The first Daughters of Charity arrived in Brazil in 1849, after a 70-day journey across the Atlantic Ocean. They were 12 French Missionary Sisters), that left the Port of Le Harvre in France, full of apostolic zeal and encouraged by the words: “Leave, my children, leave! Take in one hand the torch of the faith, and in the other the flame of charity”, uttered to them Father Etienne the General Superior at the time.
When they were fully settled in Brazilian territory, they started working to provide education in charity, following the Vincentian spirit and quickly brought a wide range of the Gospel work and services and also stimulated new vocations.
Due to the great distance of Motherhouse, in France, and the need for a closer intercommunication between the different working locations, the Major Superiors decided to erect the first Province of the Daughters of Charity in Brazil in 1860, with its headquarters in Rio de Janeiro under the civil name of Associação São Vicente de Paulo.
Initially, the Province’s activities covered the entire country, but little by little it was subdivided to better serve the goals of the charism and the Sisters’ mission. Currently, the Daughters of Charity have six Provinces in Brazil, with headquarters in Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Curitiba, Amazonas, Fortaleza and Recife. The six Provinces carry out their activities in the 27 federative units of the country.