Manual of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in the United States

THE SOCIETY OF ST. VINCENT DE PAUL

Our little Society of St. Vincent de Paul

has grown large enough

to be considered a providential fact. . . .

– Blessed Frederic Ozanam

On November 1, 1830, Antoine Frederic Ozanam left his home in Lyon to enroll at the Sorbonne, the University of Paris, to pursue a law degree. Not long after his arrival in Paris, Ozanam became acquainted with Emmanuel Bailly, publisher of La Tribune Catholique newspaper. Bailly had founded a student organization called The Conference of History; Ozanam joined the group. They met on Saturdays to discuss a wide range of subjects except politics. The conference attracted a variety of individuals with differing opinions and beliefs.

One Saturday, during a heated verbal exchange, Jean Broet, a student and follower of the doctrine of Saint-Simonism, challenged Ozanam and his friends: “We agree that at one time your Church was a great Church and was a great source of good. But what is your Church doing now? What is she doing for the poor? Show us your works and we will believe you.” Ozanam accepted the challenge. He and several of his friends agreed to meet and discuss what they might do.

On April 23, 1833, Frederic Ozanam’s twentieth birthday, the six students (Auguste Le Taillandier, Paul Lamache, Francois Lallier, Jules Deveaux, Felix Clave, and Frederic) gathered in Bailly’s newspaper office. Ozanam’s words moved all present: “We must do what is agreeable to God. Therefore, we must do what our Lord Jesus Christ did when preaching the gospel. Let us go to the poor!” And so, in the Providence of God, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul was born.

The charter Vincentians then sought out Sr. Rosalie Rendu, a Daughter of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, for her assistance and suggestions in ministering to God’s poor. Sr. Rosalie guided and mentored the founding members in the spirit and charism of St. Vincent, teaching them how to minister to the suffering poor with gentleness and kindness and to respect their God-given dignity.

The students selected Bailly as President, a position he would hold for eleven years. At first, they referred to themselves as The Conference of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul to parallel their Conference of History; the latter was their social and study group, the former their service group. In a short time, they changed their name to The Society of St. Vincent de Paul. They retained the term Conference to refer to the individual unit which was usually parish-based.

In a Conference, members of the Society gather together as brothers and sisters in the name of Jesus and in the spirit of St. Vincent de Paul, their patron. Ozanam and the others chose St. Vincent de Paul as their patron because his name was almost synonymous with charity. The Church has called him “The Apostle of Charity” and “Father of the Poor.” People outside and within the Society commonly refer to members of the Society as Vincentians, after its patron.

In God’s Providence, the birth of the Society came at the right time in a country ravaged by revolution and civil disorder. The Society’s purposes harmonized with the ideals of a large number of Catholic youth and older persons. Consequently, the Conference developed rapidly. By the end of the first year the Conference in Paris had grown to the point where it needed to divide into two groups.

The continuing growth of the Society in and outside of Paris necessitated a Rule. This was formulated in 1835. The General Principles were authored by President Emmanuel Bailly; the Articles of the Rule were prepared by Francois Lallier, one of Ozanam’s closest friends and Secretary of the Conference from 1837-1839.
According to the original Rule and the Society’s tradition, Vincentians celebrate “Festival Meetings”, gathering together for Mass and a meeting. Therefore, the Society meets on one or more of the following: Ozanam Sunday (the last Sunday of April, in honor of the April 23^rd birthday of Frederic Ozanam), the Feast of Blessed Frederic Ozanam (September 9^th ,) the Feast of St. Vincent de Paul (Sept. 27), the Feast of the Immaculate Conception (Dec. 8), and the Feast of Blessed Rosalie Rendu (Feb. 7).

Rapid Growth of the Society

Between 1833 and 1860 the Society mushroomed. Catholics of every age and class were eager to join the Society. After spreading throughout France, the Society reached Rome in 1842; England in 1844; Belgium, Scotland and the United States in 1845; Germany, Holland, Greece, Turkey and Mexico in 1846; Canada and Switzerland in 1847; and Austria and Spain in 1850.

