VINCENT
434
VINCENT
exerted, and still exerts, a beneficial influence upon
popular education. At the beginning of the nine-
teenth century twenty-five parochial elementary
schools were in operation at Vilna; schools and colleges
were conducted by the Jesuits, the Uniat Basilians,
the Piarists, and other reUgious orders. The mo-
nastic libraries were centres of culture. As late as the
seventeenth century there were 101 monasteries in
Lithuania. The library of the Missionaries of Vilna
contained 8284 volumes; that of the Piarists, 7000;
that of the Bernardines, 4142. The University of
Vilna possessed 20,000 volumes of theology, part of
which were given to the Theological Academy of
St. Petersburg, to the University of Kiev, and to the
Public Library of \'ilna.
In consequence of the fierce persecution stirred up against Catholicism, the scientific glory of the Diocese of Vilna became obscured; but the Faith remained firmly rooted in the hearts of the people. Vilna is perhaps the most devout city in the Russian Empire, and its piety is all the more admirable because the paucity of secular clergy and the complete lack of religious orders render it difficult for the people to fulfil their reUgious duties. Of late years, however, the bitter quarrels between the PoUsh and Lithuanian Nationalists led to divisions in the Catholic camp. The Lithuanian clergy demand that in all the churches of the diocese Lithuanian shall be equally considered with Polish in religious instruction and in supple- mentary devotions. A portion of the PoUsh clergy are opposed t o t hese claims. But wise measures t aken by the ecclesiastical authorities have allayed the animosity, and opportune concessions to the Lith- uanians have, at least in appearance, removed the causes of discord.
KojALOwicz, Hist. Lithuana (Antwerp. 1669); Constiiuliones synod, diac. VUnensis (Vilna, 1633) ; Aria synodi diac. Vilmesis prasidente D. Alex. Sapiela (Vilna, 1669); Ada synodi diac. Vil. prirsid. Kotowicz (Vilna, 1685) ; Dcrrcto synodi dine, a Brzostowski celcbrata (Vilna. 1717); Synodus diae. Vil. a Zienkowicz celebr. (Vilna, 1744); Narbut, Dzieje naroda litewskiego (Vilna, 1847); Dc origine, ereetionc et revolutione dicec. VUnensis in Directorium prodicrcesi Vilnensi inA.D. 1009 (Vilna, 1908), 243-71; Kubczew- 8KI, Wilenski bisupslwo in Encyclopedja Koscielna, XXXI (Plock, 1911), 203-330; De primis i}esligiis Teligionis Christiana! inter Lithuanos propagatte (Konigsberg, 1810); BuUa papieza Urbana VI o pierwiatslkowem ustanowienim biskupstwa w Wilnie. Dzieje Dobroczynnosci, III (1822), 870-84; Wazynski, Litwapod wzglediem przcsladowania w niej rzgmsko-katoUckiego kosciola, szczegdlnie w diecezyi wilenskiej od r. ISSS do 1872 (Posen, 1872); Wizyta jeneralna dyecezyi wilenskiej roku 18S8 (Vilna. 1828); Balinski, Opisanie statystyczne miasta Wilna (Vilna, 1835) ; Idem, Historia miasta Wilna (Vilna, 1836-7); Narbutt, Dzieje slarozytne narodu litewskiego (Vilna. 1835-41); Idem, Dzieje narodu litewskiego (Vilna, 1847) ; Homoucki, Katedra wilenska (Vilna, 1838) ; Kbaszewski, Wilno od poczratkow jego do roku 1 730 fV^ilna, 184(>-2); (Jyszkiewicz, Wiadomosc historyczna o zgroma- dzeniark i fvndnryack mezkich i zeskich klasztorow w dyecezyi Witrri^fr^'-' ^\'i!n-t, ! Si.'tS) ; Semin:irii principali vilnensi (St. Petera- burc, 1^^^': \v' Mi\!, Ostrovorotnaia Hi ostrobramskaia cudotvor- nain > '-■'/ r gorodie Vitnie (Vilna, 1890); Kipbian-
ovir ./ , u, mitropolit litovskii i vilenskii (VilnSL, 1S94);
SlosunL, k..^.A.A..i n.i Litwie (Lemberg. 1900).
