In 17th century France, St. Vincent de Paul, a humble French priest, and St. Louise de Marillac, a widow, founded the Daughters of Charity to respond to the multiple needs of of those who were sick and poor. Moved by compassion, the Daughters of Charity dedicated themselves to express God's unconditional love to their brothers and sisters in need.
In 1958, the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul came to San Antonio to serve those living in south Bexar County. Again, moved by the unmet needs of those they served, the Daughters' compassionate response was to establish the Daughters of Charity Services of San Antonio, a faith-based non-profit agency. Today, the Daughters of Charity Services of San Antonio continues to express God's compassionate love to those they serve in south San Antonio and south Bexar County.
Daughters of Charity Services of San Antonio is a member of Ascension Health, a national system co-sponsored by the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Nazareth, Michigan, and the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondolet.
Mission and Purpose
Faithful to the Vincentian tradition, the Daughters of Charity Services of San Antonio will establish and maintain neighborhood-based programs to increase accessibility to primary health care and human services on the part of the poor. These programs will have a strong holistic orientation and consider participation and empowerment as an integral dimension of the delivery of service. While services will be rendered with preferential option for the poor, it is not to the exclusion of others.
Daughters of Charity Services of San Antonio live the mission by advocating for persons who are poor. We serve a low-income, uninsured, largely Hispanic population by operating four health and social service centers: DePaul Family Center, La Misión Family Health Care, De Paul-Wesley Children’s Center and El Carmen Wellness Center. All of our services are offered on a low co-pay/sliding scale fee to remain affordable and accessible to individuals and families in need of financial assistance.
