Knights, guilds and lay societies
Society of St. Vincent de Paul
SVdP · SSVP · St. Vincent de Paul Society · Vincentians · Society of Saint Vincent de Paul
Blessed Frederic Ozanam founded it in Paris, aged twenty
Founded 1833International lay Catholic association founded in Paris by Blessed Frederic Ozanam; an international association of the faithful. The United States national body is a 501(c)(3), with each local Conference and Council separately organized.81000
A few minutes' work
Through a local council. Unclear; no national dues are stated and Conferences are self-funding.
How to find a councilCheck whether your own parish already has a Conference, and if not use the online directory to find the nearest District or Diocesan Council and ask; roughly four in five Vincentians say they joined because somebody asked them.
Members have a portal to sign in to.
This is the group that answers the phone when a family cannot pay the electric bill. You join a parish-based group called a Conference, meet regularly for prayer and to go over cases, and then do home visits in pairs, sitting with people in their own living rooms, listening, praying with them, and arranging rent, utility, food, or furniture help. Members are called Vincentians. The Society also runs thrift stores, food pantries, charitable pharmacies, and disaster recovery. The culture is deliberately person-to-person rather than institutional, and the stated purpose includes the sanctification of the members themselves, not only the relief of the poor.
What you promise
Active Members are Catholic, belong to a Conference, and take part regularly in its prayer life, meetings, and person-to-person service. Associate Members are for people who are not Catholic or who cannot commit to the regular meetings. All new members attend Ozanam Orientation, a one-day locally presented workshop on the Society's heritage, spirituality, and works. Ongoing formation is expected. There is no national dues requirement stated; Conferences fund themselves from donations and their own works. Background screening is standard for volunteers.
What the Church attaches
Every Conference and Council has a Spiritual Advisor, often a layperson in the tradition of the first one, who leads prayer and reflection at meetings. Formation is framed as a Vincentian vocation with individual prayer, study, and discernment alongside the works of mercy. Members pray with the people they visit, which members commonly describe as the heart of the thing.
Enrollment checked 2026-10-22. Details change without notice and parish practice varies. Confirm before relying on this sheet.