The Company of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul celebrated in 2023 the 400th anniversary of the inspiration received by its founder, Saint Louise de Marillac, on June 4, 1623, at the church of Saint Nicolas des Champs in Paris. That day, Louise, concerned about her future and her doubts of faith, had a revelation about creating a community dedicated to serving others, taking vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. With Vincent de Paul as her spiritual director, Louise founded the Company of the Daughters of Charity in 1633, dedicated to helping the poor, the sick, and abandoned children.

Sr. Alessandra and volunteers of Micro da Caridade in front of the minibus equipped with two showers, a mini infirmary, and a barber shop 

Today, the Company continues its mission through various projects, such as the “Micro da Caridade” in Brazil, led by the Daughters of Charity from the Recife province. This project was born in response to the growing vulnerability of homeless people and food insecurity exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. The sisters, driven by the Vincentian charism and Pope Francis’s call to go to the peripheries, decided to go beyond their usual activities to address these urgent needs.

Daughters of Charity and Volunteers – Recife – Pernambuco 

The “Micro da Caridade” project consists of a minibus equipped with showers, a nursing station, and a barber shop, internationally funded, to provide essential hygiene services to homeless people in Recife. Each week, volunteers from various fields, including drivers, barbers, nurses, and doctors, donate their time to offer showers, clean clothes, personal hygiene products, dressings, and a meal to about sixty people. Additionally, they provide guidance on assistance centers and help reorganize personal documents, following the Christian principle of humane assistance.

The Daughters of Charity seek to proclaim God’s merciful love through their service, collaborating with other branches of the Vincentian Family and non-governmental organizations, promoting charity, and mobilizing a network of services and assistance to the poor. The “Micro da Caridade” project aligns with the third sustainable development goal, which is to promote health and well-being.

Daughters of Charity and Volunteers – Recife 2023 

The project’s beneficiaries feel welcomed and treated with dignity, and the project’s spread is primarily through word of mouth, increasing the number of people assisted weekly. While this initiative is not exclusive to the Daughters of Charity, as there are similar efforts coordinated by religious groups and NGOs, all share the common goal of restoring dignity to those marginalized and forgotten by society.

Micro da Caridade in action – Recife 2023 

The Daughters of Charity are committed to helping homeless people of all ages facing various forms of poverty, such as loneliness, abandonment, and invisibility. Inspired by their founders, they continue to respond to the call to serve Christ in the poor, offering practical help and remaining faithful to their mission of charity and selfless service.

With information from Vatican News. Read the full article here.

Sister Raquel (Daughter of Charity) in action at Micro da Caridade