History

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul was founded in 1833 by Frederic Ozanam, a 20 year old student of the Sorbonne University in Paris, France.  Challenged to "practice what they preach," Frederic and a group of fellow students sought out of the poor of Paris in their homes and brought them bread, clothes, and most importantly, friendship.  This small group took as their Patron the great French priest, St. Vincent de Paul, "the Apostle of Charity."

Similar groups began to form through Paris, then spread throughout France, and eventually throughout the Christian world. The Society reached Rome in 1842; England in 1844; Belgium, Scotland, and the United States in 1845; Germany, Holland, Greece, Turkey, and Mexico in 1846; Canada and Switzerland in 1847; and Austria and Spain in 1850.

The first U.S. Conference was established at The Old Cathedral (The Church of St. Louis of France) , St. Louis, Missouri in 1845. It then spread to Alameda County in 1882 with the establishment of the Sacred Heart parish conference in Oakland. The Sacred Heart Conference was like a "beacon light" that led the way, for while it was active for only 10 years, the faint glimmer was revived 56 years later when the Council of Alameda County was established in 1938. During this transitional period in the East Bay, a strong Society based on six active conferences was organized by Archbishop Patrick W. Riordan in San Francisco.