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McAuley High, Otahuhu – Easter Can-drive

Young Vinnies from McAuley High School, Otahuhu along with their teacher, John Bower organised an Easter can-drive to help families in their area over the Easter period. SVDP volunteers, Anthony and Keith from the Otahuhu SVDP centre collected all the goods for the Otahuhu food bank....

Learning more about the Young Vinnies, St Patrick’s, Nightcaps, Southland


Five students from a small one class school in Southland are reflecting on joining the Vincentian family and the possibility of setting up the first Young Vinnies group in the 119- year history of St Patrick’s School, Nightcaps.Principal of Trinity Schools in Southland, Anne Canny asked Ann Kennelly, the Young Vinnies Southland Co-ordinator, to come and explain to the seniors the work of the society and the Young Vinnies.The students gave up their lunch time to listen, learn and ask questions ...

Young Vinnies, Silverstream: Reaching out to an Old Boy

The Young Vinnies from St Patricks, Silverstream, Wellington raised $500 to help an old boy of their school who is now a tetraplegic and in Wellington’s spinal unit receiving care.  Mike O’Leary, the co-ordinator for the Old Boy’s Association, receives the gift on behalf of the family....

Tonga & Samoa Update

With Cyclone Gita passing through Tonga and Samoa in February we had to try and meet the immediate needs of both areas as requested through their National Councils. Samoa got off relatively lightly with most of the damage being flooding and some roofs ripped off mostly at the western end of the main island, Upolu. There was also considerable damage to crops, breadfruit and bananas. It will be 6 months before crops will be reproducing. Damage to a drinking water supply on the island of Savaii als...

Ashburton Conference

The Ashburton Conference is responsible for helping the needy across a huge area of about 6000 square kilometres. Much of the work is in Ashburton itself and the conference has a membership of about 28 to do the work there. Some years ago, to lessen the travelling, ‘satellite conferences’ of three or four members were established in the outlying towns of Methven and Rakaia.Through people leaving the area and getting older the time has come to strengthen these two groups. An informa...

St Patricks Palmerston North Assists Asylum Seekers

Rose and Joseph were originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo where French is the official language. Their separate journeys started years earlier after both witnessed terrible violence and abuse by government and armed forces.  Both moved to South Africa where they met and married. Joseph was a victim in an armed robbery when the supermarket he was working for was held up. Plans were made to emigrate to New Zealand which was viewed as a safe haven. In May 2015 they arrived as asylu...

Greymouth Conference

The Conference in collaboration with two Mercy Sisters, Sr Theresa Scott and Sr Anne McLaughlin assist those who live in a low socio-economic suburbs of Greymouth in a meaningful way: For over 20 years Cobden Mercy Outreach has been a home for the homeless on the West Coast, hosting families from Karamea to Haast for periods from a few days to a number of months. Those seeking accommodation are not homeless by choice, they are often casualties of domestic violence or of insufficient government s...

What Ever it Takes Service W.I.T.S. - Napier

Napier Area Council, St Patrick’s and St Mary’s Conferences of St Vincent de Paul Napier help the marginalized people in Napier, through their interaction with W.I.T.S. which is What Ever It Takes Service in conjunction with the Napier City Council and Department of Social Welfare. People who are helped are the  homeless, those who have mental health and addiction issues. W.I.T.S. runs an Outreach centre on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday where about 20 people gather for breakfast, get h...

International Themed Year of Francis Lallier 2018

As 16th President General, I announce that 2018 is the INTERNATIONAL THEMED YEAR OF FRANÇOIS LALLIER. On 8th February 2018, the International General Council will launch the International Competition, for monographs on "The First Conference - Lallier", in order to delve into the biography and works of François Lallier, one of those responsible for the collegial foundation of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, in 1833. Awards will be granted to the academic works that seek to present new or ...

'Charity and Social Media' address by Renato Lima

On Saturday, November 11, the SSVP of Italy organized, in Turin, a video conference entitled “Charity and Social Media” which was attended by 300 people, in the auditorium of the Industrial Union of Torino. The round table was moderated by the SSVP member Alessandro Ginotta. From Brazil, the 16th General President of the SSVP, Renato Lima, participated. You can read Renato’s speech below: Dear Vincentian Friends of Italy,Dear Journalists,Good Afternoon.It is with great joy that I participa...

