SVP History

The Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP) is an international voluntary organization in the Catholic Church, founded in 1833 in Paris with the aim of putting Christian principles into action by serving the poor. Its patron saint is St Vincent de Paul, a French Catholic priest who lived in the 15^th and 16^th Centuries. He dedicated himself to helping the poor and was renowned for his compassion, humility and generosity.

Today, the Society numbers about 800,000 members in some 140 countries worldwide.