The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul is a religious congregation founded in Paris by Frederic Ozanam in 1833.  Ozanam, a layman, was deeply moved by the poverty and disorder that gripped Paris in the early stages of industrialization.  With a desire to blunt the efforts of the Saint-Simonians (followers of the French socialist Claude Saint-Simon, 1760 – 1825), he and his companions formed a Catholic organization of laypersons devoted to individual holiness, personal contact with the poor, and the distribution of alms.  The new group took Vincent de Paul as its patron saint and was organized into conferences on local levels.  Eventually diocesan, national, and international councils formed the framework for broader cooperative endeavors.  As urban poverty and social dislocation spread throughout Western society, the need for the work of the Society grew.  It expanded rapidly in France and in 1845 made its first appearance in the United States in St. Louis.  It eventually spread to 112 countries. 

 

Father Richard McBrien

Encyclopedia of Catholicism

 

Dear Community of Saint Joseph’s:

 

We are extremely fortunate at Saint Joseph’s to have a Society of Saint Vincent de Paul Conference to support the ambition of it’s founder in searching and finding those in need and providing everything possible to lighten their burden.   This group of dedicated people prays for each other and for the people they serve.  Saint Vincent de Paul is a remarkably effective organization and like all hard working groups would like to have more members to enable them to continue the extraordinary work they do on a daily basis.  In order to acquaint you with Saint Vincent de Paul I thought I would outline for you some of their everyday efforts 

 

• Needline:  Volunteers answer request on our phone line for help with rent, rental deposits, auto repairs, utilities, food, medical assistance, transportation and twinning with other parishes in their Council. 
• Food Pantry:  We have a food pantry at the Saint Joseph’s rectory, which provides for those who are in need. Volunteers stock bags of food, which are given out daily to those who come to the rectory for help.  Volunteers and the Saint Joseph’s staff make this work. 
• Gift Certificates:  Donations of Food Gift Certificates are used for the Needline requests and Holiday Food baskets. 
• Holiday Food Baskets:  We at Saint Joseph’s provide Holiday Food Baskets to families in need at Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter.  We bag and deliver food items for holiday dinners to families.  This is accomplished through the generous donations of our parish and the packers and drivers of our Saint Vincent de Paul. 

 

During this Lenten season Saint Vincent de Paul was hoping we might consider making an offering to their ministries by purchasing a $20 food gift card from Albertsons, Safeway or Nob Hill Markets.  These certificates would be given to families in need and would assist in their continuing efforts to eliminate hunger in Santa Cruz County.  If you would like to participate in this Lenten project just purchase a gift card and bring it with you next weekend – put it in the collection basket or drop it by the Rectory Office.  

 

Our Saint Vincent de Paul Society meets on the first Tuesday of every month at the Saint Joseph’s rectory at 6:00 in the evening.  They will be meeting this Tuesday March 6 and would love to welcome you to the meeting and encourage you to get involved in some great or small way.   As a way of introducing themselves to you on the weekend of March 10/11 there will be a Saint Vincent de Paul booth set up in the foyer of the church with information about the society   Our members will be there to greet you and share any information you might be interested in. 

 

Please join me in praying for the continued good work Saint Vincent de Paul has always done for the communities they serve and stop by the Saint Vincent booth next weekend and say hello.

 

Father Matt Pennington

Pastor