St. Vincent de Paul Society Diocese of Cleveland

SVDP Cleveland is affiliated with the international Society of St. Vincent de Paul, one of the oldest charitable organizations in the world. Originally known as the “Conference of Charity,” the Society of St. Vincent de Paul was founded in 1833 by French scholar Frédéric Ozanam, his fellow students and others – including Sister Rosalie Rendu — who helped thousands of poor residing in the slums of Paris during the cholera epidemic.

The first United States volunteer group Conference was launched in 1845 in St. Louis, Missouri. Only 20 years later, in 1865, the Diocese of Cleveland started its first Conference at the Cathedral of St. John. Today, SVDP Cleveland is comprised of 63 parish groups in Ashland, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Summit and Wayne counties.