St. Vincent de Paul Church and School were founded in 1932 by St. Katharine Drexel for the purpose of ministering to the spiritual needs of African-American families in North Nashville. A secondary purpose was to minister to the needs of the college students at Fisk University and Meharry Medical College. The current church building was dedicated in 1960 while the current school building was built and opened in 2002. After serving the families of North Nashville for three-quarters of a century, the school has closed because of declining enrollment and escalating costs. The church, however, continues to follow the initial vision of its founder, St. Katherine Drexel.