It didn’t take long for the Daughters of Charity after they landed in Santa Barbara January 5 1858 to open an English-speaking school and orphanage. Just one week later! And on January 5, 2012 their long tradition rebirthed itself with a website celebrating  “The Rebirth of a Timeless Vision.”

St. Vincent’s has a long and rich tradition in Santa Barbara dating back to the pioneer days of the 1850s. Soon after California became a state, Santa Barbara had need of an English-speaking school and orphanage. Bishop Amat of Monterey (Santa Barbara) wrote to the Daughters of Charity in Emmitsburg, Maryland and asked for Sisters to come to Santa Barbara for this purpose. The leadership of the Daughters of Charity responded to this need and made the commitment to send Sisters from Emmitsburg to Santa Barbara. The Sisters arrived by steamer on January 5, 1858, stepping on the beach near where Stearns Wharf is today, and within the week, opened an English-speaking school and orphanage.

Mission statement reads, “St. Vincent’s is dedicated to strengthening low-income families and seniors through programs rooted in the Social Teachings of the Catholic Church.  Faithful to the charism of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, we serve our sisters and brothers by providing affordable housing, early childhood education, and family enrichment opportunities.”

See the many milestones in that journey from 1858 to 2012.

Tday they have been celebrated by the City of Santa Barbara.. On January 5, 2012 – the 154th anniversary of the arrival of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul in Santa Barbara – St. Vincent’s received a special Certificate of Recognition for 154 years of caring for the most vulnerable residents of Santa Barbara County from Mayor Helene Schneider in the City Council Chambers at City Hall.