St Vincent de Paul Society - Oxford University Catholic Chaplaincy

About this group

St Vincent de Paul Society (SVP) is an international charity, which aims to encourage young adults to volunteer in a Christian context in their local community.
The SVP is Catholic in origin, but open to men and women of all ages and of any denomination who are sympathetic to the ethos of the Society. Its members seek to help anyone in need, regardless of race, faith or status, by turning concern into action.

What’s the background to SVP 1833?
The St Vincent de Paul Society was founded by a young student in 1833 in post-revolutionary Paris, at the time when Victor Hugo set “Les Miserables.” It was a time of great poverty and social upheaval. A group of Catholic students at the Sorbonne University were challenged to show their Christian faith in action. Led by 20-year old Frederic Ozanam, they formed a small group, called the “Conference of Charity” and began to offer their time and resources to address the suffering of the poor around them. These first members were mostly in their early 20’s, except for one, a 40-year old journalist, who offered them a place to meet at his office. In the early days they were greatly helped by Sister Rosalie Rendu, a Daughter of Charity, from the congregation of Sisters founded by St Vincent de Paul in the 17th century. With her local knowledge she brought the members of the new group into contact with the poor of Paris. Frederic and his friends chose St Vincent, well-known for his work with the poor, as the patron of their Society.
The SVP reached England & Wales in 1844 and has spread all over the world. Groups today are still known as “Conferences.” To find out more about the history of the Society and the wide range of its work visit the main SVP website: www.svp.org.uk.

Contact Name:	Gabriel Cohen
E-mail:	gabriel.cohen [at] bnc.ox.ac.uk
	Contact the manager of this GroupSpaces group
Category:	Charity & Voluntary > Volunteering
Networks:	Oxford University