St Vincent de Paul was born to a poor family. He was a clever youth and was educated by the Franciscan friars in France. He became a tutor to a wealthy mans children and began his religious studies at the University of Toulouse. He was ordained a priest. He was taken prisionor by pirates and taken to Tunis where he was sold as a slave.  He was freed and returned to France. He served as a parish priest and began organizations to help the sick, the poor and the needy. He founded the Lazarists (Congregation of Priests of the Mission) and the Daughters of Charity.