The Congregation of the Mission or, more popularly, the Vincentian Fathers and Brothers, was founded in 1625 by St. Vincent de Paul to bring the good news of the gospel to the poor. Clergy education was very poor in 17th century France so Vincent also focused his ministry on the education of the clergy; seminary education has been a part of our ministry since the time of Vincent. We are priests and brothers who take perpetual vows and dedicate our lives to serve the poor, and we do that in many ways. Amongst our many works, we serve in many poor parishes, we teach in seminaries, we conduct parish missions (one of our oldest works), we have founded and administer three universities in the U.S. and we do retreat work. All of our ministry is focused on serving the poor, whether that be direct service or working to change the very cultural systems that create poverty in the first place. We are part of the Vincentian Family which consists of many groups that are empowered by the charism of St. Vincent de Paul to help make the world of the poor a better place. Come and join us!