“If God is the center of your life, no words are necessary
Your mere presence will touch hearts”
St. Vincent de Paul
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is an international organization of Roman Catholic lay men and women of all ages, whose primary mission is to help the poor and less fortunate.
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul was founded in 1833 by eight men who wanted to create an organization dedicated to helping those impoverished people living in Paris, France. The primary figure behind the Society's founding was Blessed Frederick Ozanam, a French lawyer, author, and professor in the Sorbonne.
The Society took Saint Vincent de Paul as its patron under the influence of Sister Rosalie Rendu, DC (Daughter of Charity). Sister Rosalie (who was beatified in 2004 by Pope John Paul II) was a member of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, a group of religious women who take vows to serve the poor and those in need, founded by St. Vincent de Paul and St. Louise de Marillac. Sr. Rosalie, who was well known for her work with the most poverty stricken people in the slums of Paris, guided Blessed Frédéric and his companions in their approach towards those in need.
The Society numbers about 190,000 in some 90 countries worldwide, whose members operate through so-called "conferences". A conference may be based out of a church, community center, school, hospital, etc., and is composed of Catholic volunteers who dedicate their time and resources to help those in need in their community.
St. Vincent de Paul
(Born April 24, 1581, Pouy, now Saint-Vincent-de-Paul, France—died September 27, 1660, Paris; canonized 1737; feast day September 27), French saint, founder of the Congregation of the Mission (Lazarists, or Vincentians) for preaching missions to the peasantry and for educating and training a pastoral clergy. The patron saint of charitable societies, St. Vincent de Paul is primarily recognized for his charity and compassion for the poor, though he is also known for his reform of the clergy and for his early role in opposing Jansenism.
Antoine-Frédéric Ozanam
(Born April 23, 1813 - Marseille, September 8, 1853) in Malin and was a French scholar. He founded with fellow students the Conference of Charity, later known as the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II in the cathedral church Notre Dame de Paris in 1997.
Frédéric Ozanam left his home in Lyon, France, in the autumn of 1831, for Paris. He registered in the School of Law at the Sorbonne, University of Paris.
Frédéric collaborated with Mr. Emmanuel Bailly, editor of the Tribune Catholique, in reviving a student organization which had been suspended during the revolutionary activity of July 1830. They called their new association "The Conference of History." The group met on Saturdays to discuss various topics, everything but politics.
At one of their meetings, a student challenged Frédéric and the practicing Catholics. He admitted that the Catholic Church had done much good work in the past, but "what do you do now?"
Frédéric called for a meeting of five of his friends; they agreed to meet at Mr. Bailly's office. The date was April 23, 1833, Frédéric's twentieth birthday. Inspired by words, Frédéric the seventh decided to found the "Conference of Charity" to assist the poor. Emmanuel Bailly, the married layman, was chosen by the six students as their first President. In a short time, they changed their name to THE SOCIETY OF ST. VINCENT DE PAUL after their patron.
Inspired by Gospel values, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, an International Catholic lay organization, leads women and men to join together to grow spiritually by offering tangible and spiritual support through prayer and person-to-person services to the needy and suffering in the tradition of its founder, Blessed Frédéric Ozanam, and patron, St. Vincent de Paul.
As a reflection of the whole family of God, Members, who are known as Vincentians, are drawn from every ethnic and cultural background, age group, and economic level.
Vincentians are united in an International Society of Charity by their spirit of poverty, humility and sharing, which is nourished by prayer and reflection, mutually supportive gatherings and adherence to a basic Rule.
Organized locally, Vincentians witness God's love by embracing all works of charity and justice.
The Society collaborates with other people of good will in relieving need and addressing its causes, making no distinction in those served, because in them Vincentians see the face of Christ.
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul adheres to a group of core values; these are principles central to its creed and ministry:
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is one of many organizations, both lay and religious, whose members throughout the world, together inspired by the spirituality of St. Vincent de Paul, form a single Vincentian Family.
The Vincentian Family marks its beginning in 1617, when St. Vincent de Paul, inspired by receiving the confession of a poor farmer, founded the Congregation of the Mission. That same year he would found the first Confraternity of Charity, and just a few years later, along with St. Louise, the Daughters of Charity.
For more than 400 years, members of the Vincentian Family have dedicated themselves to serving Christ in the person of His poor, and to loving God, in Vincent’s words, “with the strength of our arms and the sweat of our brows.”
Gratefully remembering the support and encouragement the first Conference received from Blessed Rosalie Rendu, a Daughter of Charity, the Society maintains and develops close relationships with other branches of the Vincentian family.
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul was formed when a group of young college students committed themselves to follow Christ’s example, declaring “Let us go to the poor!”
The Home Visit remains the central work of Members and Conferences of the Society of St Vincent de Paul. On Home Visits, Vincentians do not merely “stand with” the poor; we sit with them, we listen to them, we pray with them, and we seek to help them in the best way possible.
This commonly includes things like rental assistance, or help with utility bills or food. No work of charity is foreign to the Society. It includes any form of help that alleviates suffering or deprivation and promotes human dignity and personal integrity in all their dimensions.
Vincentians are not social workers. We serve as neighbors, seeking to understand the troubles of those we serve as we would a brother or sister, and to form relationships based on trust and friendship, and to walk with our neighbors in their time of trouble.
As part of the international organization that includes regional and diocesan functions, the members of SVDP respond to the temporal needs of families within the parish boundaries.
The funding we use to support our ‘Neighbors in Need” comes from our generous parishioners. The members meet regularly on the first Thursday of each month. No special talent is needed except to have a loving attitude toward the needy and suffering in our community.
The activities involved in helping these families include visiting their homes in pairs, providing financial and/or material assistance, or collaborating with appropriate community resources i.e. Catholic Charities. All visits are documented and shared with the membership at our monthly meetings. Through our gatherings we are mutually nourished by prayer and reflection.
New members are always welcome. We prepare them for this ministry by pairing them up with existing members. They will also receive a “Training Manual” for understanding the objectives of the organization. Please contact the Parish Office for more information at (302) 999-0211.
SVDP Officers:
President: Mary Kay Micucio
Vice President: Merrie Bailey
Treasurer: Pat Connolly
Secretary: Claude Faulkner