St. Vincent de Paul/Food Pantry
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The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is an international Catholic lay association of charity present in 132 countries of the world. It is composed of ordinary men and women – 650,000 – who do extraordinary things not for themselves but for others.
Frederic Ozanam and six friends from the Sorbonne founded the Society in Paris in 1833. Under his vision, the Society provides person-to-person service to help those who are suffering and to alleviate poverty by addressing its causes. Today, the Society in the United States has 120,000 members throughout 4,700 localities.
Members call themselves “Vincentians” after the recognized patron of charity, St. Vincent de Paul, and membership is open to all Christians wishing to serve the suffering and needy. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul began its service to the poor in the United States on November 20, 1845 in St. Louis, Missouri.
We were blessed with the support of our former pastor, Father Dan Reehil at St. Edward, and training by St. Henry’s to start our own Saint Vincent de Paul (SVdP) Conference.
“Jesus summoned his disciples and said, “My heart is moved with pity for the crowd, for they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, for fear they may collapse on the way.” (Matthew 15: 32)
What can you do to answer the call to help the poor?
Our program consists of:
- Expanding our food pantry
- Holding special food collections
- A special collection of coats, blankets, school supplies (involving our church ministries, school and youth groups )
- Offering emergency assistance with utilities
- Assisting with needed furniture
- Assisting the Angel Tree ministry
- Assisting the elderly in our community in need
- Soliciting benefactors to support SVdP
- Holding a monthly collection
The Vincentian members will meet every other Wednesday at 6:00 to pray together, discuss pantry operations, discern how best to meet the needs of those in need of the services provided by SVdP, and to decide how the funds contributed by the parishioners can be most wisely spent in support of the Society’s mission.
If you are interested in becoming a member of this group, please call Carolyn Warden, Director of SVdP, at 615-833-5520 ext. 207 or 210-870-8500
The Mission of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul
Inspired by Gospel values, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, a Catholic lay organization, leads women and men to join together to grow spiritually by offering person-to-person service to those who are needy and suffering in the tradition of its founder, Blessed Frédéric Ozanam, and patron, St. Vincent de Paul.
As a reflection of the whole family of God, members, who are known as Vincentians, are drawn from every ethnic and cultural background, age group, and economic level. Vincentians are united in an international society of charity by their spirit of poverty, humility and sharing, which is nourished by prayer and reflection, mutually supportive gatherings and adherence to a basic Rule.
Organized locally, Vincentians witness God’s love by embracing all works of charity and justice. The Society collaborates with other people of goodwill in relieving need and addressing its causes, making no distinction in those served because, in them, Vincentians see the face of Christ.
