Message to the Congregation of the Mission for the 400th Anniversary of Its Founding
In the message, the pope names the SSVP.
“Today too, in the footsteps of Saint Vincent, his family continues to initiate works of charity, begin new missions, and help in the formation of the clergy and laity. More than 100 branches of priests, brothers, sisters, lay women and men now constitute the Vincentian family. The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, founded in 1833 by Blessed Frédéric Ozanam, has become an outstanding force for good in the service of the poor, with hundreds of thousands of members worldwide”.