Commenting on a recent article, MaryAnn Dantuono, President of the Ladies of Charity (AIC) USA said,

This is a delightful recognition. (ed. note: LCUSA was recognized for the 400th Anniversary of the founding of the Confraternities of Charity in France. The celebration was held on March 25 in St. Louis, MO, their founding city in the U.S.A.) We are so proud to be Ladies of Charity 400 years after our founding. As was stated by the President of AIC France in the opening ceremony of our celebration in Chatillon, “If it was not for the women, there may not be a St. Vincent de Paul.” We are proud to continue the legacy of caring with humility, simplicity and charity and look forward to a future of collaboration with our very large family that has grown into a “Charism of Charity.” Thank you Society of St. Vincent de Paul, USA.

Sr. Louise Sullivan, D.C., examines this relationship in her article, “The Hands of Providence: Vincent de Paul, Louise de Marillac, and Feminine Charitable Activity in France, 1617–1660.”

It is generally accepted among Vincentian scholars that the year 1617 marks the turning point in Vincent de Paul’s existence. We learn from Vincent himself that twice between January and late August of that year God intervened directly and perceptibly in his life. On both occasions, an event caused him to stop, to reflect before God, and to undertake a course of action which would alter his future. Women would play a significant role in the outcome of each.

To understand these events and their far-reaching effects it is essential to recall the context in which they occurred.

Read this important article about the collaborative spirit that produced the Vincentian Family here.