St. Vincent de Paul Ministry Turns 400 Years Old, Baton Rouge Society to Mark 160 Years of Service

A dedicated Catholic saint, Vincent de Paul founded the Congregation of the Mission in 1625 to serve the poor in France.  It was Vincent de Paul’s life work to serve the poor and vulnerable.  After establishment of the Congregation, in 1633, he formed the Daughters of Charity, a group of young women with similar goals.

Vincent de Paul served the poor in France until his death in 1660.  In 1729, Pope Benedict XIII declared him Blessed and he was canonized eight years later.  St. Vincent de Paul is the patron saint of charities, prisoners, and volunteers.

The Society’s history in Louisiana began with William Blair Lancaster. Born in Florida, William moved to Paris at the age of 18 to further his studies. While in Paris, he converted to Catholicism and met Frederic Ozanam, who, along with his classmates, was making home visits to provide food and basic necessities to the poor. Together, they founded the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and William soon became a member.

Father Cyril Delacroix at St. Patrick’s in New Orleans, was given the Society’s book of rules by William upon his return to America.  Father Delacroix organized the first St. Patrick’s Conference in 1852 with 10 people in his parish.  In 1865, Father Delacroix was appointed pastor of St. Joseph’s Church in Baton Rouge and founded a St. Vincent de Paul Conference on December 27, 1865.  Nearly 160 years later, Father Delacroix’s legacy continues.

From the beginning, Father Delacroix made it clear that St. Vincent de Paul is a ministry, a ministry that could only be successful if God was at its center.  That is why we are building our chapel in the center of our charitable campus.  It will be a place where guests and volunteers can pray and come closer to God.

We are grateful for all our community has done over the past 160 years serving God’s poor and most vulnerable.  May He forever bless you for your role in making this possible.