1984: JMV (Vincentian Marian Youth in Spain) begins to send Spanish youngsters on “Ad Gentes”mission during July and August.
1987: Some of them stay for several years, as missionary lay people, renewing their commitment every two years. These young people carry out different pastoral tasks always in relation with the Vincentian Family; they start to express that they would like to commit with the missionary work for their entire lives. The challenge is then find a structure to facilitate their permanent stay as lay missionaries “Ad Gentes”.
1992: Several lay missionaries wish for a choice to provide them with stability as permanent lay missionaries linked to the Vincentian Family as they believe they could live as missionaries being lay people. This fact triggers the idea of creating a new association within the Vincentian family to promote, facilitate, support and coordinate the presence and work of missionary lay people on “Ad Gentes” missions entrusted to the Vincentian Family or where the Vincentian Family is present.
18/10/1997: Missionary Formation at El Cisne (San Diego and San Vicente School, DCs).
A group of young people accepted the responsibility for revitalising the Association so that it could facilitate the coordination among the lay missionaries who were on a mission abroad for longer than two years as well as provide them with human, moral, spiritual and economical support. A Managing Committee was created in that very same meeting and they started to work straight away. Their main task was to prepare the First General Assembly of MISEVI, under the supervision of Superior General, Fr. Robert P. Maloney, CM. and Fr. José Eugenio López,CM appointed to inspire and support Misevi from the very beginning.
On 7/04/1999: The International Statutes for Misevi are approved by the Apostolic See and MISEVI is established as an International, public Association of the faithful who desire to share the charisma and spirituality of Saint Vincent de Paul.
6/01/2001: First General Assembly of MISEVI at Los Molinos-Madrid (retreat house of the DCs). During the assembly, our identity is explained, a Coordinating Committee is appointed to carry out the future action lines and a final document is written. This assembly brought together the varied realities of the 15 participating countries: Italy, Mozambique, Honduras, Bolivia, Lebanon, Algeria, Dominican Republic, Belgium, USA, Colombia, France, Portugal, Indonesia, Brazil and Spain.
Superior General, Fr. Robert P. Maloney and the General Vicar, Fr. Ignacio H. Mendoza, attended the assembly.
29/09/2001 MISEVI is recognised as canonically established and its International Statutes were approved with Decree of the same Dicastery on 7th April, 1999, Prot. n. P. 53-2/99 as International Public Association by the competent authority of the Church.
25/11 2010 The Holy See approves and confirms the new text of the Statutes presented by the Superior General of the Congregation of the Mission to the Apostolic See.