The St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP) Conference at St. Francis of Assisi (SFA) continues its devotion to those in our society experiencing poverty. It supports those in need by providing financial assistance for rent or utilities to those experiencing a temporary, acute economic crisis. Why is the ministry named after St. Vincent de Paul? Saint Vincent de Paul was an Occitan French Catholic priest dedicated to serving the poor. Vincent became the superior of the ‘Congregation of the Mission;’ the ‘Vincentians’ (in France, known as ‘Lazaristes’). With vows of poverty, chastity, obedience, and stability, these priests were to devote themselves entirely to the people in smaller towns and villages. He was renowned for his compassion, humility, and generosity.
Cathy Smith, a St. Francis parishioner long involved with SVdP, explains, “We provide that assistance primarily by doing home visits, visiting in pairs to talk to those in need, to listen to their story and to collect information. From that, if we determine that we can assist them, we will pay the rental agency or utility directly. In addition, we provide other resource references that may be relevant to their situation, such as food pantries or medical assistance references. Most of those we serve are working, sometimes more than one job, and have monthly incomes that usually meet their monthly expenses. When a hiccup causes them not to make the rent, issues like kids getting sick, having surgery, losing a job and not starting a new one for several weeks, taking care of an aging parent, etc., can cause lost wages.”
As was mentioned in a previous story on the SFA website about SVdP, this ministry directly addresses the Catholic Church’s teaching on the ‘Option for the Poor and Vulnerable.’ SVdP is a worldwide organization whose guiding principle is to assist people experiencing poverty. Cathy adds, “Assisting the most vulnerable of the community around us is an active sign of our faith.” “When a family loses their home to eviction or foreclosure,” she says, “the cost to those individuals and society is tremendous. The cost for those individuals to get back into stable housing becomes prohibitive with higher deposits and fewer rent options, not to mention the mental toll on everyone in the family.”
Anyone who desires to live out their faith in service to those in need may be interested in serving in the St. Vincent de Paul ministry. Cathy says, “We invite you to join us, and the highest need is for visitors, those that visit our neighbors in their homes.” However, there are many roles. “We also have people that check the helpline calls, resource coordinators, and those willing to hold offices like president, vice president, etc. While the parish supports the SVdP work at SFA with a donation from the Justice & Peace Tithe, the need continues to grow! Direct contributions to SVdP are much appreciated and can be sent to the parish or done through Faith Direct with a designation of St. Vincent de Paul. You can also visit the SVdP website for other ways to donate.