The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is a Catholic lay organization dedicated to service of the impoverished, inspired by the work of St. Vincent de Paul, a Catholic priest born in the 16th century who dedicated his life to helping the indigent. In the 1800s, Frédéric Ozanam, a university student, along with some fellow students, continued to provide aid in the streets of Paris. In memory of St. Vincent, he founded the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Since then, the organization has grown nationally and internationally, offering financial assistance to those in need across 150 countries.
Today, the Society remains dedicated to serving the impoverished, focusing on its tenets of service, spirituality and friendship. Its members come together in conferences in Catholic parishes. There is a conference in each Catholic church in Mount Pleasant, making support accessible to those in the Lowcountry who need it.
Members, known as Vincentians, rely on parishioner and public donations to provide the assistance needed in their community. This could be a utility bill, taxes, a mortgage or some emergency expenses. Vincentians are available anytime through their parish helplines.
A team of two visits the home of anyone who calls to understand their financial needs and listen to their story. Financial stress is more than just unpaid bills, and one of the many ways they help is by listening and understanding.
Because the Society of St. Vincent de Paul operates primarily through word of mouth, it can be a struggle to get aid to the people who require it most. To spread the word of their efforts to more people, the St. Benedict Conference has reached out to collaborate with African Methodist Episcopal churches in their territory to target the areas suffering most in our communities.
For those who would like to get involved, the best way is to donate to the Society through your local Catholic church. There’s no overhead, so every dollar of the donation goes towards helping ease the financial burden of someone in need. Checks or online donations on church websites are accepted. Many churches collect donations once a month, so parishioners always have a chance to give to assist the less fortunate.
Financial hardship can hit anyone, anytime. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is here for anyone who is facing such hardship. No work of charity is foreign to the Society. All it takes is a phone call to your local Catholic church conference helpline.
For more information, visit stbenedictparish.org/St–Vincent-de-Paul-Society.
By Brooke Watson
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