St. Vincent de Paul (1581-1660) had a crazy life. As a young priest, he was captured by Barbary pirates and sold into slavery in Tunisia. He converted his owner to Christianity and escaped back to France.
The Shift
He used to hang out with royalty. But after hearing the confession of a dying peasant, he realized the spiritual poverty of the countryside. He founded the Congregation of the Mission (Vincentians) and the Daughters of Charity (with St. Louise de Marillac).
His Philosophy
"Go to the poor: you will find God." He taught that we must serve the poor with "sweetness and respect," because they are our masters. We are the servants. Today, the St. Vincent de Paul Society is one of the largest charitable organizations in the world.
Serve the poor. Find a local SVDP chapter on the MyPrayerTower app.