It was 1617 when St. Vincent de Paul first brought together a small charitable group after discovering a sick and poor family in his local parish in Chatillon-les-Dombes, France. People in the parish responded generously to Vincent’s appeal for help, bringing meals and medicines to the family. But the family were overwhelmed with so many donations at once and foods soon began to perish before they could be used. It was then Vincent recognised the importance of organised charity.

Vincent gathered a group of wealthy lay women in the area who were interested in assisting and developed a systemised approach to tackle poverty. This group became the first Confraternity of Charity, also known as the Ladies of Charity, and they offered practical aid, resources, and spiritual accompaniment to people experiencing hardship, under Vincent’s management.

Later, after meeting St. Louise de Marillac, Vincent and Louise recognised that the social imbalances between the Ladies of Charity and the people they were serving were not favourable for such hands-on work. The Ladies would visit slums dressed in beautiful gowns to attend to people they considered peasants, which caused tension between the two classes. It was 1633 when Vincent and Louise co-founded the Daughters of Charity, a community of humble country women who were sent on “mission” to help alleviate poverty. With generous financial support from the Ladies of Charity, the Daughters would travel in small groups to wherever care needs arose and lived in communities together with the people they served. Life in community is still integral to the Daughters’ vocations today.

This week, as we mark Small Charities Week, we celebrate the works of the Vincentian Family and all small charities across the globe who support people in our communities who need us most. As history shows us, the formation of small charities has been pivotal to the works of the Vincentian family since the very beginning. This notion of seeking out poverty and forming small local charities in response is how all our charities were established and is still at the heart of what we do today.