Pope Gregory XVI approved the Society in 1845; both he and Blessed Pius IX enriched the Society with Indulgences. According to the Doctrine of Indulgences, issued by Pope Paul VI on January 1, 1967, “An indulgence is the remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins already forgiven as far as their guilt is concerned.” Members may gain a plenary indulgence on the day of their admission to the Society, and when participating in a Festival Meeting, provided they make their Confession, receive Communion, pray for the intentions of the Pope, and promise to observe faithfully the Rule of the Society. Conference presidents inform new members of the plenary indulgences they can obtain, and they fix the “formal” date of admission with this in mind.

Twenty-seven years after its foundation, the Society throughout the world comprised about 2,500 Conferences with a membership of 50,000. The Annual Report showed almost four million francs given out to the poor. The period from 1860 to 1870 was a critical one for the Society, especially in France. On the one hand, the parallel progress of luxury and materialism caused the hardening of the heart in many individuals. On the other, the public authorities, in particular the French Empire, and later the Spanish Republic, took measures against the Society, whose members they wrongly accused as dissenters. With the dissolution by force of law of the Council General in Paris, many French Conferences disappeared. Nevertheless, a certain amount of growth took place elsewhere, chiefly in North and South America.

After 1870, the Council General resumed its activity and devoted itself to repairing the losses in France and to renewing the links with other countries. The fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the Society was solemnly celebrated in 1883.

In spite of the breaking off of diplomatic relations between France and the Vatican, and on the brink of World War I, Pope St. Pius X arranged to be represented in Paris by a Papal Legate, Cardinal Vincent Vannutelli, on the occasion of the centenary of Frederic Ozanam’s birth. In the Annual Report of that year, 1913, the statistics showed 8,000 Conferences, 133,000 members and fifteen million francs distributed to the poor.

Members of the Society displayed care and concern both to civilian casualties and to prisoners during World War I (1914-1918). By war’s end, the principal areas of military operations had suffered great destruction. In its efforts to restore things, the Society in Europe strove to adapt its program and methods to the new social conditions and to penetrate into places where it was previously unknown: China, Japan, Malaysia, Indo-China, Burma, India, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, and East Africa saw Conferences established or multiplied.

Thirty-three nations were represented at the centenary celebrations of the Society in 1933. Cardinal Jean Verdier, the Archbishop of Paris designated as the Papal Legate for Pope Pius XI, was greeted on this occasion by civil authorities. In 1950, there were about 20,000 Conferences with an active membership of 250,000 world wide.

In September 1953, the Society solemnly commemorated the hundredth anniversary of the death of its founder, Frederic Ozanam. Cardinal Maurice Feltin, Archbishop of Paris and Papal Legate for Pope Pius XII, and Vincentian delegates from around the world attended the ceremonies. Festive occasions such as these have strengthened the bonds of friendship and commonality between members of the Society from the various countries of the world. The Society moves ever closer in fulfilling the vision of its founder, Frederic Ozanam: “To embrace the world in a network of charity.”

In fulfilling a resolution of the International Meeting of National Presidents of the Society in Paris, 1960, the Council General embarked on an extension and development program throughout the world. The idea of adopting Conferences (Twinning) between nations was initiated. This later led to self-help projects, assistance in times of national disaster, and, finally, Council to Council adoptions. The plan led to the International Congresses in Europe, South America and South East Asia in order to develop a closer liaison and knowledge of the Society between members in many countries. The International Meeting of 1960 was followed by similar meetings in Paris (1963 and 1967), Dublin (1973), Paris (1979), Montreal (1986), Paris (1992) and Fatima (1999).

The Society continues to expand throughout the world and, as of 2006, was established on five continents, in 142 countries, with approximately 650,000 active members in 47,000 Conferences.