In 1963 Father Theo Palmans, the then provincial head of the Belgian Salvatorian Fathers, paid a visit to some colleagues in Caracas, Venezuela, South-America. He was so struck by the misery in the slums (the barrios) that he decided to set up an organisation with the purpose of improving the living conditions of the people there.

In Father Frans Driessen he found the ideal person to start this work. Himself a very moved man, Father Driessen also had the gift of inspiring others and making them enthusiastic. The Salvatorian Relief Action was born. Right from the start it was clear that not only initiatives of the organisation's own members came into consideration for financial support. Since then tens of thousands of colleagues have supported the work of missionaries, native priests and lay helpers in the developing countries in Central- and South-America, Africa and Asia.

The adjective 'Salvatorian' refers to the congregation of the Salvatorian Fathers (founded in 1881 by Father Frans Jordan) and the Salvatorian Sisters (founded in 1888) set up in Rome together with Therese Wüllenweber "to announce Christ as the Saviour of the world by example and deed, word and writings and with all resources God's love gives". The name Salvatorian is derived from the Latin word for Saviour, 'Salvator'.