Pope Francis praises Vincentians on 400th Anniversary

Greeting 10,000 Vincentians, including 500 priests and even more nuns and thousands of laity in St. Peter’s Square on the 400th anniversary of their founding, Pope Francis thanked God for “the impulse of charity that came from the heart of their founder, St. Vincent De Paul, which has lasted through the centuries.” He strongly encouraged them “to continue in movement on the roads of the world” as they have been doing, and to draw their strength from prayer and the adoration of the Lord...

Sri Lanka - Special Project Assistance Appeal

The intention of the National Council of Sri Lanka is to build toilets in each conference starting the second half of 2017 by employing direct labour obtained from the villages themselves under the supervision of a competent engineer or suitable person/s. Fellow Vincentians will also be involved and will oversee the project.See how you can support this appeal by downloading the information flyer below....

The 400th Birthday of the Vincentian Charism

Author: Father Robert Maloney, CM – International Spiritual Advisor of CGI/SSVP St. Vincent always regarded 1617 as the birthday of his Family. Even though his three principal foundations had distinct juridical birth dates – the Confraternities of Charity in 1617, the Congregation of the Mission in 1625, and the Daughters of Charity in 1633 –Vincent consistently looked back at 1617 as the year when everything began. He had two experiences that year which transforme...

400th Anniversary of the Birth of the Vincentian Charism

The entire Vincentian Family prepares to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the birth of the Vincentian Charism that will take place throughout the year 2017.  In a video posted on the occasion of the feast of Pentecost, Father Gregory Gay (Superior General of the Congregation of the Mission) addressed a message to the Vincentians:  "We have closed the Year of Vincentian Collaboration and we are beginning the celebration of the 400th anniversary of the birth of the Vincentian Charism f...

St Vincent de Paul in New Zealand - 150 yrs

For 150 years Conferences and Councils of the Society in New Zealand have acquired, documented and preserved the Society’s most important works through articles, minutes, reports and photographs.Our 150th Anniversary in 2017 celebrates the Society’s achievements and pays tribute to pioneer Vincentians who performed their charitable works despite adverse personal and economic hardships by adherence to the spirit of the Society and love of neighbour. The fire in 1981 at the building in Woodwar...

An Advent Story

Two sisters Maggie and Emily from Good Shepard School Auckland arrived at the Kingsland St Vincent de Paul Centre with close to 30 wrapped gifts for children.They had learnt how some children would go without gifts at Christmas so they set their minds to fundraising. Through numerous bake sales they managed to raise over $300 and then went out with their parents to purchase and wrap all the gifts.The story that followed...About 5 minutes after they left, a young mother of two arrived with her li...

McDonalds joins forces with St Vinnies to feed city's poor

The 60 hungry mouths waiting outside St Vincent de Paul in Frankton today were expecting their usual hot lunch. Instead, they were greeted by McDonalds Greenwood St staff who served up burgers, fries and Happy Meals.Having met with St Vincent de Paul Waikato general manager Mike Rolton, McDonalds franchisees Mark and Debi Rush decided they wanted to get behind the organisation."We met Mike when we were part of The Hits Toy Run last year and then, about a month ago when we were looking to support...

Pope greets Vincentians

Bishop Owen Dolan, Coadjutor Bishop of Palmerston North, is pictured with Pope Francis, pointing out to him the presence of the St Vincent de Paul group at the General Audience, just 50 metres away.  The photo shows the Pope acknowledging the group with a wave.  Bishop Dolan was at the International Assembly of the Society of St Vincent de Paul, held in Rome 3- 5 June 2016. There were National Presidents from well over 100 countries present at the Assembly.  New Zealand ...

Holiday Home Conference of St Joseph, Picton

This holiday house is made available for the use of families in need: Either recovering from mental or physical illness, people under stress or pressure, or those in need of help through financial difficulties. In the main, people who qualify for the use of the house would, for one reason or another, not be able to have a holiday otherwise.The house is made available only through direct representation from a conference of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. In order to qualify for the use of the...

Election of the new International President of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul (SSVP)

On Sunday, June 5th 2016, all the National Presidents of countries where the society is present in the world met in order to elect their new International President for the following six years. This Sunday Renato Lima de Oliveira was elected new International President of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, succeeding Michael Thio. In the coming weeks, the main task for the new Brazilian President shall be to name the members of his new administrative body and, together with his new team,...