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St Vincent de Paul
St Vincent de Paul is a nonprofit Catholic orginization to help those in need. -
The Start
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul began in Paris, France, in 1833 when a young law student at the Sorbonne, Frédéric Ozanam, was challenged during a debate to demonstrate what he and his fellow Catholic students were personally doing to help the poor in Paris. https://www.stvincentdepaul.net/about/organization-history#sthash.kJfBiy3j.dpuf -
How it happend
They visited the poor in their homes, providing them with needed aid and assistance. At the prompting of Monsieur Emmanuel Bailly and Sister Rosalie Rendu, superior of a convent of the Daughters of Charity, Ozanam soon placed the conference under the patronage of St. Vincent de Paul who had spent his life in 16th century France serving the poor
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Move to the US
Twelve years later, in 1845, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul crossed the ocean to St. Louis, Missouri, where the first American conference was formed. To this day, St. Louis remains the Society's national headquarters. https://www.stvincentdepaul.net/about/organization-history#sthash.kJfBiy3j.dpuf -
Advancement
Within a few years, the original group of seven grew to 600, spreading to 15 other cities and towns in France, numbering more than 2,000 members. https://www.stvincentdepaul.net/about/organization-history#sthash.kJfBiy3j.dpuf -
Start in Arizona
One hundred years later, another group of young Catholic men in Phoenix, Arizona, joined in this same spirit of charity. Tommy Johnstone, a New Yorker familiar with the Society, recruited four other men with the help of Father Louis Shoen, OFM, then pastor of St. Mary's Church. https://www.stvincentdepaul.net/about/organization-history#sthash.kJfBiy3j.dpuf -
What they Did
Gathering for the first time in the old rectory of St. Mary's on April 26, 1946, the seed was planted that would grow to become the present-day Phoenix Diocesan Council for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. The first Conference President in the Valley of the Sun was Matthew Trudelle. https://www.stvincentdepaul.net/about/organization-history#sthash.kJfBiy3j.dpuf -
More info
On December 4, 1949, St. Vincent de Paul Conferences from St. Agnes, St. Francis Xavier and St. Mary's churches united to form the Particular Council of Maricopa County. This historic meeting was attended by five priests and 25 Vincentians.
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Important information
The first slate of officers included Matthew J. Scott, President; Mickey McGinn, Vice President; Peter Stephens, Secretary; and Dan O'Meara, Treasurer. https://www.stvincentdepaul.net/about/organization-history#sthash.kJfBiy3j.dpuf -
Where are they today?
Today, the Phoenix Diocesan Council for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul has 89 Conferences of Charity, over 2,500 active and associate members (Vincentians), and more than 6,000 volunteers. https://www.stvincentdepaul.net/about/organization-history#sthash.kJfBiy3j.dpuf
