In 1830s Paris, in the midst of civil unrest and cholera pandemics, an 18 year old called Frederic Ozanam started his law degree at the Sorbonne. In his first year he and his friends started a group which prayed together, grew in spirituality, and provided practical charitable help to those in need. They named this group the St Vincent de Paul Society.
Upon graduation, this group started SVP groups (called conferences) wherever they moved to. The Society of St Vincent de Paul spread not just around Paris but around the world.
Currently we have over 10,000 adult members and 12,000 youth members of the SVP in England & Wales serving people living in any form of poverty here and abroad. Due to the Covid 19 pandemic, more people than ever are in poverty and as a registered charity, we at the SVP are committed to help.
Our spirituality forms and informs us while the Holy Spirit supports us in our mission at home. If you feel the Holy Spirit is calling you to help others in need we invite you to be part of our ongoing mission to embrace the world in a network of charity. Our ‘events’ are works of charity and you can also fundraise for our projects or donate items. To find a conference near you, or to start a young adult conference please contact us on teresak@svp.org.uk. We’d love to hear from you.
