Eventually they formed the society in honor of Saint Vincent de Paul, who lived two hundred years before, and it quickly grew. Today, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul has 800,000 members in over 150 countries.
Vincent was on the path to a comfortable life as a chaplain to an aristocratic family when he realized that God wanted him to work with those living in the poverty he saw all around him. He embodied energetic, humble service to those in need but also recognized that charitable work must be well-organized to be effective. Vincent founded the Congregation of the Mission, the Ladies of Charity, and the Daughters of Charity to respond to the needs which he had a burning desire to alleviate. A man of deep faith, keen intellect, and enormous creativity, Saint Vincent de Paul became known as “The Apostle of Charity” and “Father of the Poor.” He is the patron saint of charities and volunteers. His feast day is September 27.
Both as a student and later as a professor, Frederic was a committed Christian and a strong Catholic voice. Though his intelligence and sincerity made him a formidable defender of the faith at a time of great skepticism in Paris, Frederic recognized that the most persuasive argument he could make for the Church was through humble service to those in poverty. At age 20 he responded to a peer's rebuke—"What is your Church doing for the poor of our city?"—by inviting a group of friends to join him in going directly to those in need. With the advice and help of Sister Rosalie Rendu, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul was born. Blessed Frederic's feast day is September 9.
When she was nearly 17 years old, Jeanne Marie Rendu entered the Motherhouse of the Daughters of Charity and received the name Rosalie. She took vows to serve God and the poor and spent over 50 years living out those vows. She opened a free clinic, a pharmacy, a school, an orphanage, a childcare center, a home for the elderly and a youth club for young workers. She became known as the "good mother of all." From the Society's beginnings, Sr. Rosalie mentored Frederic Ozanam and the other young members, giving them practical skills for providing assistance to those in need and teaching them to see Christ in those they served. Blessed Rosalie's feast day is February 7.