Commissioned by Our Lord Himself to preach His Gospel, St. Vincent began at age 50 an apostolate of preaching that would extend to France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Germany and a few other countries as well. Travelling with him were as many as 10,000 people, including at least 50 priests. The throngs that gathered to hear him came from many miles around, such that he was forced to preach in the open--no church being large enough to hold all the people.
Vincent Ferrer (1350–1419), a celebrated Dominican preacher from Valencia, was revered as a living saint during his lifetime, receiving papal canonization within fifty years of his death. In The Saint and the Chopped-Up Baby, Laura Ackerman Smoller recounts the fascinating story of how Vincent became the subject of widespread devotion, ranging from the saint's tomb in Brittany to cult centers in Spain, Italy, France, Germany, and Latin America, where Vincent is still venerated today. Along the way, Smoller traces the long and sometimes contentious process of establishing a stable image of a new saint. Vincent came to be epitomized by a singularly arresting miracle tale in which a mother kills, chops up, and cooks her own baby, only to have the child restored to life by the saint’s intercession. This miracle became a key emblem in the official portrayal of the saint promoted by the papal court and the Dominican order, still haunted by the memory of the Great Schism (1378–1414) that had rent the Catholic Church for nearly forty years. Vincent, however, proved to be a potent religious symbol for others whose agendas did not necessarily align with those of Rome. Whether shoring up the political legitimacy of Breton or Aragonese rulers, proclaiming a new plague saint, or trumpeting their own holiness, individuals imposed their own meanings on the Dominican saint. Drawing on nuanced readings of canonization inquests, hagiography, liturgical sources, art, and devotional materials, Smoller tracks these various appropriations from the time of Vincent’s 1455 canonization through the eve of the Enlightenment. In the process, she brings to life a long, raucous discussion ranging over many centuries. The Saint and the Chopped-Up Baby restores the voices of that conversation in all its complexity.
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 thegarden 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.”
St. Vincent Ferrer, His Life, Spiritual Teaching, And Practical Devotion, Tr. By T.A. Dixon by André Pradel, first published in 1875, is a rare manuscript, the original residing in one of the great libraries of the world. This book is a reproduction of that original, which has been scanned and cleaned by state-of-the-art publishing tools for better readability and enhanced appreciation. Restoration Editors' mission is to bring long out of print manuscripts back to life. Some smudges, annotations or unclear text may still exist, due to permanent damage to the original work. We believe the literary significance of the text justifies offering this reproduction, allowing a new generation to appreciate it.
The fourteenth and fifteenth centuries were times of tumultuous change in medieval Europe; they witnessed the Black Death, the Great Papal Schism, heightened fears of the apocalypse, and the elimination of Spain's non-Christian population. Few figures were as widely and as intimately involved in late medieval Europe's struggles as Saint Vincent Ferrer. Perhaps the foremost preacher of his day, Ferrer spent the final two decades of his life traversing Europe, preparing the world for its imminent destruction. Saint Vincent Ferrer (d. 1419), His World and Life reassesses the controversial preacher's motives, methods, and impact, tracing Ferrer's journey from obscure logician to angel of the apocalypse, as he came to be known. At the same time, the book offers new insights into the depth and breadth of late medieval apocalyptic anticipation, and into the processes that ultimately led to the expulsions of Spain's Jews and Muslims.
They are called “Hounds of the Lord,” and “Stoics on spiritual steroids.” For 800 years they have barked out Christ’s gospel message, saving countless souls and showing us how to think, do, and love for the glory of God. Inspired by the stories of their saints, we join the Dominicans in celebrating the Jubilee of their first 800 years. In these pages, we draw inspiration and spiritual strength from the lives, lessons, and legacies of their intellectual giants and enrapt mystics, the men and women who scrubbed floors, and those who cared for the dying. You’ll discover countless fascinating and pious stories, prophetic dreams and visions, apparitions of Christ and Our Lady, appearances of the devil in disguise, miraculous healings, episodes of bi-location, stigmata, incorruption after death, and more. From St. Thomas Aquinas to St. Martin de Porres, in story after story you’ll see how God favored these holy men and women in so many surprising and supernatural ways. Even 800 years later, these Hounds of the Lord are still out there today, roaming the world, seeking out souls to retrieve for Christ. Open this book, and you’ll be given a taste of that glorious and joyful spirit that animates the Dominican Order — a spirit they have so long and so willingly shared with the rest of the world. Let their example serve as inspiration, and let loose the hounds of the Lord within you.
Stories from the lives of St. Francis Xavier, St. Patrick, St. John Bosco, St. Catherine of Siena, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, St. Rose of Lima, Bl. Margaret of Castello, etc. Includes the raising of persons who had died, descriptions of Heaven, Hell and Purgatory by temporarily dead persons and an analysis of contemporary "after death" experiences. Many pictures of the saints and their miracles. Fascinating. Formerly published by TAN under the title "Raised from the Dead".
This groundbreaking book looks at the major approved Marian apparitions of the last five centuries and relates them to important historical moments: the Reformation, the French and Russian Revolutions, the rise of Nazism. These Marian apparitions, and particularly Fatima, are not historically unimportant events, but rather follow a preordained plan: they have a crucial role in helping us to see how the modern world, with all its problems, has developed. Donal Foley makes clear the fascinating and intriguing connections between Marian apparitions and the Scriptural types of Mary found in the Bible, a crucial element in the theology and exegesis of the early Church Fathers. By understanding these biblical types and their symbolism we see that each of the apparitions has a much greater significance for both the Church and the modern world than has generally been recognised. Here is a convincing demonstration that the future of the Church, and the papacy, is intimately bound up with a proper understanding of the role of Mary: there will only be true peace in the world when her message is accepted and lived. If you thought you really understood how the modern world developed, and the role and meaning of Marian apparitions, then this book will make you think again. 'Donal Foley has written a book with an extraordinary message.' Aidan Nichols, O.P.
Sr. Mary Baruch told the novices in a conference on the Divine Office: "Praying the Psalms is like putting on a pair of old loafers that fit better and are more comfortable with each passing year." If you have met Sr. Mary Baruch from The Early Years (Volume I), you have followed her with each passing year, coming to know her family, her friends, and the sisters in her monastery - Our Lady Queen of Hope. They have lived through family crises and deaths, crises of faith and moments of saving grace, the devastation of 9/11, and the sexual and political scandals in the country, the Church, and the monastic world. Psalm 90 reads in part: "Our life is over like a sigh. Our span is seventy years or eighty for those who are strong . . . They pass swiftly and we are gone . . . " Well . . . Sr. Mary Baruch is in her seventies now and going strong amidst new crises in her family, among her few remaining friends, and certainly with the nuns in her cloistered monastery. With a shortage of vocations and the older generation passing away--what will become of everyone? Will Our Lady Queen of Hope even survive? Will her later years be like a pair of old loafers? Or have they become irrelevant and discarded? Will Sr. Mary Baruch continue into her eighties saying: "Such a blessing!" Or will it be rather, "Lord have mercy?"