A. Palmieri.
Vincent (Maldegariiis), Saint, founder and abbot of the monasteries of Hautmont and Soignies, b. of a noble family at Strepy les Binche, Hainault, early in the seventh century; d. at Soignies, 14 July, 677. That he was not of Irish descent, as stated by Jean du Pont and some Irish WTiters, has been proved by Mabillon and the BoUandists. About 635 he married tlie noble Waldetrude, also venerated as a saint, and by her had two sons and two daughters, all of whom are honoured as saints. Their names were: Landric, Bishop of Meaux; DenteUn, who died as a boy of seven years; Aldetrude and Madelberte, both of whom became abbesses of Maubeuge. It is probable that Vincent visited Ireland on a mission of King Dagobert I, who esteemed him very highly, though there is no historical basis for the statement made in his anonymous life, written abo\it the eleventh century, that King Dagobert made him ruler over Ireland. He is said to have brought with him from
Ireland a number of missionaries, chief among whom
were Sts. Fursy, Foillan, Ultan, Eloquius, Adalgisus,
and Etto. About 642 he founded the monastery of
Hautmont, near Maubeuge, where he himself became
a monk about 643, being invested with the rehgious
garb by Bishop St. Aubert of Cambrai, while his wife
took the veil and hved in a cell which later became the
monastery of Mons. His holy life and his fame as a
spiritual guide attracted to the monastery many of
his former friends, who put themselves under his
spiritual direction. In the hope of finding great
seclusion he erected a new monastery at Soignies,
whither he withdrew with a few of his monks about
670.
Lalieu. Vie de St. Vincent Madelgaire et de Ste Waudrau, son (pouse, princes et patrons du HainaiU (Tournai, 1886); Acta SS., Ill, July. 628-659; Mabillon, Acta SS. Bened., II, 643-5; Analecla Bollandiana, XII (Brussels, 1893), 422-440; O'Hanlon, Lives of the Irish Saints. VII (Dublin, s. d.), 227-234; du Pont, Memoriale immorlale de vita et virtulibus S. Vincentii tAIons, 1649).
Michael Ott.
Vincent, Saint, Deacon of Saragossa, and martyr under Diocletian, 304; mentioned in the Roman Mart jTologj', 22 Jan., with St. Anastasiusthe Persian, honoured by the Greeks, 11 Nov. This most renowned martvT of Spain is represented in the dalmatic of a deacon, and has as emblems a cross, a raven, a grate, or a fire-pile. He is honoured as patron in Valencia, Saragossa, Portugal etc., is invoked by vintners, brickmakers, and sailors, and is in the Litany of the Saints. His Acts were read in the churches of Africa at the end of the fourth century, as St. Augustine testifies in Sermon 275. The present Acts (Acta SS., Ill Jan., 6) date from the eighth or ninth century, and were compiled from tradition. Anal. BoU., I, 259, gives another life. All agree in substance with the metric life by Prudentius (P. L., LX, 378). He was born at Saragossa; his father was Eutricius (Euthicius), and his mother, Enola, a native of Osca. Lender the direction of Valerius, Bishop of Saragossa, Vincent made great progress in his studies. He was ordained deacon and commissioned to do the preaching in the diocese, the bishop having an impediment of speech. By order of the Governor Dacian he and his bishop were dragged in chains to Valencia and kept in prison for a long time. Then Valerius was banished, but Vincent was subjected to many cruel torments, the rack, the gridiron, and scourgings. He was again imprisoned, in a cell strewn with potsherds. He was next placed in a soft and luxurious bed, to shake his constancy, but here he expired.
His body was thrown to be devoured by vultures, but it was defended by a raven. Dacian had the body cast into the sea, but it came to shore and was buried by a pious widow. After peace was restored to the Church, a chapel was built over the remains outside the walls of Valencia. In 1175 the relics were brought to Lisbon; others claim that they came to Castres in 864. Cremona, Bari, and other cities claim to have rehcs. Chikleric I brought the stole and dalmatic to Paris in 542, and built a church in honour of St. Vincent, later called St-Germain-des- Pres. Regimont, near Bezicres, had a church of the saint as early as 455. Rome had three churches dedicated to St. Vincent; one near St. Peter's, another in Trastevere, and the one built by Honorius I (62,5-38) and renewed by Leo III in 7<tt). .\ pilaster found in the basilica of Salona in Dalniatia shows an inscription of the fifth or sixth centurv in honour of the saint (Rom. Quartalschrift, 1907, Arch. 135).
Butler, Lives of the Saints: Stadler, Hciliornlciicon: Allabd, Hist, des perslcut., IV, 237; Leclekcq. Les Martyrs, II (Paris, 1903), 437.
Francis Mershman.
Vincent de Paul, Saint, b. at Pouy, Gascony, Franco, in 15S0, though some authorities have s.aid 1576; d. at Paris, 27 Sept., 1660. Born of a peasant
