Margaret MacIntyre, Victoria

     Saint Vincent de Paul Society has a long and proud tradition in the Victoria diocese, and is currently at the cutting edge of social ministry with its ambitious housing projects, centre for persons with disabilities, busy thrift stores and well-used emergency services, including food hampers.
      More than ever today, the society is called to renew its spirituality and its practical efforts in service of the most vulnerable members of our communities. Pope Francis has issued a clarion call to all Christians to reject an economy obsessed society “where the powerful feed upon the powerless.” He suggests that we have deified the marketplace, giving it free reign to dictate our priorities and lifestyles, and urges us to reclaim a more “truly human purpose” for our lives than being just consumers.

     Saint Vincent de Paul Society has a long and proud tradition in the Victoria diocese, and is currently at the cutting edge of social ministry with its ambitious housing projects, centre for persons with disabilities, busy thrift stores and well-used emergency services, including food hampers.
      More than ever today, the society is called to renew its spirituality and its practical efforts in service of the most vulnerable members of our communities. Pope Francis has issued a clarion call to all Christians to reject an economy obsessed society “where the powerful feed upon the powerless.” He suggests that we have deified the marketplace, giving it free reign to dictate our priorities and lifestyles, and urges us to reclaim a more “truly human purpose” for our lives than being just consumers.
      It hurts to realize that we have become deadened by consumerism and indifferent to human need which is all around us. We get “forgetful, distracted and carried away by the limitless possibilities for consumption … offered by contemporary society.”
      Saint Vincent de Paul Society offers Christians a way to change the focus of their lives and make a difference in society. It is a society of lay people mandated by their baptism to love and serve their brothers and sisters in need. Pope Francis is calling for a reform of the role of lay people in the Church, urging them to reach out beyond the internal needs of the parish to become Good Samaritans in society.
      Society founder Blessed Frederic Ozanam would completely agree with this; a primary thrust of Saint Vincent de Paul is a twin focus on charity and justice. The society is concerned not only with alleviating immediate need but also with identifying the injustices that cause it: “Charity is the Samaritan who pours oil on the wounds of the traveler who has been attacked. It is justice’s role to prevent the attack.” (Blessed Frederic Ozanam)
      Catholic lay people are rooted in Christ whose love and compassion flows through them to those they touch. Saint Vincent de Paul Society puts the spiritual health and growth of its members high on its agenda. As Pope Francis tells us, the power of our works comes from our connection to Christ. Another priority for society members is personal, face-to-face contact with those they serve. They seek to affirm the person, not only to alleviate need.
      No vulnerable person comes outside the scope of service, as the definition of ‘poor’ is very broad, including the elderly, the sick and disabled, youth at risk, refugees and those in prison. One of the slogans of the society is “to become better, do a little good,” and Frederic Ozanam’s vision was for “everyone devoting themselves to the general good, and above all to the defense of the weakest.”
      The conferences of Saint Vincent de Paul Society are undergoing a renewal and resurgence in response to the message of Pope Francis and Frederic Ozanam. Now is the time to open up our hearts and our lives to a closer relationship with Christ, and to the needs of the poor. More members and volunteers are needed, especially to serve the hungry at the Social Concern Office.
      Members are Christians of any denomination who wish to belong to Saint Vincent de Paul Society, embracing its mandate to grow spiritually and serve the most vulnerable. Volunteers are any people of generous heart who wish to join Vincentians in their work. People of all ages, genders and cultures are invited to participate. Sometimes, we all feel overwhelmed by the great needs in society and our own insignificance.
      The message left to us by Nelson Mandela is that every person is called to make a difference, to live to their fullest potential in working for a just, compassionate and truly human society:  “There is no passion to be found playing small, in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living … It always seems impossible until it’s done.”
Margaret MacIntyre
Member & Volunteer Services
Saint Vincent de Paul Society
(250)727-0007
 mmacintyre@svdpvictoria.com
   All quotations from Pope Francis are taken from The Joy of the Gospel: First Apostolic Exhortation