1 Society of St. Vincent de Paul Who We Are and What We Do

2 “ No Work of Charity Is Foreign To The Society ” Who We Are and What We Do  Catholic Lay Organization  Organized Locally in Parishes  Known as “ Vincentians ”  Person to Person Service to Those Who are In Need or Suffering  No Distinction in Those Who are Served  In Those They Serve, Vincentians See the Face of Christ

3 “ No Work of Charity Is Foreign To The Society ” Mission Statement  Prayer and Reflection  Mutually Supportive Gathering  The Society leads women and men to join together to grow spiritually  Inspired by Gospel Values  Poverty, Humility, and Sharing  Adherence to “ The Rule ”

4 “ No Work of Charity Is Foreign To The Society ” Origins of the Society  Blessed Frederic Ozanam,  Our Primary Founder St. Vincent de Paul, Our Patron

5 “ No Work of Charity Is Foreign To The Society ”  Primary Purpose Of The Society Serve Those In Need And Bring Them Closer To God Secondary We continually seek to combine these two aims. Spiritual Growth Of Its Members

6 “ No Work of Charity Is Foreign To The Society ”  To Address All The Needs, Trials And Tribulations Of Human Life, Both Corporal And Spiritual Scope Of The Society “ No Work of Charity Is Foreign To The Society ”

7 Essential Elements Of The Society Spirituality FriendshipService To bear witness to Christ and to His Church by showing that the faith Of Christians inspires them to work for the good of humanity To draw nearer to the Divine Model by fulfilling His essential precept-- The Love Of God In The Person Of Others To establish personal contact between its members and those who suffer, to bring charitable aid, and to promote self- sufficiency * Based on the Original Manual Of SVDP

8 “ No Work of Charity Is Foreign To The Society ” Our Core Values  We believe...  In the dignity of the human person  In the identification of Jesus with the poor  In the preferential option for the poor  That poverty of spirit is the primary beatitude  That prayer is essential: personal & communal  In Charity and Justice as our primary concern  In Humility: personal and corporate  In Divine Providence  In Friendship  In Community  In Simplicity Jesus is the Evangelizer and Servant of the poor Growth in intimacy with Jesus is a lifelong process

9 “ No Work of Charity Is Foreign To The Society ” Vincentian Virtues  Simplicity − Frankness − Integrity − Genuineness Gentleness Friendly Assurance and Invincible Goodwill, Which Means Kindness, Sweetness, and Patience in Our Relationship with Others Humility Accepting the Truth of Our Frailties, Gifts, Talents, and Charism Knowing that All that God Gives Us is for Others and that We Achieve Nothing of Eternal Value Without His Grace Selflessness Dying to Our Ego with a Life of Self-Sacrifice Members Share Their Time, Their Possessions, Their Talents and Themselves in a Spirit of Generosity Zeal A Passion for the Full Flourishing and Eternal Happiness of Every Person

10 “ No Work of Charity Is Foreign To The Society ” The Core Work Of The Society It Always Starts With A Home Visit Disaster Relief Thrift Stores Twinning Immediate Needs $$$ EvangelizationEldercare Food PantriesAdvocacy Networking Churches & Agencies Prison MinistryHousing Immigration Services Home Visit

11 “ No Work of Charity Is Foreign To The Society ” Summary  Who We Are and What We Do − Catholic lay organization − Person to person service to those in need or suffering  Purpose − Spiritual growth of its members − Serve those in need and bring them closer to God  Essential Elements − Spirituality, Friendship, Service  Core Values − Our beliefs are based on Jesus love of the poor  Vincentian Virtues − Simplicity, Humility, Selflessness, Gentleness, Zeal  The Home Visit − The central component of our work