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Vincentian Family News
by Father Henry Grodecki, C.M.
 
 
In Châtillon-les-Dombes, France in August 1617, parishioners told their newly appointed pastor, Father Vincent de Paul, about the desperate conditions of a sick, poor family who lived nearby.  From the pulpit that Sunday, he appealed for help for the family.  The women of the parish responded immediately after Mass to assist this troubled family.

Saint Vincent soon structured groups of these local women to minister to the needy of the region.  He founded the first official Confraternity of Charity on December 8 of that same year—an organization that was to evolve into the Ladies of Charity.

A Global Organization

The Ladies of Charity are today part of the International Association of Charities, a global organization, claiming a membership 250,000 strong, and operating in 53 different countries.  The Ladies of Charity in the United States is the oldest women’s volunteer organization and has 16,000 members.

A Variety of Services to the Poor

The Ladies of Charity operate thrift stores to provide clothing to the poor free of charge or at minimal cost; work in soup kitchens and food banks, offering free food and personal hygiene items to the needy; offer financial assistance for rent, utilities, transportation, clothing, food, and medical needs to low income families and the homeless; visit the sick in hospitals, nursing homes, and veterans homes; prepare and deliver meals to the homeless and homebound; tutor children and young adults; and perform many other acts of service to the poor and needy.

Spiritual Formation of Members

Members aid each other in their own spiritual formation by following the examples of Saints Vincent de Paul, Louise de Marillac, and Elizabeth Ann Seton.  Members pray together, collaborate with other member groups, attend seminars, and evangelize the poor as they serve them.  And most of all, members strive to see the face of Christ in every person they serve.

For More Information

If you do not have a local chapter of the Ladies of Charity in your parish and would like more information, you may contact them at www.famvin.org/LCUSA/.  Or you may write to them at:

Ladies of Charity
USA Service Center
P.O. Box 31697
Saint Louis, MO  63131