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Fr. Virgil Cordano Center is a collaborative ministry of the Franciscan Friars at the Old Mission of Santa Barbara and the Daughters of Charity at St. Vincent's that is rooted in the Gospel and the Social Teachings of the Catholic Church. Faithful to the traditions of St. Francis of Assisi and St. Vincent de Paul, we provide a place of welcome and support for human and spiritual well-being for our sisters and brothers in need.

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About Us

When the Daughters of Charity arrived in 1858, the Franciscan Friars had been serving the need of the people of Santa Barbara since 1786.  They welcomed the Daughters of Charity and provided for their spiritual and sacramental needs, as well as helping them learn how to survive on this new missionary frontier of the United States of America.

 

Today the Franciscan Friars and the Daughters of Charity continue to grow a collaboration that began over 160 years ago.  This collaboration has grown from mutual support of each Communities individual ministries to a co-sponsored ministry, the Fr. Virgil Cordano Center.  The Fr. Virgil Cordano Center reaches out and welcomes Santa Barbara’s most vulnerable population:  our sisters and brothers who are without permanent safe housing and provides them with a place of welcome, spiritual counseling, support for their human dignity and hope for a better future for themselves and their families.

Fr. Virgil Cordano Center

Fr. Virgil Cordano Center is a collaborative ministry of the Franciscan Friars at Old Mission of Santa Barbara and the Daughters of Charity at St. Vincent’s that is rooted in the Gospel and the Social Teachings of the Catholic Church. Faithful to the traditions of St. Francis of Assisi and St. Vincent de Paul, we provide a place of welcome and support for the human and spiritual well-being for our sisters and brothers in need.

St. Vincent’s

The iconic gate at the entrance to St. Vincent’s means many things to many people. For some, it represents the stability of a home, and for others a safe harbor during a turbulent time. For many it represents hope and a promise, that life will change when you walk through the gate of St. Vincent’s.

No account of Santa Barbara’s history would be complete without St. Vincent’s and the innumerable contributions of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul. From establishing the area’s first infirmary for children, to providing low-income housing for families and seniors, the Daughters of Charity significantly helped shape Santa Barbara.

The Bishop of the region saw the critical need for a school and orphanage in Santa Barbara. Answering the call, the Daughters of Charity sent two young Sisters from Maryland who arrived by steamship on January 5, 1858.

Undaunted by weeks of grueling travel, and despite their strangely new and unfamiliar surroundings, the Sisters got to work immediately, and within days of their arrival, opened the doors to Santa Barbara’s first English-speaking school and orphanage.

Throughout its long, rich history, St. Vincent’s has evolved just as the needs of the community changed. From their humble beginnings on De La Vina Street to the lush, 21-acre, multi-generational campus today, the Daughters of Charity have contributed tremendously to less-fortunate residents of Santa Barbara. Today, St. Vincent’s remains the longest, continually-operating nonprofit social service agency in Santa Barbara, serving more than 600 clients each day.

https://www.stvincents-sb.org

Franciscan Friars – Province of St. Barbara

The Franciscan friars of the Province of St. Barbara, part of what is formally known as the Order of Friars Minor (OFM), are members of a Roman Catholic religious order of men. From a diversity of backgrounds and cultures, they are dedicated to serving the poor and promoting justice, peace, care of creation, and reconciliation. They do this in the joyful and prophetic spirit of St. Francis of Assisi.

The Province of St. Barbara, one of seven such OFM Franciscan entities in the United States, was established in 1915. Its members live and work in California, Arizona, Oregon, and Washington, serving communities whose profiles cross ethnic, cultural and economic boundaries. Friars also serve in a number of Native American nations in the Southwest, as well on mission to Mexico, Russia, and the Holy Land.

https://sbfranciscans.org