Saint Vincent de Paul (SVdP) is a Catholic lay organization of volunteers.  Its roots began in 1833 with Frederic Ozanam in France inspired by Saint Vincent de Paul who worked tirelessly with the poor and needy in the 1600’s.  The Society of SVdP continues to expand throughout the world, and as of 2006, was established on five continents, in 142 countries, with approximately 690,000 members in 47,400 Conferences

Objective?  To do what is agreeable to God.  “We must do what our Lord Jesus Christ did when preaching the gospel.  Let us go to the poor.”  Through the Providence of God, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul was born.

For utility assistance, SVdP meets in the parish hall in Moriarty, next to Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, every Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Clients are helped with their utilities and other resources.  In addition, SVdP operates a Food Pantry. There is no longer one in Estancia. Food pantries are on the second Thursday of every month at Our Lady of Mount Carmel hall and the third Tuesday of every month at St. Elizabeth Ann Seaton hall.

The majority of monies come from the parishioners and twinning is done occasionally between other SVdP Conferences.  We get food from the Roadrunner Food bank in Albuquerque. We are not allowed to accept food donations. We no longer provide emergency food boxes in the parish office.

When help is needed, the client calls the Saint Vincent de Paul number 505-310-0759.

This ministry is always in need of volunteers who are committed to God’s work in helping the needy. You can commit your time and talent to this ministry by helping with our Food Pantry, as a board member, or just to attend the monthly meetings which are held on the third Sunday of each month after the 10:00AM Mass. Suggestions and ideas in any area are always welcomed. Call the SVDP number for more information.

To learn more about this ministry and its history you can go to http://www.svdpusa.org

Who Was Frederic Ozanam?

Frederic Ozanam was a 20 year old university student at the Sorbonne in Paris when he was challenged by another student to put action to his words about his Catholic faith. Along with five other students and the advice of an older friend , Emmanuel Bailly, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul began. Through the spiritual guidance and practical advice of Sister Rosalie Rendu, DC, Frederic and his friends began to visit the poor in the slums of Paris. The membership grew quickly. By 1845, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul was introduced in the United States in St. Louis, MO..