Christ the King SVdP Conference has coordinated and staffed the monthly SVdP Thrift Store Giving Truck at our parish for many years which has given wonderful donations to the Thrift Store.  This past February, we prepared and served Sunday Supper to the students who participate in the SMU Catholic Campus Ministry and let them know about our organization.  At Christmas time, we distributed large food baskets to the neighbors we had helped during the past year.

St. Vincent de Paul said, “Go to the poor: you will find God.”

In 1833, Blessed Frederic Ozanam founded the Society of St. Vincent de Paul as a voluntary organization in the Catholic Church to help impoverished people living in the slums of Paris, France. That inspiration became an international movement, galvanizing volunteers to dedicate themselves to meeting the needs of those most vulnerable. The members, called “Vincentians,” operate through local chapters, called “Conferences,” which are, in turn, supported by Diocesan and national subdivisions of the International Society. The Society’s first Conference in the United States was established in 1845 in St. Louis, MO.

Today, the Society numbers about 800,000 Vincentians in 140 countries worldwide.

Since 2000, the Christ the King St. Vincent de Paul Conference has met to provide financial, material and emotional support to those in crisis.

We have the privilege of walking beside those who are suffering from loss of work, income, housing and food shortages. Our Vincentians gather each Tuesday evening at 6:00 p.m. for one hour in the Community Center (Meeting Room 2) to coordinate resources when people call for help. We are one of 35 parishes in the Diocese of Dallas who have a local Conference.

WHAT TO EXPECT

‍• Each week, we open with prayer and a spiritual reflection led by our Spiritual Advisor. When a neighbor in need calls our Help Line (we return calls within 24 hours), we prayerfully and discretely discuss each request for help to determine the best way to provide assistance. Our callers typically need assistance with rent and/or utilities. Two of our members make a home visit to meet with the individual and discuss their need. Afterwards, we vote on the assistance needed. We pray for our intentions and then close our meeting in prayer.

Our group also staffs the Giving Sunday truck, which is parked at Christ the King on the first Sunday of most months, to help stock the St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store. In December, we prepare and distribute Christmas baskets filled with food for the families we served during the year.

If you, or anyone you know, needs assistance, please call the SVdP Help Line at 214-365-1247 and leave a message.