Founded in 1845 at Paris, France, in the chapel at the motherhouse of the Congregation of the Mission by Jean Leon Le Prevost (1803-1874) in conjunction with Clemente Myionnet (1812-1886) and Maurizion Maignen (1822-1890). All three founders were laity who were active members of the Saint Vincent de Paul Society and had been inspired to establish a new society of priests and brothers entirely consecrated to the poor because of Vincent de Paul’s example. Le Prevost had been associated with Frederick Ozanam and was the person who promoted naming his Conferences of Charity as the Saint Vincent de Paul Society.
The congregation of the Religious of St. Vincent de Paul grew in France and, in 1884, established itself in Canada. Following that, and responding to the call of the Popes, new works were founded in Brazil and in Africa (Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Congo-Kinshasa). The Religious of St. Vincent de Paul now number close to 300. They still have the clubs (the `Patros’) and other works for youth, like hostels for workers and students and circles for young people. Their field of action reaches out to street children, the handicapped, the aged, the homeless and the unemployed.