered when the Council of Constance (1414-17) reunited the church under Pope Martin V. Two years afterwards, worn out by his gargantuan labours, Vincent died in Vannes, Brittany. He was canonized, as he had prophesised during his lifetime, by Pope Calixtus III in 1455.

It is my belief that the example of Vincent’s evangelisation teaches us at least three relevant lessons at this time when both the church and nation states are floundering in Europe. Firstly, our problems, which are often the result of sinful forgetfulness of God, are a providential call to seek the Lord while he may still be found (cf. Is 55:6). Secondly, while Christians are right to stress the primacy of the loving mercy of God, they also need to refer, not only to the divine justice which will be exercised on the last day, but also to the possibility of eternal separation from God. Thirdly, when we share the Gospel by various means, we can expect God to manifest his saving power and presence by means of deeds of power. In this way we will help to usher in the new springtime spoken about by Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI.

Fr Pat Collins CM is a popular author, speaker and retreat leader who is based at St Peter’s Church in Dublin.