Born in Rome in 1795, St. Vincent became a priest and dedicated himself completely to God and cared for souls. He dreamed of gaining for Christ all non-Catholics, especially the Mohammedans. To this end he inaugurated a revolutionary program which envisaged the collaboration of the laity in the apostolate of the clergy. But St. Vincent was also well aware of the many deprivations in the natural sphere that hindered the spread of the Faith. He thus obtained and spent huge sums for the poor and underprivileged.

He founded guilds for workers, agriculture schools, loan associations, orphanages and homes for girls. His great legacy was the congregation which he founded for urban mission work, known as the “Society for Catholic Action”. This indefatigable labourer for Christ died in 1850 from a severe cold which he most likely caught on a cold rainy night after giving his cloak to a beggar who had none.