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Society of St Vincent de Paul
Northern Regional Office
196-200 Antrim Road
Belfast
BT15 2AJ
Tel: 02890-351561
Fax: 02890-740522
Email: info@svpni.co.uk
Reg. Charity XN45800
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Charitable Works | ||||||
Congregation of the MissionWith the support of the Gondis whom he served as a chaplain, Saint Vincent founded the Congregation of the Mission to preach to the peasants on the family's estates. A community of the congregation was formally established at the College des Bons-Enfants in Paris in 1626, where Saint Vincent served as principle.
The alternate name Lazarist Fathers was given to the group when it established headquarters at the former priory of Lazare in Paris in 1632. Saint Vincent not only headed the order but also founded, with others several charitable organisations. Most notable of these was the Daughters of Charity which were formed under his direction in 1633. The foundling hospital of Paris owes its origin to this group. in the relief of the poor during the latter half of the 19th century:-
Monsieur Vincent visiting the children cared for by the Daughters of Charity | Love of the PoorHe established the Congregation of the Mission of Priests and the Sisters of Charity. The Society of St Vincent de Paul, founded in 1833 by Frédéric Ozanam, continues his work to this day. His great charity for the poor, the downtrodden, the young, the elderly, the refugees, the slaves was astonishing to others. He searched for abandoned children and organised groups to help those in need. He built homes for the poor, the sick, the abandoned children, and provided care for the elderly.
St Vincent died at the Lazarus institution in Saint Denis, France on 27th September 1660 and was buried in the choir of the church.
Shrine of St Vincent de Paul, Paris During the French Revolution, over 100 years later, St Lazarus was looted and turned into a prison. The remains of St Vincent were returned to the Lazarists (Vincentian Fathers) in 1795 - and kept in the chapel of the mother-house of the Daughters of Charity until 1830. On the request of the Archbishop of Paris his remains were transferred to the chapel of the "Maison-Mère" at 95 Rue de Sèvres in Paris. The body rests above the main altar in a solid silver shrine covered by the goldsmith 'Odiot'. The heart of St Vincent de Paul is kept in the Miraculous Medal Chapel in Paris.
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