The Company of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul was founded in France in 1633 by St. Louise de Marillac and St. Vincent de Paul. From its humble beginnings, the Company expanded to other countries, including Spain, carrying the mission of service to those who are poor and marginalized.
By the Royal Decree of Queen Isabella II of Spain, fifteen Daughters of Charity travelled from Spain on board the frigate Concepcion and set foot on Philippine soil on July 22, 1862. Led by Sister Tiburcia Ayanz, DC, the Hijas de la Caridad were in the company of two Vincentian priests, two Vincentian brothers, seven Jesuits, and thirteen Recollect friars.
Since their arrival, the Daughters of Charity have steadily expanded their mission throughout the Philippines, eventually establishing communities in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and the Fiji Islands and over time, also in Taiwan and South Korea. Their ministries have encompassed a wide range of services: schools and orphanages, hospitals and clinics, social welfare and development institutions, and pastoral involvement in parishes and dioceses. As new faces of poverty emerge in our world, the Daughters of Charity remain faithful to their vocation—servants of Christ in persons who are poor. St. Vincent de Paul once reflected, “As it was not then what it is now, there is reason to believe that it is still not what it will be when God has perfected it as He wants it.” (SVP, 13 February 1646)
In 2016, the Province of St. Louise de Marillac-Asia was formed by a reconfiguration of all the DC Communities and Provinces in Cambodia, China, Japan, Laos, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand.
