The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul dates back to 1833. Frédéric Ozanam and six other students started the society as a response to the poverty they witnessed in Paris, France. These university students offered comfort and assistance to the poor in their midst. They chose to name their organization after their patron Saint of all works of Charity, Saint Vincent de Paul.

He was a French priest who lived in the seventeenth century in France. He dedicated his adult life to serving the poor. It was his spirit of service to the needy that Frédéric and his friends hoped to emulate. And they did. Today the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul continues to minister to the poor in 144 countries on five continents.

The Society and Vincentians have been actively working to help alleviate the suffering of the needy in Windsor and Essex County since 1896. There are presently 26 conferences of Society of Saint Vincent de Paul in Windsor and Essex County.

Since its inception SSVP has provided assistance to hundreds of thousands of our neighbours and friends. The men and women of Society of Saint Vincent de Paul continue to follow the example of their founders by working with humility and respect as they serve the poor, bearing witness to the love of God for all people.