• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
Vocations Logo Blue Cross
  • Home
  • Who We Are
    • History
    • Our Mission & Ministries
    • Our Stories
  • Opportunities
    • Discernment Opportunities
    • Volunteer Opportunities
  • Resources
    • FAQs
    • Additional Resources
    • Dictionary
  • Podcasts
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Home
  • Who We Are
    • History
    • Our Mission & Ministries
    • Our Stories
  • Opportunities
    • Discernment Opportunities
    • Volunteer Opportunities
  • Resources
    • FAQs
    • Additional Resources
    • Dictionary
  • Podcasts
  • Blog
  • Contact

Our History

dc018

12 Girls in 1633

The Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul were founded in 1633 by St. Vincent de Paul and St. Louise de Marillac in Paris, France. Deeply concerned with the poverty and suffering around them, they brought together a group of young women who shared their dedication of helping the poor and the sick.

unlike other Sisters

These 12 peasant girls were unlike other Sisters of the time in terms of both social and economic status as well as in their desire to live and work among those in need. This challenged conventions when Sisters predominately lived cloistered lives and had less interaction with those suffering in the streets.

Soup kitchen-1652
Vow Day Celebration - St. Catherine's Residence, Youngtown, OH - 1963 (2)

Simple Vows

On the eve of St. Andrew’s Feast, the girls bound themselves to Christ with simple vows that were to be reaffirmed annually. St. Vincent de Paul wrote:

The Daughters of Charity have… for a convent, the houses of the sick; for cell, a rented room; for chapel, the parish church; for cloister, the streets of the city; for enclosure, obedience; for grille, the fear of God; and for veil, holy modesty.”

Sisters in Service

Serving together as Sisters, the newly formed Daughters of Charity set up soup kitchens, organized community hospitals, established schools and homes for orphaned children, offered job training, taught the young to read and write, and improved prison conditions.

Orphan West
7e828c5c0eba5adec17e34f34e4f8059

Dedicated to Mary

At the start of the Daughters of Charity, St. Louise dedicated the Community to the Blessed Mother. In 1830, Our Lady appeared to St. Catherine Labouré, a Daughter of Charity, and entrusted her with the Miraculous Medal. The Daughters’ Motherhouse in Paris marks the location of St. Catherine Labouré’s apparitions of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal.

Daughters in United States

In the 19th century, inspired by the work of these original Daughters, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton founded a community of Sisters in the United States that later joined with the Daughters of Charity in France. This became the first community of Daughters in the United States.

Class in the White House

Read Our Stories

We all took different paths to become sisters - check out stories and read about our unique journeys.

OUR STORIES

Start Your Own Story

Is God calling you to a life of service? We would love to talk. We have many opportunities to explore your vocation.

Discernment Opportunities

Want to be the first to hear about our new discernment opportunities?

Sign up for our email list!

Please enter your name.
Please enter a valid email address.
Subscribe!

Thanks for subscribing! Please check your email for further instructions.

Something went wrong. Please check your entries and try again.
  • Home
  • Who We Are
    • History
    • Our Mission & Ministries
    • Our Stories
  • Opportunities
    • Discernment Opportunities
    • Volunteer Opportunities
  • Resources
    • FAQs
    • Additional Resources
    • Dictionary
  • Podcasts
  • Blog
  • Contact

Search

Connect

app-store
google-play-badge

© Daughters of Charity | Website by Little Leaf Design

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT