Faithful to the insights shown by the first group, the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul is defined today as “a network of Friends who seek their personal holiness through service to those in need and through defending Social Justice”. It is composed of lay faithful, women and men, children and teenagers, young and old, of all conditions in life and of all cultures. The Conference is led by Catholics, but membership is open to all people of good will. It is essential however for the leaders to be Catholics.

Members of the Society of Saint Vincent Paul, also known as “Vincentians”, go out to meet people who are lonely or deprived, where they live: at home, in the street, in shelters, in hospital or in prison. They create a relationship of trust and friendship, built on a long-term commitment. In all their actions, Vincentians seek to bear witness to our Lord, Jesus Christ, who gazes at each one with love and mercy.

The actions of the Society are always based on love of neighbour. The visit is the most widespread of our traditional actions, central to our work, marked by a person-to-person relationship. This makes it of great relevance in today’s world, marked by “globalized indifference” (Cardinal Robert Sarah) where many people suffer alone. “Love is infinitely inventive” exclaimed Saint Vincent de Paul. So, the works of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul are many and varied, covering numerous fields: health, education, Homes for the aged, professional training and counselling. The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul endeavors to relieve material need, as well as moral and spiritual deprivation.

The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul is operational on all 5 continents, present in 157 locations (each with its own Council). It has 800,000 active members and over one auxiliary members in local teams called “Conferences”, forming a vast network of Charity around the world. The Conferences are united by a fraternal bond, offering mutual support to each other through prayer, twinnage relationships or material assistance. Councils are the authorities responsible for maintaining unity with Paris, the headquarters of the International Council General of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul.