History

Saint Vincent de Paul (April 24, 1581 – September 27, 1660) was a priest of the Catholic Church dedicated to serving the poor. He is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion. He was canonized in 1737.

St. Vincent De Paul was born near Pouy, France, to a family of peasant farmers. He had four brothers and two sisters. He was ordained in 1600, remaining in Toulouse until he went to Marseille for an inheritance. In 1605, on his way back from Marseille, he was taken captive by Turkish pirates, who brought him to Tunis and sold him into slavery. After converting his owner to Christianity, Vincent de Paul escaped in 1607. After returning to France, De Paul went to Rome. There he continued his studies until 1609, when he was sent back to France on a mission to Henry IV of France; he served as chaplain to Marguerite de Valois. He was a parish priest at Clichy, but from 1612 he began to serve the illustrious Gondi family. He was confessor and spiritual director to Mme de Gondi, and he began giving peasant missions on the estate with her aid. In 1622 De Paul was appointed chaplain to the galleys, and in this capacity he gave missions for the galley-slaves. In 1625 De Paul founded the Congregation of the Mission, a society of priests commonly known as the Vincentians. In 1633, with the assistance of Louise de Marillac he founded the Daughters of Charity. De Paul was renowned for his compassion, generosity and humility.

History of the Society

The Conference of Charity, founded in 1833 in France by seven students including Frederic Ozanam, later became known as the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. The young Frederic, a Catholic, wanted to help the poor during the industrial revolution. Inspired by his love of St. Vincent de Paul, a 17th century French priest who had an untiring commitment to serving the poor, Ozanam's mission was clear - help the needy on a one-to-one basis and "accomplish through charity what justice alone cannot do."

Along with several friends, Frederic visited the poor in their homes, helping them whenever possible by sharing whatever food and other necessities were available for them to give. More importantly, the young men provided food for the spirit through their many acts of kindness and friendship. The Society's work quickly began to spread throughout the world.