Our History
Society of St. Vincent de Paul was founded in 1833 by Frédéric Ozanam. Frédéric was a man of faith who was inspired by Saint Vincent de Paul’s legacy and decided to name the Society after the famous French saint of the poor. Frédéric’s prayer life was full. He relied on the Holy Spirit to guide him and he constantly prayed to our Holy Mother to intercede for him and the poor. Frederic Ozanam was beatified on August 22, 1997 by Pope John Paul II at the World Youth Conference in Paris.
As SSVP Canada celebrated its 175th anniversary of the founding of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul in Canada last November, it also instituted the Consecration of our Society in Canada and placed it under the holy protection of the first Canadian born saint, St. Marguerite d’Youville. Consequently, Saint Marguerite d’Youville is now the Patron Saint of SSVP Canada.
The Logo
The fish is the symbol of Christianity and, in this case, represents the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul. The eye of the fish is the vigilant eye of God seeking to help the poor in our midst. The crossing at the tail or the tie-knot represents unity and oneness among members and also the union with the poor. The circle bounding the logo signifies the global or worldwide stature of the SSVP, an international Society. The phrase serviens in spe means to serve in hope, the hope that comes from Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Who We Are
Society of St. Vincent DePaul is an international lay organization whose mission is to serve persons in need with love, respect, justice and joy by living the Gospel message. At Corpus Christi Church, a food bank was established in 1987 to begin this mission. The food bank continued to operate in the Narthex of the church until 2017 at which time it was necessary to change the focus for helping the needy as the rules for food handling changed.
To maintain our commitment to assist those in need, we began to offer monetary assistance to needy Catholic Schools in the North Ward to provide food for students who would otherwise be coming to school hungry. Expansion to schools in the south side of the city began in the fall of 2021. We also provide assistance to local organizations that support the disadvantaged.
Funding
Operating funds are received from special collections at Corpus Christi Parish (envelopes and via E transfer), personal donations and bequeaths. If you would like to donate, please use this e-transfer link – ssvp.cc@tbaytel.net
When We Meet
Meetings are approximately 1 hour in duration and are held monthly from September to June at Corpus Christi Church or via ZOOM. We welcome new members any time during our operating schedule. Please contact the Parish Office at (807) 345-6541 to be directed to the current executive.