The Society of St Vincent de Paul was founded by Frederic Ozanam in 1833 after accepting a challenge that “Surely Christianity did great things in the past but today we see no action.” “Where are the works that show your Faith?” This inspired him to form a small “Conference of Charity” with 5 companions. They began their active work among the poor of Paris and into Europe. Federick Ozanam was beatified on 22 August 1997. The founders accepted universally as the Apostle of Charity, St Vincent de Paul, and it was not without good reasons they selected him as a patron for their Society of Charity. St Vincent himself worked for the poor together with the Daughters of Charity in 1633. He died on 27 September 1660, and was cannonised a Saint in the year 1737.

The Society of St Vincent de Paul is an International Organization with its H.Q. in Paris. The society has become a worldwide society and today we know that there are something like 880,000 members and is a universal society of 47,600 conferences with men and women of all ages and conditions in 132 countries on the five continents. In Singapore, the structure of the Society is made up of three councils, namely;
 
The National Council
The Particular Councils and
The Conferences.
 
The five district councils, CITY, SERANGOON, NORTH, EAST and WEST form the Particular Councils.

Conferences are established in parishes and function within the parish confine. There are 29 conferences in Singapore.

1 The conferences are the basic unit of the Society and may be composed of masculine or feminine members, or it may be mixed.

2 Conferences are usually parochial but members do visit institutional homes, hospitals or any special function.

3 In our parish, our conference meets on the 2nd Wednesday and last Wednesday of each month.

4 The meeting begins at 8.00 p.m. It begins and ends with the appointed prayers. A short spiritual reading follows the opening prayers. 

5 Members of the Society are united in the same spirit of poverty and sharing. Across the world they form one and the same family with those they help.