Did You Know?

Did you know... that it was on the 23rd of August 1617 – four hundred and eight years ago this week! – that St. Vincent de Paul established the first “Confraternity of Charity” in the Parish of Chatillon-les-Dombes?

This is how St. Vincent described the event: “One Sunday, as I was vesting for Mass, a parishioner came to tell me that in an isolated house about a kilometer from there, everyone was sick, leaving no one strong enough to care for the others, and that all of them were in indescribable need. This touched me deeply.”

At the announcements after the sermon, St. Vincent put out an appeal for help for this family in such vivid terms that the parishioners were also greatly moved. When he went out that afternoon to visit the family, he met many people who were also on their way to that family or who were coming back from there! “. . .there were so many that it looked like a procession.” After he had comforted the family and brought them Communion, he gathered a few people to explore ways to continue offering this kind of help. “I suggested to all these good people whom charity had inspired to visit the sick family that could set themselves one day each, to put something into the stew pot, not only for that family but for those who would follow!”

And so, a few days later, from this seemingly chance event, was organized the first parish “confraternity of charity” which became the pattern for a world-wide Lay Apostolate of the Church, numbering some 800,000 members in 140 countries.

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul was founded 192 years ago to help impoverished people living in the slums of Paris, France. The primary figure behind the society's founding was Blessed Frederic Ozanam, a French lawyer, author, and professor in the Sorbonne, and Sister Rosalie Rendu, a Vincentian Sister.

Membership in the United States totals more than 172,000 in 4,600 communities. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul in the United States provides more than $675 million in tangible and in-kind services, serves more than 14 million people each year, and delivers more than 7 million service hours to those in need.

Our own St. Andrew’s Conference of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul numbers 37 members (called “Vincentians”) and provides a wide variety of services for our neighbors in need, as well as operating the Community Food Bank and the St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store!

Perhaps God is calling you to deepen your discipleship as a member of the St. Vincent de Paul Society in our St. Andrew’s Conference! Speak with any our Vincentians about how you might become a member of this wonderful ministry of practical charity and service!

We are almost ‘there’ in our Collection for our CONGO SCHOOL PROJECT! Thank you for your very generous response of $17,500 to this year’s PARISH MISSION PROJECT!