250,000 members worldwide International Association of Charity

St. Vincent de Paul, founder

St. Vincent de Paul developed a new role for women in the church by organizing charitable associations for women. In Chatillon-sur-Chalaronne near Lyon, France on a Sunday in August, 1617, parishioners told him of the desperate conditions of a sick, poor family who lived nearby. From the pulpit, he appealed for help for the family. And women responded immediately after Mass, going in a kind of procession to assist this distressed family.

Vincent de Paul lost no time in creating teams of women to minister to the needy, wrote a rule, and set up the first official "Charity" on December 8 of that same year. From there, the organizations multiplied quickly throughout France and into Italy and Poland.

Today, throughout the world the Charities claim affiliation under different names, but unite through the International Association of Charities. St. Vincent de Paul's mission guides our activities as we work to keep our vocation for charity alive and effective.

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