St Vincent Ferrer. "In those regions on the other side of the mountains I found many valleys of heretics, both Waldensians and the peverse Gazarites, especially in the diocese of Turin. I visited all …More
St Vincent Ferrer.
"In those regions on the other side of the mountains I found many valleys of heretics, both Waldensians and the peverse Gazarites, especially in the diocese of Turin. I visited all of them, preaching in each of them the faith and doctrine of Catholic truth, along with the proof of their errors. By the mercy of God they ardently accepted the truth of the faith with reverence and great sentiments of devotion. The Lord indeed aided and confirmed my preaching. I discovered that a principle reason for heresies and errors in these places was a lack of preaching. As I correctly perceived from the inhabitants there, thirty years had elapsed during which no one had preached to them but the Waldensian heretics, who would come to them twice a year from Apuleia. Imagine, Reverend Master, what great blame is laid on prelates of the Church and others who, by reason of their office or their profession, are responsible for preaching to such persons, but instead take their ease, enjoying themselves in their pretty rooms in the large towns and villages. In the meantime souls, for whose salvation Christ died, are perishing from lack of spiritual nourishment, since there is no one to break bread for these little ones. The harvest indeed is great, but the labourers are few. Hence I pray the Lord of the harvest to send labourers into his harvest." – from a letter of St Vincent Ferrer, whose feast is transferred to this day (5 May) in the Dominican Order. This painting of St Vincent is in the museum at Santa Sabina in Rome.
Source: Lawrence OP on Flickr
"In those regions on the other side of the mountains I found many valleys of heretics, both Waldensians and the peverse Gazarites, especially in the diocese of Turin. I visited all of them, preaching in each of them the faith and doctrine of Catholic truth, along with the proof of their errors. By the mercy of God they ardently accepted the truth of the faith with reverence and great sentiments of devotion. The Lord indeed aided and confirmed my preaching. I discovered that a principle reason for heresies and errors in these places was a lack of preaching. As I correctly perceived from the inhabitants there, thirty years had elapsed during which no one had preached to them but the Waldensian heretics, who would come to them twice a year from Apuleia. Imagine, Reverend Master, what great blame is laid on prelates of the Church and others who, by reason of their office or their profession, are responsible for preaching to such persons, but instead take their ease, enjoying themselves in their pretty rooms in the large towns and villages. In the meantime souls, for whose salvation Christ died, are perishing from lack of spiritual nourishment, since there is no one to break bread for these little ones. The harvest indeed is great, but the labourers are few. Hence I pray the Lord of the harvest to send labourers into his harvest." – from a letter of St Vincent Ferrer, whose feast is transferred to this day (5 May) in the Dominican Order. This painting of St Vincent is in the museum at Santa Sabina in Rome.
Source: Lawrence OP on Flickr