 Frederic Ozanam, Principal Founder of the SVDP 1813-1853 |
Society of St. Vincent de Paul
Diocese of Cleveland |
 St. Vincent de Paul, Model for the SVDP 1580-1660 |
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History of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Diocese of Cleveland Organizational History In 1833, the St. Vincent de Paul Society was founded in Paris, France. Frederic Ozanam, a 20 year old university student, is considered the principal founder of the Society because of his leadership within a small group of similarly-minded students. Their model of visiting the poor of the Paris slums was adopted widely, reaching the United States in Saint Louis, Missouri in 1845 and the Diocese of Cleveland in 1865 at the Cathedral of St. John. Local History St. Vincent de Paul "Conferences," as the volunteer groupings are called, were established in additional Cleveland Catholic parishes in the mid to late 1800's; the Society did not grow further until the 1920's. After Catholic Charities was formed in 1919, the SVDP established an SVDP Central Office with their help and support until the present day. In the late 20's, enough conferences existed to form a "council." This allowed for legal incorporation and the ability to take on broader activities. The Akron Council was formed around 1942 and the Lorain Council around 1966. The Diocesan Council was formed around 1968. Over the years, activities have taken the form of thrift stores, meal programs, and helping centers. These Society programs have been generously supported not only by Catholic Charities and the Diocese of Cleveland but also the Catholic community and the broader community. The Director of Catholic Charities, from the Society's beginning, was the Diocesan Spiritual Advisor of the Society up until Msgr. Casimir Ciolek. When he retired from Catholic Charities he remained the Society's Spiritual Advisor until his death in 2001. In 2008, there were about 150 parish groups or "Conferences" with about 1,500 active "members" and many "associate" members who helped the local parish SVDP or in the special works of the local Councils. The Diocese SVDP was divided into three District Councils (Akron, Cleveland, and Lorain County). The highest Council in the Diocese is the Diocesan Council which acts as a liaison among the SVDP Councils, the Diocese, and the Mideast Region and National SVDP.
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SVDP Central Office Phone: 216-696-6525, ext. 3150(1-800-869-6525, ext. 3150); FAX: 216-861-3200 e-mail webmaster: larry-svdp@att.net
Last Updated: Saturday July 31, 2010 |
