Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent De Paul

To be and to bring good news of Christ to persons who are living in poverty

Founded, Date/Place	29^th Nov. 1633, France
Founder	St. Vincent De Paul and St. Louise de Marrilac
Canonical Status	Pontifical Right, 8^th June, 1668
Motto	"Caristas Christi urget nos" – "The charity of Jesus Cricified urges us"
Charism	The Corporal and spiritual service of Jesus Christ in persons who are poor.
Mission Statement	"We are a diversely gifted, faith Community of Consecrated Women committed to our personal on-going conversion, radically given to God for the evangelization and development of persons who are poor. We serve them with joy, renewed apostolic zeal, missionary enthusiasm, interior freedom and audacious charity, to change systems that keep people in poverty, in collaboration with others who promote justice, peace and the dignity of the human person, following the footsteps of our Lord Jesus Christ and our founder."
Purpose	"The principal end for which God called and assembled the Daughters of Charity, serving Him corporally and spiritually in the person of the poor..." (Constitution 1.3, page 6).
Address of Provincialate	St. Louise's Provincial House. P. O. Box 123, Nchia-Eleme, Rivers State.
Location of Principal House in Nigeria	Nchia-Eleme, Rivers State
Names of Places where we are Places of Apostolate in Nigeria	Archdioceses of Abuja, Benin and Lagos; Dioceses of Ikot Ekpene, Uyo, Port Harcourt, Warri, Issele- Uku, Uromi, Ondo, Kano, and Kontagora.
Places of Apostolate in Ghana	Archdiocese of Kumasi; Dioceses of Konongo-Mampong and Navrongo-Bolgatanga
Place of Apostolate in Burkina Faso	Diocese of Nouna
Location of our formation Houses	a) Postulate- Enniong-Offot, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State b) Seminary-Nchia- Eleme, Rivers State

Provincial Superior: Sr. Ifeoma Arinze, DC

Postal Address- Daughters of Charity, PO. Box 123, Nchia Eleme, Rivers State.

Email Address of the Congregation: [email protected]

Visitatrice Phone number: 0706 838 7656

Email: [email protected]

Contact/Residential Address of the Congregation:

Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul,

St. Louise Provincial House

PO. Box 123, Nchia Eleme, Rivers State

The Company of the Daughters of Charity of

St. Vincent de Paul
Servants of the Poor belongs to the society of apostolic life. It was founded on November 29^th, 1633 by St. Vincent de Paul and St. Louise the Marillac as a response to the cries of persons who are poor in 17^th Century France. Over time, the Company grew and spread to other parts of the globe, where her members continue to witness to the Charity of Jesus Christ, in the service of persons who are poor and marginalized. They carry out their service in the spirit of humility, simplicity and charity. Today the Daughters of Charity span the globe in about 93 countries with over 17,000 members!

Charism and Spirituality:
The principal aim for which God called and assembled the Daughters of Charity is to honor our Lord Jesus Christ as the source and model of all charity, serving him spiritually and corporally in the person of the poor. (St. Vincent, Common Rules of the Daughters of Charity (1,1), Doc.149a,X111b, 147). Through faith, the Daughters of Charity see Christ in those who are poor, and they see those who are poor in Christ. They serve Him in His suffering members with compassion, gentleness, cordiality, respect and devotion. (St. Vincent, 11 November, 1657 X, Conf. 85).

Information about Our Foundress & Founder- St. Vincent De Paul And St. Louise De Marillac

St. Vincent De Paul
St. Vincent de Paul is almost a household name in many parts of the world today as he is widely known as the patron of all kinds of charitable works.

Vincent was born on the 24^th of April 1581 in Southern France, son of peasant farmers. At his early age, he proved himself a scholar, his father later sacrificed the best of his life stock to send him to the University of Toulouse to study for the priesthood. Priesthood in those days was a means of obtaining wealth and position. After his ordination, Vincent underwent many difficulties, humiliations and sufferings and was even captured into slavery. But God intervened in Vincent’s life as he was forced to re-examine his goals and life style. He realized that his desire for wealth was at the root of his inner conflict. To be free of it, he gave all his money to the most needy and found Christ in a new way- IN PERSONS WHO ARE POOR, whom he called his “Lords and Masters”.

Vincent extended his activities to every form of suffering humanity, alleviating their misery and above all, defending their dignity and rights. Vincent was very zealous in bringing God to the poor. He needed Priests and brothers to help him bring