"Christianity is not about ideas, but about deeds inspired by love"
                                    Blessed Frederic Ozanam

Youth SSVP is the youth section of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul.  This organisation was founded in Paris, on 23rd April 1883 by a young law student  called Frederic Ozanam, who, along with some friends, wanted to put the teachings of the Church into practice, by relieving the suffering of the poor.
Frederic and his friends were inspired to go out and help the poor in their community when a challenge was laid down to them by some fellow students who doubted the relevance of the Church to contemporary society.
They took them up on this challenge by taking firewood to poor families in their community.

Could you rise to this challenge?

Today, Youth SSVP in Scotland consists of groups of young people who operate in schools, colleges and church parishes.        

The Society of St Vincent De Paul is an international Catholic organization of lay men and women(meaning that there are no priests or nuns as members) who seek, in a spirit of justice and charity and by person to person involvement, to help those who are suffering.  "No work of charity is foreign to the Society." 

Frederic Ozanam and his friends found inspiration for their work in a priest who had lived in France in the 1600's. His name was Vincent de Paul. He initially became a priest to escape poverty!  However, he realised that his mission in life would be to bring the Gospel to the poor of rural France. This man was canonized(made a saint) in 1737 and his name and work lives on through the work of the Society of St Vincent de Paul.


 He founded and order of priests called "The Congregation of the Mission", but commonly known as the Vincentians, to fulfill this purpose.  Along with Sr Rosalie Rosalie Rendu, he also founded a congregagtion of nuns called the Daughters of Charity. Both groups are still very active in Scotland and throughout the world.