THE MISSION OF THE SOCIETY OF 

ST. VINCENT DE PAUL

Mission Statement

"A network of friends, inspired by Gospel values, growing in holiness and building a more just world through personal relationships with and service to people in need."

The history of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul begins in 1833 with the story of a young Catholic university student, Frédéric Ozanam, who gathered five friends and took the risk of responding to the glaring inequality and injustice emerging in Paris, France. The group financed their works of charity for the poor out of their own pockets and from contributions of friends. We who have come after them are guided by the same desire to do God's will through faithful service to those who are pushed to the margins of society.

Frédéric Ozanam knew that to preserve the basic spirit of the Society - witness to Christ, fraternal union, and direct person-to-person assistance to the suffering - a simple rule was needed for the membership to follow. The rule and structure of the Society are the enduring legacies of this great man who noted, "The poor have called me out of myself. No wonder I love them so."  Under the guidance of Sister Rosalie Rendu, he stressed the importance of offering kindness, respect, and compassion to the poor. In his view, this was as essential to their service as the food, clothing, shelter, and financial assistance they provided. He chose the 17th-century priest, St. Vincent de Paul, known as the Apostle of Charity, as patron of the organization.

A few years later, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul spread worldwide and reached the United States in 1845 when a conference group was formed in St. Louis, Missouri. San Antonio was among one of the early foundations, with the first presence beginning at St. Mary's Catholic Church in 1871.

Today, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul of the Archdiocese of San Antonio involves over 1,400 dedicated Vincentian members and other committed SVDP volunteers who serve children, families, and individuals in need. Through our 52 conferences that are located in or near Catholic parishes throughout the community, Vincentians identify the need and provide a wide variety of services for basic needs such as food, clothing, rent, furniture, and utility assistance. Person-to-person assistance is at the core of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Vincentians also visit the homes of those they assist. Through the home visit, Vincentians determine how to best help the individual or family in crisis. The home visit is a trademark of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.

In addition, our San Antonio SVDP Central Office staff operates two special work programs.  St Vinnys Bistro® provides more than 400,000 meals annually to the chronically homeless and offers job training at the Courtyard at Haven for Hope.  The Family and Community Assistance Program keeps families together by providing housing stability, community resources along with case management services.