About Society of St. Vincent de Paul
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SSVP) is an international Catholic lay organization of charity founded on April 23, 1833, in Paris, France, by a small group of university students led by the future Blessed Frédéric Ozanam. Its members — known as Vincentians — are organized into parish-based groups called 'Conferences' that visit the poor in their own homes and provide direct, person-to-person aid. Today the Society operates in more than 150 countries with roughly 800,000 members and 1.5 million volunteers, running tens of thousands of food pantries, thrift stores, disaster-response programs, and social projects that serve an estimated 30 million people each year.
Mission
A network of friends who seek personal holiness through service to those in need and in defence of social justice.
- Founded
- 1833
- Founder
- Blessed Frédéric Ozanam (with Emmanuel Bailly and five other Sorbonne students)
- Leader
- Juan Manuel Buergo Gómez (17th International President General, from Spain, inaugurated September 9, 2023, on a six-year term). The National President of the United States is John Berry (14th National President, installed October 1, 2023, at St. Louis Cathedral Basilica).
- Reach
- Active in more than 150 countries on five continents, with roughly 800,000 active members, 1.5 million volunteers, more than 5,000 'special works,' and 18,000 social projects. The Society reaches over 30 million people in need each year. In the United States alone, the National Council of the United States reports nearly 4,428 parish-based Conferences, organized into District, Diocesan/Archdiocesan, and Regional Councils in nine regions.
- Serves
- Anyone in need, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or background — with a particular focus on people living in poverty, the working poor, families facing eviction or utility shutoff, the homeless, immigrants, disaster survivors, and the elderly, sick, and lonely. The Society's founding principle is the 'home visit,' in which the visitor becomes the guest and the person being helped is treated as the master.
Origins and Founding (1833, Paris)
On the evening of April 23, 1833 — his 20th birthday — Frédéric Ozanam, a Sorbonne law and literature student, gathered five friends in the office of the Catholic newspaper La Tribune catholique, on rue du Petit-Bourbon (now 38 rue Saint-Sulpice) in Paris. They formed the first 'Conference of Charity,' a small lay fraternity whose stated purpose was to put their faith into action by personally serving the poor. The original six students were Ozanam, Auguste Le Taillandier, Paul Lamache, François Lallier, Jules Deveaux, and Felix Clavé. The older Emmanuel Bailly, editor of La Tribune catholique and a married layman, was chosen president, a role he held for eleven years. Within months the young men began visiting poor families in the Mouffetard district, one of Paris's most destitute neighborhoods, an initiative inspired by a famous challenge at a student meeting: an opponent of the Church had insisted that Catholicism was dead and bore no fruit — to which Ozanam's generation answered with works, not words.
- First meeting: April 23, 1833, in Emmanuel Bailly's newspaper office in Paris
- First President: Emmanuel Bailly (served 1833–1844)
- Six founding students: Ozanam, Le Taillandier, Lamache, Lallier, Deveaux, Clavé
- Original name: 'Conference of Charity'
Sister Rosalie Rendu and the Vincentian Spiritual Identity
The founders' practical formation in serving the poor was guided by Blessed Rosalie Rendu, a Daughter of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul who had been working in the Mouffetard district for years. She welcomed the students, gave them families to visit, and instructed them in the spirituality of St. Vincent de Paul — kindness, gentleness, and respect for the dignity of those served. She is regarded as the Society's first spiritual adviser, and her feast day (February 7) is observed in many Conferences. In 1834 the Conferences chose St. Vincent de Paul as their patron and dedicated themselves to the Blessed Virgin Mary; the first Rule was drawn up in 1835, and the International Council General was formed in 1839. Pope Gregory XVI's brief of recognition followed in 1845.
- Patron: St. Vincent de Paul — 'Apostle of Charity' and 'Father of the Poor'
- Spiritual guide of the founders: Blessed Rosalie Rendu, Daughter of Charity
- First Rule: 1835
- International Council General: founded 1839
- Formal Holy See recognition: 1845 (brief of Pope Gregory XVI)
The Home Visit — Heart of the Vincentian Mission
From its earliest days the Society has insisted on direct, in-person encounter with the poor in their own homes — the 'Home Visit,' also called the Encounter. Members always go in pairs, listen first, and then assess needs. Aid is given in kind, through vouchers or direct payment, never as cash in hand, and respect for the dignity of the person served is paramount. The Society's own Manual explains the symbolism: 'the visitor becomes the guest and the person being helped is the master.' Home visits remain the founding and most distinctive Vincentian activity, the lens through which every other program — food pantries, thrift stores, rent and utility assistance, disaster case management — is meant to flow.
