Spokane District Council of The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul
The Spokane District Council
The Spokane District Council is made up of 6 parish-based conferences through out the Spokane Catholic Diocese. These Conferences help neighbors within their parish boundaries. The Spokane District Council does not have a central office.
The Start of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul
Amid the sweeping upheavals of early 19th-century France—marked by unrest in politics, religion, society, and the economy—a new movement quietly took root. It began with Antoine Frédéric Ozanam, a student at the Sorbonne, who was deeply disturbed by the poverty surrounding him in Paris. During a spirited debate at a student gathering, a peer confronted Ozanam and fellow Catholics, praising the Church’s historic contributions but questioning its relevance and actions in the present day.
Spurred by this challenge, Ozanam gathered five companions on April 23, 1833—his twentieth birthday—to form what they called the "Conference of Charity," a lay Catholic group dedicated to serving the poor and deepening personal holiness through charitable acts.
They elected Emmanuel Bailly, a respected layman, as the group’s first president. Not long afterward, they adopted the name "Society of St. Vincent de Paul," honoring the legacy of their chosen patron and signaling their commitment to compassion, service, and spiritual growth. - Adapted from SVdPUSA.org
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul in America
A dozen years after its birth in France, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul arrived on American soil. Its official introduction came on November 20, 1845, in St. Louis, Missouri, where a small group gathered at the Basilica of St. Louis, King of France—affectionately called “The Old Cathedral”—to plant the movement’s seeds in the United States.
The Society’s expansion was powered by passionate advocates. Among them was Father John Timon, a Vincentian priest hailing from Pennsylvania, who had traveled to Dublin, Ireland, and brought back copies of the Society’s Rule. His efforts inspired key figures in St. Louis, including Bishop Peter Richard Kenrick, who enlisted Father Ambrose Heim—a priest renowned for his tireless service to the poor—to spearhead the effort locally. Father Heim, later celebrated as “The Priest of the Poor,” took on the spiritual leadership of the fledgling organization.
On February 2, 1846, the Conference gained formal recognition from the International Council in Paris. But none of it would have materialized without the commitment of laypeople who answered the call to serve, forming the foundation of the Society’s ongoing mission.
Fast forward to today, and the Society's legacy flourishes. Nearly 90,000 Vincentian volunteers operate out of over 4,400 parish-based Conferences across the United States. At the heart of their work remains the signature “Home Visit”—an in-person Encounter where volunteers meet with neighbors in need to listen, understand, and respond. These visits continue to guide the Society’s outreach, offering help with essentials like food, rent, utilities, and clothing, while fostering dignity and human connection. - Adapted from SVdPUSA.org
