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Society of Saint Vincent de Paul

Edmonton, Alberta

Serviens in Spe - to Serve in Hope

About

Members of the Society of St.Vincent de Paul (or "Vincentians" ) are men and women who strive to grow spiritually by offering person-to-person service to individuals in need.

We are blessed with an awareness that our blessings (time, talent or treasure) are to be shared with our brothers and sisters in need.

We know that we are not alone. We are part of an international society of friends united by a spirit of poverty, humility, and sharing, which is nourished by prayer and reflection, mutually supportive gatherings, and adherence to a basic Rule.

Energized by the awareness that service to our brother or sister in need is in fact an encounter with our Lord Jesus Christ, members of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul are keenly aware that poverty, suffering and loneliness are present for many in our community.

The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul offers tangible assistance to those in need on a person-to-person basis. It is this personalized involvement that makes the work of the Society unique. An essential precept of the Society's work is to provide help while conscientiously maintaining the confidentiality and dignity of those who are served.

No work of charity is foreign to the Society. To quote our patron, St. Vincent de Paul:

"Charity is infinitely inventive."

Like that of its founder, Frédéric Ozanam, the vision of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul "is to embrace the world in a network of charity."

Who are we?

Founded in 1833, the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul (SSVP) is an international lay Catholic organization, united in the mission to serve persons in need. In Edmonton, Society members have been serving continuously since 2000. Today the Edmonton Central Council comprises 20 local conferences, each associated with a Catholic parish in the metropolitan Edmonton area, Red Deer, Vegreville, or Drayton Valley.In 2025, our members helped more than 19,000 people, providing material support in the form of non-perishable food and grocery cards, clothing, household items, furniture, transit tickets and in some cases financial help.

We also provide assistance to Indigenous communities in Northern Alberta and the Western Arctic. Our founding activity, still practised today, is the Home Visit. Through these visits, our members, known as Vincentians, establish personal relationships with persons in need by offering material goods as well as friendship and understanding. We serve anyone who seeks our help, regardless of race, colour, creed or any personal circumstance.

Our Mission

To live the Gospel message by serving Christ in the poor with love, respect, justice and joy.

Values

The Mission of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul implies that as Vincentians we:

see Christ in anyone who suffers

come together as a family

have personal contact with the poor

help in all possible ways

Logo

The Confederation of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul proposes a logo. However it is up to each National (Superior) Council to authorize the use of the Society's logo within its jurisdiction. This logo has been adopted by the National Council of Canada.

The logo has the following meaning:

The fish is the symbol of Christianity and, in this case, represents the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul.
The eye of the fish is the vigilant eye of God seeking to help the poor in our midst.
The crossing at the tail or the tie-knot represents unity and oneness among members and also the union with the poor.
The circle bounding the logo signifies the global or worldwide stature of the SSVP, an international Society.
The words "serviens in spe" mean "to serve in hope", the hope that comes from Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Patron & Founder

HISTORY

The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul (SSVP) figures prominently among those apostolic institutions which owe their beginnings to the free decisions of lay people.

Founded in Paris in 1833 by Frédéric Ozanam and his friends, the SSVP is a worldwide organization of lay Christians. A Catholic society, it is open to all those who desire to do good work in love and service of their neighbour.

Under the patronage of Saint Vincent de Paul, the organization draws its inspiration from his thoughts and his works. Members strive, in a spirit of justice, charity, mutual help, solidarity with the poor, and through personal commitment, to ease the hardships of those who suffer.

MAIN FOUNDER - FRÉDÉRIC OZANAM

Frédéric Ozanam was born on April 23, 1813, in Milan.

In 1815, the Ozanam family moved to Lyon (France) where his father had secured a position in the Hôtel-Dieu hospital.

From an early age on, Ozanam witnessed poverty and misery through his father’s work. As a member of the “Workers”, his mother, too, worked tirelessly to help those in need. It is no wonder then that Ozanam would devote his entire life to defending the rights and dignity of vulnerable people.

In 1831, Ozanam entered Sorbonne to study law. He married in 1841 and was soon established both as a family man and as a successful professor at the Sorbonne. While in Paris, he was haunted by the misery of the poor, and his dream was to help close the divide among social classes. His faith was tested daily, studying in an environment where it was fashionable to scorn and ridicule Christianity.

He decided to establish a Catholic discussion group, where students were invited to confront critics of their faith and defend the relevance of the Church. Nevertheless, taunted by the perpetual question “what was the Church doing for the poor?”, Ozanam and his friends decided to found the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul in the spring of 1833, and their first meeting was held on April 23. He was only 20 years old at that time.