Vincent DePaul (1581 – 1660), known as “Monsieur Vincent” during his life, was born into a family of peasant farmers in Pouy, Gascony, France. Seeing his son’s aptitude for learning, Vincent’s father sold the family’s oxen to pay for Vincent’s seminary education. As a young man, Vincent sought wealth and security by pursuing a career in priesthood of the Roman Catholic Church.
In 1617, while serving as a priest, Vincent’s life took a radical turn that he probably could not have anticipated during his more ambitious and success-oriented youth. Monsieur Vincent heard a dying peasant’s confession, and that experience revealed the profound spiritual neglect that plagued the rural poor. He had a powerful conversion experience that inspired him to serve the poor people in rural areas.
Vincent began a life of service and collaborated with St. Louise de Marillac to organize charitable works in order to make them more manageable and effective. During his life, this son of poor peasants manifested and encouraged others to pursue five virtues: simplicity, humility, gentleness, selflessness (or mortification), and zeal.