Society of St. Vincent de Paul - Mother Teresa Conference
Mother Teresa Conference meets every Third Thursday at Holy Family Parish Hall at 7:00 pm. If you are interested in Christian fellowship and serving the poor in our community please join us.
For more information you can contact our president Joanne L. at: 705-949-9825
Your donations helps us to help Vincent Place with their expenses and their other works of charities. We prepare and pay for the Wednesday dinners and Saturday lunches when it is our turn to feed the less fortunate. We also donate to other local charities to help their causes. These are our means of continuing with our charities. The only other income that we receive is when we are able to continue with the pasta suppers that we do twice a year.
History of St. Vincent de Paul
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul was founded in 1833 to serve impoverished people living in the slums of Paris, France. The primary figure behind the society's founding was Blessed Frédéric Ozanam, a French lawyer, author, and professor in the Sorbonne. He was 20 years old when the society was founded., and was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1997.
The Society took the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Vincent de Paul as its patrons under the influence of Sister Rosalie Rendu, D.C. Sister Rosalie (who was herself beatified in November 2003 by Pope John Paul II) was a member of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, and was well known for her work with people in the slums of Paris. She guided Frédéric and his companions in their approach towards those in need.
The society gradually expanded outside Paris in the mid 19th century and received benefactors in places such as Tours where figures such as the Venerable Leo Dupont, known as the Holy Man of Tours, became contributors.
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is part of the Vincentian Family which refers to organizations that are inspired by the life and work of St. Vincent de Paul, a 17th-century priest who "transformed the face of France "which also includes the Congregation of the Mission (Vincentian priests and brothers, also founded by St. Vincent de Paul), Daughters of Charity, Ladies of Charity (organization of lay women who help the poor, founded by St. Vincent de Paul), Sisters of Charity in the Setonian tradition, and several others, including some religious groups who are part of the Anglican Communion, like Company of Mission Priests.
Today
The Society numbers about 700,000 members in some 148 countries worldwide, whose members operate through "conferences". A conference may be based out of a church, community center, school, hospital, etc., and is composed of Catholic volunteers who dedicate their time and resources to help those in need in their community. Non-Catholics may join with the understanding that the society is a Catholic organization. Following the changes in the new Code of Canon Law of 1983, the Society is one of many private lay associations under the auspices of the Pontifical Council for the Laity.