Given to God:

Life as a Daughter of Charity is a life animated, first of all, by the love of Christ and nourished by personal and communal prayer. We are ordinary women who undertake radical commitments. We gather daily for the Prayer of the Church and the celebration of Eucharist which is the source of our love, unity and strength for service.

For the Service of the Poor:

We commit ourselves to live faithfully the charism of our founders, St Vincent de Paul and St Louise de Marillac by

• imbibing a common heritage
• sharing a common tradition
• fully embracing the values of the gospel
• reviewing our services according to the changing needs of the most disadvantaged sectors of our society, and
• responding to new needs as they arise

In Community:

Community life is one of the basic supports we have in our vocation. People only come to community when they recognise they have a passion to serve God in others. We work to build community life where we can experience together love, joy, growth, rest and peace. We mostly live in small communities where we strengthen one another for our mission which is challenging, faith-filled and calls us to live creatively the values of the kingdom in today's world

Collaboration:

Vincent and Louise were strong in their desire to bring Christ to the poor and to relieve their misery. They inspired men and women of all walks of life to be likewise involved.

This tradition of collaboration and teamwork with other groups and volunteers is one of the hallmarks of the Daughters of Charity today.

Membership:

Following the initial approach and discernment process an applicant is welcomed to a period of "come and see". The next phase, called Seminary, is when one becomes a member of the community. This is a time for intensive human and Christian formation as well as growth in the meaning and obligations of being a Daughter of Charity. After 5 to 7 years serving in the community, vows are pronounced for the first time and renewed annually. Members are Catholic women, single or widowed. Basic requirements for joining the Daughters of Charity are:

• physical and psychological health
• desire to discover God's call in one's life
• eagerness to grow in relationship with God
• a desire for community living and ministry
• a desire to relieve the suffering of the underprivileged