Founded in 1833 to help impoverished people living in the slums of Paris, the Society of St Vincent de Paul (SSVP) is an international Catholic voluntary organization dedicated to the sanctification of its members through serving the poor and disadvantaged. The primary figure behind the society's founding was Frédéric Ozanam (1813-1853), a French lawyer, author, and professor in the Sorbonne. He was 20 years old when the society was founded, and was beatified by PopeJohn Paul II in 1997. The Society took the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Vincent de Paul as its patrons under the influence of Sister Rosalie Rendu, D.C. Sister Rosalie (who was herself beatified in 2003).
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