Society of Saint Vincent de Paul
Paris. France. 23 April 1833. A group of young university students, seeing the social inequality and injustice all around them, decided to take action, hoping to change the world. They formed the first “Conference of Charity”, a group of friends who wanted to share their faith and put it into action.
Prayer and action came together in their visits to the Mouffetard district, one of the poorest parts of Paris. It was a Daughter of Charity, Sister Rosalie Rendu, who guided and supported them, instructing them about the teachings of Saint Vincent de Paul.
In 1834, the Conferences took St Vincent as their patron saint, and dedicated themselves to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The following year, the first Rule was produced, and in 1839 the International Council General was formed.
Mission
A network of friends who seek personal holiness through service to those in need and in defence of social justice.
Vision
To be recognised as a global organisation which promotes the integral dignity of people in need
Values
Respect and love of neighbour, joy through mission, personal contact with those in need, humility and empathy.
Who We Are?
The SSVP's social action is based on respect and love of neighbour, from a firm commitment to our shared Christian values. We work directly and closely with the people in need, convinced that listening and support allow us to create bonds which make it possible to focus on the whole person.
St. Thomas Conference Santhome
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Santhome Conference, was established at the Santhome National Shrine Basilica on 25 February 1932 and was aggregated with the International Council in Paris on 29 November 1948.
Initially, the conference began its mission by providing food to the poor. Today, the Santhome Conference actively engages in various social service initiatives, including support for education, medical assistance, aid to the underprivileged, promotion of self-employment, and continuous efforts toward social development and transformation.
History of SSVP in India
“The Society was first introduced in India by French missionaries in Pondicherry during the year 1852–53 as a non-aggregated conference. It was officially established in India in 1863, when several conferences in Bombay were aggregated and the Bombay Particular Council was instituted. From then onwards, the Society continued to grow across India. On 09.11.1953, the Superior Council of India was established and affiliated with the International General Council.
Today, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SSVP) is present in 155 countries, with over 800,000 members in 48,000 conferences, supported by around 1.5 million volunteers and collaborators. Every day, it reaches out to more than 30 million people across the world.”
St. Thomas the Apostle
Saint Thomas was one of Jesus's Twelve Apostles, known for his initial doubt of Jesus's resurrection, which earned him the nickname "doubting Thomas". After Jesus proved his resurrection to him, Thomas became a devoted follower who evangelized, with tradition holding that he traveled as far as India to spread the Christian message. He is venerated as the Apostle of India and is the patron saint of architects, builders, and others in the construction trades.
