THE HISTORY OF ST. VINCENT DE PAUL

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is the largest
Catholic lay association of charity in the world.  It was
founded in 1833 by Frederic Ozanam, a 20-year old
student of the Sorbonne University in Paris, France.
Challenged to practice what they preach, Frederic and
a group of fellow students sought out the poor of Paris
in their homes and brought them bread, clothes, and
most importantly friendship. This small group took the
great priest, St. Vincent de Paul, as their patron saint. .
Similar groups began to form in Paris, and then spread
throughout France, and eventually the world.  In 1845,
the first U.S. Conference was formed in St. Louis,
Missouri.