St. Vincent Ferrer Raises a Man from the Dead
- Fr. Scott Haynes
- 19 hours ago
- 4 min read
Fr. Scott Haynes
St. Vincent Ferrer, one of the most extraordinary Dominican saints, lived in the late 14th and early 15th centuries. He was born on January 23, 1350, in Valencia, Spain, and spent his life as a preacher, theologian, and missionary who traveled across Europe to spread the Christian faith. Known for his eloquence and profound holiness, St. Vincent Ferrer was famous for working miracles, including healings and exorcisms. Among his most remarkable miracles was the resurrection of a Jewish man in Andalusia, which demonstrated both his saintly powers and his mission to convert souls. He is also known as the “Angel of the Apocalypse,” a title granted to him by many of his contemporaries due to his fiery preaching about repentance and the imminent Second Coming of Christ.
Miracle of Raising a Jewish Man from the Dead
One of the most awe-inspiring miracles attributed to St. Vincent Ferrer took place in Andalusia, where he was preaching to a group that included both Christians and Jews. The story, as recounted in several historical records, describes how St. Vincent performed a resurrection that converted numerous people to Christianity. According to Fr. Andrew Pradel, who chronicled the life of St. Vincent Ferrer, a particular Jewish man attended one of the saint’s sermons with a heart filled with skepticism and distrust. The Jewish man challenged the saint, asking for a sign to prove the truth of the Gospel (Pradel, Life of St. Vincent Ferrer, 1847).
In response to the man’s challenge, St. Vincent prayed fervently, invoking the name of Christ and asking for a sign that would show the power of God. At that moment, a corpse was brought into the town where St. Vincent was preaching. The saint approached the lifeless body, raised his hand in prayer, and commanded the man to rise in the name of Jesus Christ. According to accounts, the dead man miraculously returned to life, to the astonishment of everyone present. This resurrection served as a powerful testament to St. Vincent’s holiness and as evidence of the divine authority behind his words. Consequently, the Jewish man, witnessing this undeniable miracle, converted to Christianity along with many others in attendance (Butler’s Lives of the Saints, vol. 4, 1895).
The Angel of the Apocalypse
St. Vincent Ferrer’s reputation as the “Angel of the Apocalypse” has its roots in his sermons and his intense focus on themes of repentance, judgment, and the Second Coming. St. Vincent often warned his audiences about the dangers of sin and the necessity of conversion to avoid eternal damnation. His messages were marked by a sense of urgency; he believed that the world was approaching the end times and that people needed to be spiritually prepared.
According to tradition, St. Vincent experienced a mystical vision that inspired his eschatological mission.
In this vision, he saw Christ, who commissioned him as a messenger of repentance, instructing him to preach to the ends of the earth. Fr. Bernard O’Reilly, a 19th-century biographer, recounts this vision, writing that
“Our Lord appeared to him, and in a solemn vision, He sent him forth to be the Angel of the Judgment, to call men to penance, and to announce to them the near approach of the day of wrath” (O’Reilly, Life of St. Vincent Ferrer, 1891).
The saint was subsequently depicted in art and literature with wings and a trumpet, symbolizing his role as a harbinger of the Last Judgment, as described in the Book of Revelation.
His preaching mission took him across Spain, France, Italy, and other parts of Europe, where he drew enormous crowds. Known for his ability to preach in multiple languages—allegedly by the gift of tongues—he reached diverse audiences, urging people from all walks of life to reconcile with God. His apocalyptic themes, while sometimes alarming, served to inspire people toward repentance and a deeper faith in Christ. The noted historian Henri-Dominique Lacordaire observed that
“St. Vincent Ferrer appeared to the world as an angel of penance…his voice, his gesture, his very being seemed to announce the coming judgment of the world” (Lacordaire, Lives of the Fathers of the Order of Preachers, 1846).
His Impact and Legacy
St. Vincent Ferrer’s influence was profound. The miracles attributed to him were numerous and well-documented, from healings and exorcisms to conversions of entire communities. His sermons led to conversions not only among Jews and Muslims but also among lapsed Christians, who were moved by his fervent calls for repentance.
One aspect of his legacy was his role in bringing peace to a divided Church. During his life, the Western Schism—a period in which there were rival claimants to the papacy—caused great turmoil among the faithful. Although initially supporting the Avignon papacy, St. Vincent later worked to heal the schism, believing that a united Church was essential for a world in need of spiritual renewal. His diplomatic and peacemaking efforts added another dimension to his mission, demonstrating his commitment to unity within the Church.
