INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul sprang from the “Conference of Charity” founded by Frederick Ozanam in Paris in April of 1833. He and a group of six other students decided to form a charity in order to remain faithful to their baptismal promises and perform the essential duties of the Christian life by helping others. These ideas were in keeping with the tradition of St. Vincent de Paul whom the group chose as their patron.
Over the next 30 years, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul grew rapidly throughout Europe and the United States. The story of the Society in the United States constitutes a significant chapter in Catholic social action and awareness in the developments of the Catholic Charities movement. Today, the Society is represented in every diocese in the U.S., with over 160,000 volunteers.
Blessed Frederick Ozanam was beatified by St. Pope John Paul II in the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris in 1997. His feast day is September 9.
Learn more about our history at http://www.svdpusa.org
CONTACT US
If you know of someone in need of assistance, call the SVdP phone at 614-302-2517 (please do not call the parish “Sacramental Emergency” line for SVdP help, no matter how urgent the need).
Referrals and assistance are confidential.
If you feel called to be part of this very rewarding ministry, just come in and introduce yourself any “sandwich Sunday,” or join our monthly meeting. You may also email any of our members:
Stan Bednarczyk (treasurer): stanb@columbus.rr.com
Mary King (secretary): marypolisking@yahoo.com
Bette Humphrey: humphrb2@icloud.com
Bill Oberdick: bill2016ober@gmail.com
WHO WE ARE/WHAT WE DO
The mission of the Our Lady of Peace Society of Saint Vincent de Paul is to carry out the works of Jesus Christ by providing food, clothing and emergency assistance to those in need. "We are the hands and feet of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."
We meet the first Sunday of each month after the 10:00 AM Mass in the old rectory meeting room. The meetings are open to anyone interested. Financial support is provided by quarterly church collections and donations.
When an individual or family is referred to us, two SVdP members meet with them in their home to learn about their situation. These face-to-face encounters help us to determine how we may best serve them in their need.
ACTIVITIES
There are many opportunities to join the St. Vincent de Paul Society in serving those in need in our community:
Sandwich Making:
On the 3rd Sunday of each month after the 8:30 AM Mass in the old rectory, we assemble and bag more than 350 ham and cheese sandwiches which we deliver to the St. Lawrence Haven Food Pantry in downtown Columbus.
Volunteers for the sandwich making are warmly welcomed! It usually takes less than an hour, but the good feeling that comes from feeding the hungry lasts much longer.
SVdP also sponsors twice per month sandwich making by the OLP school children during the school year.
Bus Passes:
Single use COTA passes are available in the parish office for transportation to doctors, social agencies, or other emergency needs.
Food Collection:
Canned food donated 365 days of the year by parishioners is taken to the Clintonville Resource Center. Canned food can be left in the boxes in the vestibule at anytime. Additional parish food collections are promoted during Advent and Lent.
Clothing Collection:
Each fall, SVdP, the Knights of Columbus and OLP Scout Troop 169 conduct a clothing collection for the St. Francis Center in McArthur, Ohio.
Friends of the Poor Walk:
Join us in the walk or sponsor a walker in this annual September event. Watch for details in the bulletin.
We are also involved in a number of community organizations where there are volunteer opportunities:
St. Lawrence Haven, Bishop Griffin Center, Holy Family Soup Kitchen, Clintonville Community Resource Center, Mid-Ohio Food Bank, OLP Open Shelter Ministry, and St. Francis Mission in McArthur, OH.