St. Vincent Ferrer

I'm a famous Dominican Missionary at the age of 18 and its against my family's wishes.I was a descendant from the younger of two brothers who were knighted for their valour in the conquest of Valencia.My father William married Constantinia Miguel whose family were also ennobled during the conquest of Valencia. I was their fourth child. I was educated at Valencia, and completed my philosophy at the age of fourteen. In 1367 I entered the Dominican Order, and was sent to the house of studies at Barcelona the following year. In 1370 I taught philosophy at Lerida; one of my pupils there was Pierre Fouloup, later Grand Inquisitor of Aragon. In 1373 I returned to the Dominican "Studium arabicum et hebraicum" at Barcelona. I became the adviser to the King of Aragon. I converted thousands of people to Christianity in Spain, Holland,England, Scottland and Ireland.You can usually see me holding a book while preaching, with a cardinal's hat; with wings; pulpit; trumpet; with a crucifix; with a flame on my head and with a flame on my hand. I felt I was the messenger of penance sent to prepare men for the judgment.For twenty years I traversed Western Europe preaching penance and awakening the dormant consciences of sinners by my wondrous eloquence.I enjoy sleeping in floors.I usually travelled on foot, poorly clad.If you truly want to help the soul of your neighbor, you should approach God first with all your heart. Ask him simply to fill you with charity, the greatest of all virtues; with it you can accomplish what you desire.