History of the Society
Our International Beginnings: Paris, France
Frédéric Ozanam left his home in Lyon, France for Paris in the autumn of 1831. He registered in the School of Law at the Sorbonne University of Paris.
Frédéric collaborated with Mr. Emmanuel Bailly, editor of the Tribune Catholique, to revive 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, 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.
The Society In The United States: Saint Louis, Missouri
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul was established in St. Louis, Missouri at the Basilica of St. Louis, King of France, popularly called "The Old Cathedral," in 1845.
Father John Timon, C.M., an American Vincentian priest from Pennsylvania, and later Bishop of Buffalo, New York, was the one who brought copies of the Rule of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul back from Dublin, Ireland, to St. Louis. Timon talked to various people about the Society and its wonderful work with the poor.
Bishop Peter Richard Kenrick, successor of the first Bishop of St. Louis, Joseph Rosati, C.M., asked Father Ambrose Heim to establish the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and be its Spiritual Advisor. Father Heim was known by all for his extraordinary zeal and ministry with the poor. He became known as "The Priest of the Poor."
The first meeting of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in the United States was held on November 20, 1845, only twelve years after its foundation in Paris.
Nineteen of the most prominent Catholic laymen of St. Louis attended. Dr. Moses Linton was elected President, Bryan Mullanphy, Vice-President, Dennis Galvin, Second Vice-President, James Maguire Jr., Secretary, Patrick Ryder, Treasurer, and Fr. Ambrose Heim, Spiritual Advisor.
The Conference was formally recognized by the Society's International Council in Paris on February 2, 1846.
Saint Vincent de Paul
Vincent was born poor and initially longed for a life of wealth.
He was also intelligent and became a priest to pave the way from need to nobility. On the journey, he underwent a difficult spiritual crisis that resulted in a desire to help the poor.
Exalted positions such as chaplain to the Queen's court and tutor to the wealthy de Gondi family were not fulfilling to him. The profit of an ecclesiastical career was abandoned for a parish and for work with the marginalized and forgotten.
Vincent instituted an order of priests, the Congregation of the Mission or Vincentians, whose mission it was to share Jesus' good news in the villages through preaching and service.
With Louise de Marillac, Patroness of all Social Workers, he co-founded the Daughters of Charity.
Vincent pledged his life to the sick, those with mental health issues, orphans and elderly, beggars and the starving, prisoners and galley slaves. There was no form of poverty - physical, emotional or spiritual - which he did not try to alleviate.
Most of all, though he was committed to the poor sinful men and women who did not know what great love God had for them.
There was a time when this "Friend of the Poor" could no longer visit the people he loved. As he neared his eightieth year, his health deteriorated and he endured much suffering. He was finally confined to bed and departed to his reward on 27th September 1660, which is now his feast day.