Publisher's Synopsis
THIS life of one of the greatest of the "Friar Saints" is based on the "Histoire de Saint Vincent Ferrier," by Pere Fages, O. P. As the "Histoire" is the best and most critical life of the Saint which has been published, we have accepted the conclusions, dates, etc., of the learned author in preference to those of the Bollandists. We have tried to put the Missionary journeys of St. Vincent as prominently as possible before our readers, and this will explain two or three chapters which may seem to be somewhat dry reading. But we have not given a detailed history of these journeys by any means, for the simple reason that such an account of the travels of this extraordinary man who, in his zeal for souls, traversed the length and breadth of Europe: and visited almost every city, town and village of importance in Spain, France, and Northern Italy, would have been impossible in the short space at our disposal. We sincerely hope that this short sketch will help to stir up devotion to the Saint who preached "the unsearchable riches of Christ" in an age that was as blind and indifferent to "the things that are of the Spirit of God" as is our own. The illustrations are reproduced from the volumes by Pere Fages, G.P., so often quoted in these pages. We offer him publicly our thanks for his kindness to us in this as in other ways. Saint Vincent Ferrer claimed to be the Angel of the Apocalypse and confirmed this claim by a miracle. Let us read a little of this story: "Preaching in the open space, now within the garden of the Dominican Convent of St. Stephen (or San Esteban) on a hillock named the Mount of Olives, St. Vincent solemnly declared that he was the Angel of the Judgment spoken of by St. John the Evangelist in his Apocalypse. An imme'nse concourse of people was present, and the fathers of the Convent, many of them theologians of the Inquisition, were witnesses of the declaration, which caused murmuring amongst the audience. Startling as the words of St. Vincent assuredly were, his confirmation of his claim was still more startling. A dead woman was being brought to the Church of St. Paul hard by, at the time of the sermon. St. Vincent ordered the bearers to bring the corpse before him. Strong in the strength of God the Saint adjured the dead woman to testify whether his words were true or not; and before the eyes of all present the dead woman came to life for a moment, bore witness to the truth of the Saint's claim, then slept in death once more, her mission accomplished. A cross was raised on the spot where this occurrence took place."
