Vincent De Paul
ST., a French philanthropist; born in Ranquines, France, April 24, 1577. After studying in a convent of the Cordeliers, he went to the University of Toulouse, and in 1600 was ordained priest. On a voyage tured by pirates, and sent to Tunis, where he was kept in slavery for two years under three masters, the last of whom he converted to Christianity, and escaped with him to France, in 1607. He soon after settled in Paris, devoting himself to works of charity. He was named almoner to Margaret of Valois, held for a short time named almoner to Margaret of Valois, and in 1613 became tutor to the sons of afterward celebrated as the Cardinal de Retz. In 1616 he began those labors as missionary which occupied so large a part of his life, and the next year he founded the "Brotherhood of Charity," the model of so many others afterward established. His next great task was the reform of the condition of criminals con- VINCI demned to the galleys; for which great eral of the galleys. This unwearied service he was appointed almoner-genphilanthropist founded, in 1623, the Congregation of the Mission, which was constituted by royal letters patent, and aptuted the order of "Sisters of Charity," proved by the Pope. In 1634 he instithe most widely known, perhaps, of all his foundations. He attended Louis XIII. on his death bed; was named by the Queen Regent Anne of Austria presipart in the controversy between the dent of the Council of Conscience, took Jesuits and the Jansenists, against the latter; and died in the convent of the Lazarists, Sept. 27, 1660. He was canonized by Pope Clement XII., in 1737. CENTIUS BELLOVACENSIS, a mediæval encyclopedist; born about 1190. He