- Done in pairs of Vincentians
- Aid delivered as vouchers or in-kind, not cash
- Confidential and dignity-respecting
- Parish Conference typically visits weekly
Structure: Conferences, Councils, and International Government
The basic unit of the Society is the Conference, most commonly organized at the parish level, with about 15–20 active members and additional associate members. Conferences meet at least twice a month, often weekly, opening with prayer and spiritual reflection before turning to the needs of those served. Above the Conference are District Councils (3–12 Conferences in a defined local area), (Arch)diocesan Councils, Regional or National Councils, and the International Council General in Paris, which represents the Society worldwide. The Society's Rule and Statutes, periodically revised, are the universal governing text; in the United States the National Council of the United States, Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Inc., coordinates roughly 4,428 parish-based Conferences organized into nine regions.
- Conference — parish-level basic unit
- District Council — local cluster of Conferences
- (Arch)diocesan Council
- National/Regional Council (e.g., National Council of the United States)
- International Council General — Paris (Council General International, CGI)
Spirituality and Five Essential Virtues
The Society draws its spirituality from St. Vincent de Paul and Blessed Frédéric Ozanam, summarized in the Rule as: love of God with one's whole strength, seeing Christ in the poor and the poor in Christ, sharing Christ's compassionate and liberating love, and heeding the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The Rule identifies five essential virtues that Vincentians are called to cultivate: Simplicity, Humility, Gentleness, Selflessness, and Zeal. Six 'Festival Meetings' are designated for Conferences and Councils to gather for Mass and shared reflection: Ozanam Sunday (the last Sunday of April), the Feast of Blessed Frédéric (September 9), the Feast of St. Vincent de Paul (September 27), the Feast of the Immaculate Conception (December 8), an annual Conference Mass, and a local feast day of choice.
- Simplicity — frankness, integrity, genuineness
- Humility — truth about one's gifts, dependence on God's grace
- Gentleness — kindness, tenderness, patience
- Selflessness — generosity of time, possessions, talents
- Zeal — passion for the full flourishing of every person
Programs and Special Works
Beyond home visits, Vincentian Conferences and Councils run a vast array of 'Special Works' tailored to local need. These are typically funded by parish collections, the twice-yearly Friends of the Poor appeal, thrift-store revenues, and bequests. Globally the Society counts more than 5,000 special works and 18,000 social projects — a network that ranges from food pantries and soup kitchens to thrift stores, low-interest loan programs, disaster case management, refugee assistance, transitional housing, and prison ministry. The Society is also widely known for the annual Friends of the Poor Walk/Run in the United States and parallel 'Ozanam' fundraising events around the world.
- Food pantries and Choice Food Pantries
- Thrift stores / second-hand shops
- Soup kitchens and community meals
- Low-interest loan programs (partnerships with credit unions)
- Disaster Services Corporation and Rapid Response Teams
- Rental, utility, and homelessness-prevention assistance
- Bed, mattress, and furniture programs
- Twinnings and international solidarity projects
International Reach and United Nations Engagement
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is present in more than 150 countries on five continents, with approximately 800,000 members and 1.5 million volunteers serving an estimated 30 million people each year. It is an associate member of UNESCO and a special adviser to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), and is aligned with the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals of Agenda 2030. It is also part of the Global Catholic Climate Movement. Within the Catholic Church it is registered with the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family and Life and the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, supporting the Holy See's charitable initiatives. The Society is legally autonomous in its existence, constitution, organization, rules, and activities, recognized as a civil association in most countries.
