A Blessed Beginning.
The seeds of the Ladies of Charity were planted by St.
Vincent de Paul almost 400 years ago in 1617 at
Chatillon-les-Dombes in the diocese of Lyons in the
mountainous region of eastern France. With the
assistance of St. Louise de Marillac, the seeds
germinated and took root in the French countryside and
then throughout the world.
In 1857, seeds fell from the mother tree
onto fertile soil in the United States when Catherine
Harkins was directed to continue the work of Vincent and
Louise as a Lady of Charity. The number of
associations grew and in 1960 it was decided to form a
national organization, the Ladies of Charity of the
United States of America, in order to offer consistent
formation to all associations and to strengthen the
bonds of charity.
Finally, in 1972, the Ladies of Charity
of the United States joined associations around the
world and formed the
International Association of
Charities (AIC). Thus, the seed sown by St.
Vincent in 1617 has become a huge tree that extends its
branches to 50 countries with a world-wide membership of
260,000 lay volunteers.
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