| The
Society of St. Vincent de Paul is an international catholic lay organization
which offers women and men the opportunity for spiritual formation
through person-to-person service to the poor and needy.
Founded
in France in 1833 by a young college student, Frederic Ozanham,
The Society grew quickly. The Society models its service to the
poor after St. Vincent de Paul, a French priest who lived in France
in the 15th Century.
The first SVDP
conference in the United States was organized in 1845 in St. Louis.
Missouri which today is the site of the Society's National Headquarters.
The
Society was reorganized in the Altoona-Johnstown Diocese in 1981 and
continues today with
24 parish conferences, 10 thrift stores, 6
food pantries, 2 food distribution warehouses, 2 family kitchens,
a mission of mercy program, a child care center, and a car distribution
program.
Twinning projects assist the needy in West Virginia and
also in the country of Honduras. |