- Active in 150+ countries on 5 continents
- ~800,000 members and 1.5 million volunteers
- 5,000+ special works; 18,000+ social projects
- Consultative status with UNESCO; special adviser status with UN ECOSOC
- Aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals
International Leadership and Governance
The Society is led globally by the President General, elected by the General Assembly for a six-year term. The 17th and current President General is Juan Manuel Buergo Gómez of Spain, elected in 2023 and inaugurated on September 9, 2023 (the feast of Blessed Frédéric Ozanam) in the Chapel of St. Vincent de Paul in Paris. He succeeded Renato Lima de Oliveira. The international leadership team includes a Vice-President General, Secretary General, Treasurer General, three Deputy Vice-Presidents, an International Youth Delegate, and a Spiritual Advisor (Fr. José F. Orozco, CM). Executive operations in Paris are run by Executive Director Paulo Cavaleri. In the United States, John Berry of Atlanta, Georgia, was installed as the 14th National President on October 1, 2023, at a Mass in the St. Louis Cathedral Basilica, beginning a six-year term focused on growth in diverse communities and among youth and young adults.
- 17th International President General: Juan Manuel Buergo Gómez (Spain), 2023–
- 16th: Renato Lima de Oliveira
- Spiritual Advisor: Fr. José F. Orozco, CM
- Executive Director, Paris Office: Paulo Cavaleri
- 14th US National President: John Berry (Atlanta, GA), October 1, 2023–
How to Get Involved — Becoming a Vincentian
Men and women who wish to join typically begin as aspirants at a local parish Conference, accompanied by a spiritual adviser and a formation mentor. After a period of formation they are admitted as Active Members making the full Vincentian commitment, or as Associate Members who support the Conference's work and prayer without the same obligations. Conferences meet regularly — usually weekly — for prayer, spiritual reflection, and review of cases, and members participate in home visits, food-pantry and thrift-store service, and the Society's twice-yearly collections. Donations of money, clothing, furniture, and household goods support the Special Works; the Society is a registered 501(c)(3) in the United States and a recognized civil association in most countries. To find a local Conference, contact the National Council of the United States (ssvpusa.org) or the International Council General in Paris (ssvpglobal.org).
- Aspirant → Active Member or Associate Member
- Weekly (or twice-monthly) Conference meetings with prayer and reflection
- Pair-based home visits in the local community
- Volunteer opportunities in thrift stores, pantries, disaster response
- Donations of money and gently used goods
- Friends of the Poor Walk/Run and other fundraising events
Patronal Feast Days and the Vincentian Calendar
Vincentian life is shaped by a calendar of feast days that gather Conferences and Councils for Mass, reflection, and fellowship. The six Festival Meetings designated by the US National Council are: Ozanam Sunday (the last Sunday of April, honoring Ozanam's April 23 birthday), the Feast of Blessed Frédéric (September 9), the Feast of St. Vincent de Paul (September 27), the Feast of the Immaculate Conception (December 8), an annual Conference Mass, and a local feast day of choice. Many Conferences also mark the Feast of St. Louise de Marillac (May 9) and the Feast of Blessed Rosalie Rendu (February 7). The inauguration of each new President General traditionally takes place on September 9 in the Chapel of St. Vincent de Paul in Paris, where the incorrupt body of the patron saint rests.
- Ozanam Sunday — last Sunday of April
- Blessed Frédéric Ozanam — September 9
- St. Vincent de Paul — September 27
- Immaculate Conception — December 8
- St. Louise de Marillac — May 9
- Blessed Rosalie Rendu — February 7
Headquarters, Contact, and Legal Status
The Society's international headquarters — the Conseil Général International de la Société de Saint-Vincent-de-Paul — moved in November 2019 to 65 Rue de la Glacière, 75013 Paris, France, and was officially inaugurated on September 13, 2020. The international body is registered as an association (Siret 78431371000021) and can be reached by telephone at +33 (0) 1 53 45 87 53 or by e-mail at [email protected]. In the United States the National Council of the United States, Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Inc., is the recognized national entity coordinating some 4,428 parish-based Conferences and their affiliated Councils.
- International HQ: 65 Rue de la Glacière, 75013 Paris, France
- Phone: +33 (0) 1 53 45 87 53
- E-mail: [email protected]
- Web: https://www.ssvpglobal.org/en/
- US National Council: https://ssvpusa.org/
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