Society of St. Vincent de Paul

The National Council of the St. Vincent de Paul Society recently added two free communication tools to its web site in order to keep you better informed.   Both are accessed through the SVDP website: www.ssvp.ca 

• The first one is an electronic newsletter that will be sent to all who wish to subscribe.   For the newsletter enter your name and e-mail address in the appropriate boxes in the menu on the left on the home page. 
• The second one is an RSS feed that will inform you automatically as soon as a new article is posted in the website “Breaking News” section.  In order to receive all news posted in the “Breaking News” section, click on the link at the end of this message, and enter your e-mail address.

You must subscribe to both tools separately if you wish to fully benefit from them. 

The St. Vincent de Paul Society supplies emergency food and help for families with social and economic problems, disaster crisis (fire) and offers home visitations to shut-ins.  

The Society came to Canada in 1844, to BC in 1916, and to the Okanagan in 1989.The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul is just one of the ministries of the Church which strives to serve the poor. Members of the Society, called Vincentians, are called to alleviate suffering and its causes, serving everyone regardless of race, creed, gender, opinion or age, and to walk in solidarity with the poor. Vincentians understand that poverty does not necessarily involve being in need of material goods. The Society’s main service is home visits to the poor. Vincentians also strive to address the root causes of poverty and injustice by acting as “the voice of the poor”. 

The mission of the Society is to live the Gospel message by serving Christ in the poor with love, respect, justice and joy. This mission implies that Vincentians try to: 

• See Christ in anyone who suffers 
• Come together as a family 
• Have personal contact with the poor 
• Help in all possible ways

St. Vincent de Paul Society is active only in the Okanagan area of the diocese.  Six parish conferences make up the Particular Council of the Okanagan Valley.  www.ssvpokv.ca

• Corpus Christi Parish, (Rutland), serves area of Rutland
• Immaculate Conception Parish, (Kelowna Downtown), serves downtown area from Bernard Avenue to Raymer Avenue (250-826-5562)
• St. Charles Garnier Parish, (Kelowna Mission), serves lower Mission area south of Raymer Road and East Kelowna (250-860-2536)
• St. Pius X, (Kelowna North), serves area from Bernard Avenue north to Glenmore (https://www.spxbc.com)  (250-762-2577)
• Our Lady of Lourdes Parish (serves West Kelowna and Peachland) Dennis Wandler (250-801-5905
• St. Ann’s Parish (Penticton)  250-492-2082

The Society also set up Ozanam House in Kelowna in 2007 (named for Blessed Frederic Ozanam, lay founder of the Society in the spirit of service and sharing of Vincent de Paul.  Ozanam House is an 18-bed transitional house for men aged 29-55 overcoming additions, established with the generous financial support of the Knights of Columbus, parishes of the area, local conferences of the Society, Kiwanis, and many individual donors.  It also offers educational bursaries to selected residents, thanks to the parishioners of St. Pius X and St. Charles Garnier parishes.  Ozanam House’s 1001 Nights financial support program encourages an annual donation of $52.  All donations welcome. Contact 250-762-HOPE (4673), or this email, or at www.ozanamhouse.com 

More Information: 

• President, Okanagan Valley Particular Council:
  Ann Matthews  Email              
• Society of St. Vincent De Paul (Central Okanagan)

https://www.ssvp.ca/vincenpaul-newsletters

These monthly newsletters address topics of interest from across Canada dealing with Social Justice, Annual Reports and news from various Regional Councils. The newsletters are  available in English, as well as French.