Saint Vincent dePaul Society

This is an association of Catholic lay men and women whose primary charitable goal is to visit the needy of the parish in their homes. A sample of Saint Vincent assistance: clothing and furniture assistance through Saint Vincent de Paul Thrift stores, assisting and operating food pantries throughout the Archdiocese and visiting the sick and infirm to insure their basic needs are being addressed.

Saint Vincent DePaul, is an international charitable society organized in 1883 by Frederick Ozanam, a student of the University of Paris. He wanted to address the needs of the poor during the industrial revolution. He also wanted to improve the lives of young people by urging them to perform works of charity rather than just talking about how they ought to be done. The group took as its patron the great French priest Saint Vincent De Paul, who had alerted the world of his day to many social problems.

The group began by visiting the poor in their homes and assisting them both spiritually and materially. The Society spread throughout Europe and to the USA in 1845.

Today there are over 4,300 active conferences in this country with about 65,000 active members. Annually the Society distributes over $100 million in direct aid to the poor in the USA.