Upon discovering that most dioceses and religious communities require Aspirants to be debt free before entering formation, Minnesota businessman Cy Laurent began assisting Aspirants with debt resolution – primarily in the form of student loans. It was simply unacceptable to Laurent that vocations were being delayed indefinitely and even abandoned because of these impediments; especially considering the heartfelt prayers for vocations offered by individuals and communities for decades. Drawing from his twenty-plus years of experience in Fortune 500 companies and his twenty-five years as an entrepreneur, Laurent began working with others toward assisting this population. Seeing the pressing need for a charitable society to accomplish so great a work, Laurent and Mike Smeby of University Bank in Saint Paul, MN established The Labouré Society as a 501 (c) (3), becoming operational in 2003. Founder Laurent continues his work for The Labouré Society as Executive Director, today.