Society of St. Vincent de Paul

We are called to serve the poor not from a place of superiority, but from our own shared brokenness and need for God’s grace, just as Frédéric Ozanam recognized his human frailty. In embracing our brokenness, we become instruments of Christ—blessed, broken, and shared like the Eucharist—bringing hope, joy, and communion to a world in need.

Our vocation to serve the poor follows Christ’s example, who came to us before we ever sought Him. Like St. Vincent and Frédéric, we recognize God’s hand in every call to charity and strive to serve in humility and love.

Suffering often challenges our faith, yet as Vincentians, we are called to respond with compassion, doing all we can to relieve the neighbor’s pain while recognizing that our deeper mission is to grow in holiness by serving Christ in the poor. Even when material aid falls short, we bring true hope through acts of love, presence, and friendship that reveal God’s enduring light in the midst of darkness.

God, who once spoke through prophets and storms, ultimately chose to communicate through the humility of the Incarnation, becoming one with humanity to share in its suffering and offer divine love. This same spirit of humble, personal presence inspires a way of serving the poor that prioritizes friendship and love over institutional distance or authority.