Vincentian Family - St. Louis

From VincentWiki

St Louis is the birthplace of the Vincentian Family in North America. Fr. Felix de Andreis CM and Fr. Joseph Rosati CM were the first priests from the Congregation of the Mission who arrived to American soil in 1816 invited by bishop Dubourg. In 1818 they settled in Perryville, Misouri. In 1826 Rev. Joseph Rosati, CM was named the first Bishop of St. Louis (1826-1843). The Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph (Daughters of Charity since 1851) from Emmitsburg, Maryland arrived in 1828 to staff DePaul (Mullanphy) Hospital; a few years before the cholera outbreak in 1832. Both the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (1845) and the Ladies of Charity (1857) began their United States foundations in St. Louis. In 1859 Guardian Angel began and in 1907, St. Vincent’s School in Perryville where National Shrine of Miraculous Medal is located, too.

Today there are nearly 3,000 members of the Vincentian Family in the region. Most numerous are 2,600 members of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in 143 conferences in St. Louis. The Society and the Daughters of Charity minister in East St. Louis and Belleville. Vincentian priests, Ladies of Charity, Society of St. Vincent de Paul and Vincentian youth minister in Perryville, St. Vincent’s Parish in St. Louis and St. Catherine Laboure Parish in St. Louis County. Ladies of Charity national head office and residence of CM Western Province is in Louis, so is for West Central Province of Daughters of Charity. They are engaged in ministries with children, youth, families, elders and in administration of the Province. They are sponsors of Ascension Health. In recent years, the charism of Vincent and Louise has found expression in the works of Affiliate, Vincentian Service Corps, Gateway Vincentian Volunteers, Vincentian Marian Youth and Former Daughters.