The St. Vincent de Paul Society

at The Basilica of Saint Peter

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Our Patron Saint

St. Vincent de Paul (1581-1660) was a French priest who, seventeen years after his ordination, was introduced, by The Sisters of Charity, to the needs of the poor. As a result of his focus on the less fortunate, St. Vincent is the patron saint of all works of charity.

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Our Founder

Blessed Frederic Ozanam (1813 - 1853) was founder of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Frederic was a husband and father, professor, and servant of the poor. He founded the Society of St. Vincent de Paul as a young student with others of the Sorbonne in Paris. Sister Rosalie Rendu, a Daughter of Charity, is considered a mentor of Frederic and of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul as she taught the first members the art of helping the poor and the sick. Frederic's writings on social justice anticipated the first social encyclical of our modern times, Rerum Novarum and is claimed as founder by several organizations, known today as the Vincentian Family. Among them is The Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP) which is in 132 countries.

 

SVdP in the United States

SVdP was introduced to United States Catholics at the “Old Cathedral,” St. Louis, Missouri, in 1845. National headquarters today are in St. Louis, and there are close to 100,000 members in more than 4000 communities. Spending of around a half billion dollars per year provides disaster relief, food, housing, clothing, utility, and transportation assistance, and care for the elderly. More information is available at the website.

 

SVdP at the Basilica of Saint Peter

The Basilica of Saint Peter SVdP Conference is thankful for the involvement of many Basilica parishioners and for the use of Basilica facilities for meetings and for serving the poor of our city. We meet the second Monday of each month with dual objectives of growth in spirituality and ministry planning. Primary ministries include:

 

1. Regular fellowship with the elderly through BINGO events.

2. Collection and distribution of clothing to the less fortunate.

3. Hot meals, in the Basilica dining hall, for the less fortunate (4th Saturday of each month).

4. Special hot meals for the less fortunate on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter Sunday.

5. Assistance with utility bills and transportation needs.

6. Disaster relief assistance statewide.

7. Occasional financial support of special needs at other SVdP Conferences.

 

Our Invitation to You

All parishioners are invited to attend any of our regular meetings and prayerfully consider joining us in ministry. For more information, contact Andrea Roche andrea@williamsandroche.com.

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Support the Saint Peter's Conference of St. Vincent de Paul

Your donations help us to serve the needy in our community. Thank you for your generosity!

• Give online.

• Give with the PayPal app: @svdpcolumbiasc

• Mail your donation to St. Vincent de Paul Society, PO Box 1896, Columbia, SC 29202.

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