With St. Louise de Marillac, Vincent de Paul established the Convent of the Mission as well as the Daughters of Charity.Vincent was born into a peasant family who made a living by hard work and frugality. Nevertheless, his father pushed him to pursue a career as a priest. Saint Vincent saw the necessity for priests to tend to the poor of France, whom many overlooked because of their low social status.Around the same time, he discovered that his job was a true calling and that he had a personal connection with Jesus Christ. He planned to become a priest to obtain a position in the Church, make enough money to live comfortably, and then return home to support his family. Unfortunately, he had no idea what God had in store for him. St. Vincent had a short fuse. He often prayed to God to help him control his rage. In his day, St. Vincent de Paul was a legend. On September 27, the Catholic Church commemorates St. Vincent de Paul’s festival day.Learn more about this generous figure with this article, and do not forget to share it with your friends!St. Vincent de Paul Life and HistoryLet’s check out the life history of the Society of St. Vincent! Although Vincent de Paul was born into a family of farmers and eventually rose to the reputation for his devotion to the poor, he spent his early years trying to escape his modest beginnings. His family supported his goal, expecting that a career as a priest would improve the family’s financial situation. Vincent was ordained as a priest at the tender age of 19, and he devoted most of his initial priesthood, mixing with the upper crust. However, he was extremely popular because of his charisma, knowledge, and sense of humor.The Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVP) was founded in 1833 in Paris, France. After Frédéric Ozanam, a young law student in the Sorbonne was asked to show what he and his colleagues Catholic students were doing to serve the poor in Paris. Ozanam’s response was swift. Ozanam, then 20 years old, and six of his contemporaries created the first ‘Conference of Charity’ within weeks. Under the terms of the conference, this team of seven people funded their charitable acts out of their own money and friends’ help.They went to the poor in their houses and provided them with much-needed relief and assistance. Ozanam quickly put the meeting under the sponsorship of St. Vincent de Paul. He had devoted his life during 16th century France assisting the poor, thanks to Monsieur Emmanuel Bailly as well as Sister Rosalie Rendu, Daughters of Charity convent’ superior. The initial group of seven expanded to 600 members in a few years, expanding to 15 more cities and villages around France, totaling over 2,000 members.A century later, in Phoenix, Arizona, a team of young Catholic men gathered in the same enthusiasm of charity. With the support of Father Louis Shoen, OFM, then St. Mary’s Church’s pastor, Tommy Johnstone, a New Yorker connected with the Society, joined four other people. On April 26, 1946, a seed was sown in the ancient rectory of St. Mary’s that would develop to be the current Phoenix Diocesan Council for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Matthew Trudelle was the Valley of the Sun’s first Conference President.The Particular Council of Maricopa County was founded on December 4, 1949, when St. Vincent de Paul Conventions from St. Francis Xavier, St. Agnes, as well as St. Mary’s churches, merged to create the Particular Council of Maricopa County. Five priests with 25 Vincentians joined this historic conference.The Council’s initial spiritual director was Father Victor Bucher OFM, pastor of St. Mary’s, and Father James Deasey SJ, Father Cornelius Moynihan, Monsignor Robert Donohoe, and Reverend Francis J. Green, Bishop (Tucson), nourished and supported the nascent Society. Father Charles Hackel also aided the Council’s creation.Origin Of St. Vincent de Paul SocietyIn 1833, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul was established to assist needy people who lived in the slums of Paris. Antoine Frédéric Ozanam was disturbed by the situations he observed in Paris as a student in the Sorbonne. A French lawyer, novelist, and professor, Blessed Frédéric Ozanam was the driving force behind the Society’s formation. Emmanuel Bailly was elected as the first president by the six pupils. In honor of their patron saint, they changed the title to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.Gerald Ward was aware of SVP in London and started the Organization in Australia in 1854 while witnessing the plight of the poor following the Victorian gold rush.Ward was the organization’s first president, and he was instrumental in establishing the SVP orphanage home in South Melbourne.Purpose of St. Vincent de Paul SocietyThey do this by serving the poor with respect, love, hope, justice, and joy and working to create a more just and caring society. A profound respect for the person we serve as well as a motivation to learn from them are at the core of the St. Vincent de Paul Society.The U.S. Society of St. Vincent de Paul was founded on November 20, 1845, in St. Louis, Missouri, at the Basilica, ruler of France, sometimes known as ‘The Old Cathedral’. With the help of local Councils and Assemblies, the National Council gives guidance, spiritual formation, education, and monetary support to Vincentians across the United States as they serve millions of neighbors in need.Every year, Vincentians in the U.S. serve almost five million individuals. The Society accepts all forms of charity activities.What is the main focus of St. Vincent de Paul Society?The St. Vincent de Paul Society, also known as the Society of St. Vincent, is a Christian charitable organization that works to alleviate poverty and provide support and assistance to families and individuals in need worldwide. St. Louise, a companion of St. Vincent, was motivated and guided by his spiritual leadership. She worked with St. Vincent de Paul to form the Daughters of Charity, which organized clinics for the sick poor, orphanages, workshops for the jobless, literacy programs for the ignorant and established guidelines for local charities.Vincent was going back home from a mission tour by ship in 1605. He was on the way to selling a few real estates that he had inherited from a generous patron. But, unfortunately, pirates kidnapped him while traveling and taken to Tunis, Tunisia, in Northern Africa.He prayed to God during this time, promising Him that if his life were saved and set free, he would dedicate the remainder of his life to serving the poor.St. Vincent de Paul was a social activist. Vincent led a church in France following his final escape from Africa. He was astounded by the poverty he discovered there. He met with wealthy friends and encouraged them to form groups and go house to house requesting food, clothing, and furniture.They were so effective in their efforts that other parishes approached him to see how they could coordinate in the same manner. With time, Vincent learned that his youthful follies, particularly his obsession with fortune and fame, resulted from a poor faith foundation. As a response, he established the Vincentians, an order of priests that received extensive training and committed to devote their life to the moral and practical needs of the poor.He later formed the Sisters of Charity with Louise de Marillac. He then extended his efforts by establishing orphanages, hospitals, and homes for mentally sick persons.The Society of St. Vincent de Paul was not founded by St. Vincent de Paul, which is an interesting fact. Over 150 years after St. Vincent’s demise, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul was created as a non-profit organization.Frederic Ozanam titled the Society after St. Vincent de Paul as he formed it. Ozanam was a devout follower of St. Vincent de Paul, the patron saint for charitable organizations, and he based the Society on his appeal to ‘find Christ in the poor and be Christ to the poor’.The Society of St. Vincent de Paul continues to pay tribute to his legacy and life. Frédéric’s thoughts on social justice foreshadowed the first modern-day social encyclical.On September 27, 1660, St. Vincent de Paul perished and was canonized in 1737. St. Vincent’s heart and bones have been preserved and placed into a wax replica of the body. His remains are housed in the Church of St. Vincent de Paul in Paris.A bone splinter relic can also be found on a little ledge next to the Blessed Sacrament Chapel at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Omaha, Nebraska.The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul’s Phoenix Diocesan Council now comprises 81 Conferences for Charity, approximately 3,000 associate and active members (Vincentians), and over 6,000 workers.
With St. Louise de Marillac, Vincent de Paul established the Convent of the Mission as well as the Daughters of Charity.
