For many years Vincent maintained his friendship with Pedro, but he came to believe that his friend's claims were false. In spite of Vincent's entreaties, the antipope refused to resign. Reluctantly Vincent was obliged to abandon de Luna, persuading King Ferdinand of Castile also to reject the antipope's false claims-a course which in the end led to the deposition of 'Benedict'.
Pedro de Luna had even offered to make Vincent a cardinal. Although Vincent refused this title, he had continued as the antipope's confessor. In 1398 he relinquished his duties at de Luna's court and decided to become a missionary preacher, inspired by the examples of St. Dominic and St. Francis of Assisi. Throughout France he preached to enormous crowds. Many people at this time believed that the world would end in the year 1400, and this made Vincent's words about the last Judgment all the more terrifying. Sometimes his audiences were so frightened that many of them fainted. Others wept bitterly and determined to lead new and better lives. Thousands followed him wheRev.er he went. From these Vincent organized a group of helpers who would continue his missionary work in one place after he had travelled on. Soon he was in Switzerland and then Italy, still converting many to Christianity. He may even have visited Britain and certainly preached in Holland. At Grenada in Spain the saint is said to have converted eight thousand Moors. He was almost seventy when he died at Vannes in France in 1419.
Vincent's favourite saving was, 'Whatever you do, think not of yourselves but of God.'
From A Calendar of Saints,
The Lives of the Principal Saints of the Christian Year
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