The Society of St. Vincent de Paul: A Thumbnail Sketch

1833— The Society of St. Vincent de Paul was founded in Paris, France, when a small group of Catholic students at the University of Paris led by Frederic Ozanam was challenged about what the Church had ever done for the poor. When they responded vigorously to the challenge, they were questioned about what they themselves were doing. After weeks of discussion and reflection, the students decided to organize and visit people in need in their homes. They recognized the responsibility of lay Catholic people to minister to others through personal contact. A short time later, they dedicated the Society to the patronage of St. Vincent de Paul.

The founders’ goals were:

to witness to the teachings of the Gospel
to develop their own spirituality
to relieve the suffering of people in need.
1845—The first U.S. Conference was founded in St. Louis, Missouri. Father (later Bishop) John Timon “discovered” the Society of St. Vincent de Paul during a visit to Ireland and brought back a copy of the Rule to St. Louis Archbishop Peter Kenrick. The Archbishop sought the assistance of Father Ambrose Heim to help recruit laymen to organize a Conference of the Society at the cathedral parish. The Conference officially became part of the International Society within three months. The first meeting of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in the United States was held on November 20, 1845, only twelve years after its foundation in Paris.

1884—The first permanent Conference within the Archdiocese of Detroit began at Ss. Peter and Paul Jesuit Parish. From there it spread rapidly to other parishes and before the end of the 19th century, the Particular (diocesan-wide) Council of Detroit was formally recognized by the International Society.

A slide presentation on 'What Is Our History'

A Brief History of The Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Detroit (PDF)
(The first 100 years: 1884 - 1985)