st.vincent de paul society

The International Confederation of the Society of Vincent de Paul (SSVP) is a Catholic charity, a lay organisation run by volunteers, founded in Paris in 1833 by a group of Catholic laity, including a young man who would one day be beatified by Pope John Paul II: Blessed Frédéric Ozanam.
The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul works throughout the world to help the poor, relieving their suffering and promoting their human dignity and integrity. Over 700,000 volunteer members in 142 countries do the work of the Society, helping more than 17,000,000 people all over the world every year, dealing with every kind of human need. They come to the aid of thousands of people during humanitarian disasters such as the Indian Ocean tsunami, or earthquake catastrophes, and even in war zones, such as the recent upheavals of the Near East. Nearly 49,000 conferences are active around the globe, continually endeavouring to relieve all kinds of misery and poverty, helping millions of disadvantaged people, of all ages, conditions or faiths.
The Society was founded at the Church of Saint-Etienne du Mont in Paris, on 23 April 1833, by a group of seven young university students, including Blessed Frédéric Ozanam (1813-1853, beatified on 22 August 1997). They took Saint Vincent de Paul (1581-1660) as the patron of the organisation, inspired by the thought and work of this holy man, who was known as the « Father of Charity » because of his devotion to the poor and unfortunate. Having seen the terrible conditions of the poor in Paris at that time, they decided to go into action, forming the Conference of Charity, with the support of one of the Daughters of Charity, Sister Rosalie Rendu.
The founders were: · Antoine Frédéric Ozanam (1813-1853) · Emmanuel Bailly (1794-1861) · Auguste Le Tallandier (1811-1886) · François Lallier (1814-1887) · Paul Lamache (1810-1892) · Félix Clavé (1811-1853) · Jules Devaux (1811-1881)
From the outset, the Society was only ever run exclusively by lay Catholics. It was in collaboration with the hierarchy of the Catholic Church, but always acted independently, as it does today. This organisation is formed and run by volunteers, mainly Catholic lay people, who devote some of their time to their work for the Society.
Members are active in many areas, the most important of which is personal contact with the most disadvantaged. They help anyone in need, of any race, religious belief or none, social or ethnic background, state of health, education or political opinion. The work includes projects for social support and advice, training, education and personal development. The Society sets up and runs health provision, centres for children and young people including schools and training for work. It operates hospices, support centres for single women and women’s refuges, as well as helping former prisoners to reintegrate into society, providing homes for people with physical and mental disabilities, help for victims of violence, disasters and war, support and help for the terminally-ill, alcoholics and drug-addicts, programmes for families in difficulties. Its work takes place in the actual situation of the various countries in which it is based, always respecting tradition and culture, and with the aim of supporting those in need to overcome their problems themselves, in accordance with human dignity.