The History of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul

Members of the Society of St.Vincent de Paul (or “Vincentians” ) are men and women who strive to grow spiritually by offering person-to-person service to individuals in need. We are young and old. Our members come in every shade of skin color. Some of us are wealthy, some are financially poor, but all of us are blessed with an awareness that our blessings (time, talent or treasure) are to be shared with our brothers and sisters in need.

We know that we are not alone. We are part of an international society of friends united by a spirit of poverty, humility, and sharing, which is nourished by prayer and reflection, mutually supportive gatherings, and adherence to a basic Rule.

Energized by the awareness that service to our brother or sister in need is in fact an encounter with our Lord Jesus Christ, members of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul are keenly aware that poverty, suffering and loneliness are present for millions in our communities. For that reason, we collaborate with all who seek to relieve need and address its causes.

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul offers tangible assistance to those in need on a person-to-person basis. It is this personalized involvement that makes the work of the Society unique. This aid may take the form of intervention, consultation, or often through direct dollar or in-kind service. An essential precept of the Society’s work is to provide help while conscientiously maintaining the confidentiality and dignity of those who are served. The Society recognizes that it must assume, also, a role of advocacy for those who are defenseless or voiceless. Some 12 million persons are helped annually by Vincentians in the United States.

The list of services of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in the United States is endless. No work of charity is foreign to the Society. To quote our patron, St. Vincent de Paul: “Charity is infinitely inventive.”

The History of the Society of Saint Vincent De Paul,
Archdiocesan Council of New York

January 16, 1860 the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul Superior Council of New York was instituted. At that time it was known as the Superior Council of New York and later became known as the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul Archdiocesan Council of New York.

At the close of 1864, the city of New York could boast 20 conferences and the Society spent $30,000 in relief to those in need. Children were the most vulnerable at that time. Food, shoes and some clothes were given to those children neglected and in poverty. The Vincentians spent a lot of time in the hospitals helping the children.

At times, when there was a lack of Vincentian men available, the college students from St. Francis Xavier college, Saint John’s College, and Fordham were recruited.

“The children have no knowledge of the fresh breezes of the country, of the green grass or the fruit laden trees…” So, in 1898, the “Fresh Air Committee” initiated plans providing needy children with a 10 day to 2 week vacation trip. It happened there were several beautiful parks in the upper Manhattan area. On June 1899, New York City’s first Vincentian Fresh Air Villa was opened ;known as the Furman Mansion in Pelham Bay Park.

The Society was fortunate in securing the services of a group of women to take charge of the children at the Villa. They were assisted by a group of seminarians from Dunwoodie, New York, who supervised the recreation of the boys. This was temporary measure due to the fact that Pelham Bay Park was being developed to become a public park. They acquired property in Spring Valley, New York; 26 acres with a dwelling place and barns.

The Society of Saint Vincent De Paul Archdiocesan Council of New York still sponsors a Summer Camp each summer, sending children from 7 to 12 years old to a “vacation trip” in Putnam Valley, New York.

(A Century of Charity: The First Hundred Years of the Society of St. Vincent De Paul in the United States; volume I & II; by Rev. Daniel T. McColgan, Ph.D )