Charity must never look to the past, but always to the future, because the number of its past works is still very small and the present and future ministries that it must alleviate are infinite.
Blessed Frederic Ozanam (1813-1853)

Frederic Ozanam founded the Society of St. Vincent de Paul to address the problems brought on by the Industrial Revolution, as farming families migrated to Paris and other European cities seeking employment and a better way of life. What they found instead were ghettos where people lived in overcrowded houses or on the streets. Hunger was rampant, as were disease and despair. The plague of 1832 struck, making the plight of these displaced farmers and other poor people more desperate.

These were the challenges that Frederic Ozanam and the first group of Vincentians confronted in their commitment to "do something" about the poverty, sickness and squalor found in the ghettos of Paris during the 1800s.

The challenges Vincentians face today - like those faced by the Society's founders - are to understand and respond to the needs of the poor brought on by a society that is in transition. Globalization of the economy and our increasing dependence on technology…dehumanization…loneliness and broken families…how will these changes affect the way we live? What impact will they have on the lives of the poor and working poor as we enter the 21st Century?

The Society will go forward to meet these challenges relying on God's grace, the dedication and commitment of the Vincentian men and women, and community support for the Society's mission.