Society of St. Vincent de Paul

Quiet work of SVdP’s ‘Conferences of Charity’ is significant

By Joe Riley | June 18, 2009 | The Catholic Sun

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul recently welcomed three new parish-based Conferences of Charity at St. Philip the Deacon in Phoenix, St. Steven in Sun Lakes and Our Lady of Guadalupe in Queen Creek. They join the 87 other conferences of our Phoenix Diocesan Council to further strengthen the enduring foundation of our service to the poor and needy in the Diocese of Phoenix.

The conference is the basic unit of the Society, a community of faith and love from which members go forth as servants of the poor. It is at this parish level that the majority of Vincentians confront poverty and respond by providing help and restoring hope.

Since our founding in 1833, the central and most basic activity of conferences has been visiting the needy in their homes. It is there, in the family setting, that Vincentians listen attentively without judging, offer advice humbly and render assistance in a loving way that preserves the dignity of the persons we serve. There is special joy in serving the poor so personally in the name of Christ.

The quiet work of our conferences is often unseen, yet its scope and substance are significant. Last year Vincentians made more than 47,000 home visits, provided nearly 232,000 food boxes to the hungry and gave almost $2.8 million in assistance for rent and utilities. Add to that thousands of visits to hospitals, nursing homes, assisted-living facilities and prisons. In all, conference members contributed more than 475,000 hours of volunteer service. They know, firsthand, that there is more to be done now than ever.

Vincentians are also involved in the daily work done at St. Vincent de Paul’s dining rooms, thrift stores, medical and dental clinic, transitional homeless shelter and our special ministries to the homeless and the incarcerated. For most of our more than 3,600 active and associate members throughout the diocese, though, the fundamental focus is their conference’s caring for the hungry, homeless and working poor within their parish boundaries.

Finding Christ

Spirituality is the primary purpose of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. The character of a conference is shaped by its spiritual life. All meetings begin with a prayer and a spiritual reading, followed by a discussion. It keeps us focused on our labors of love.

Vincentians share a marvelous vision of the love of God extended to all His children. They are grateful for the good fortune to be a part of that process, serving the poor and finding the face of Christ, often disguised in so many ways, in the faces of those they serve. Seeing Christ in the poor is the essence of Vincentian spirituality.

It was said of the early Christians, “See how they love one another.” One of the great rewards of participating in the work of a conference is witnessing the love which animates its members – love for neighbor and for each other.

We are extremely proud of what I like to call the partnerships in compassion our conferences have with their parishes. The prayers, personal generosity and volunteer time of numerous fellow parishioners enable us to fulfill our mission of service to the poor in the name of the Lord. The strong support of Bishop Olmsted is a very special source of inspiration and motivation for Vincentians.

The members of our 90 Conferences of Charity display daily their dedication to the urgent exhortation of our founder, Blessed Frederic Ozanam: “Let us go to the poor.” The homes they visit are among the special places where those who seek assistance and those who offer it meet on the common ground of God’s love. That is exactly where Vincentians are meant to be.

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Joe Riley is the board president for the Phoenix Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Please send comments to letters@catholicsun.org.