Groups
St. Vincent de Paul
Mission
The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul is a lay Catholic organization whose mission is to live the Gospel message by serving Christ in the poor with love, respect, justice and joy.
Values
The Mission of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul implies that as Vincentians we see Christ in anyone who suffers, come together as a family, have a personal contact with the poor and are prepared to help in many ways.
Our Vision
The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul aspires to be recognized as a caring Catholic charity offering “a hand up” to people in need. We do this by respecting their dignity, sharing our hope, and encouraging them to take control of their own destiny.
About Us
Who are we? We are a diverse group of parishioners of St. Bernard Church who have come together to bring compassion and love to those in need. The group is known as a conference. We try to answer the call of Christ to “feed the hungry” Matthew 25. We are inspired by the example of Blessed Frederic Ozanam who started the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and we operate under the guidance and rules of the Society. We act on behalf of the entire parish community and we are supported through their prayers, food donations and financial help.
How did the Society start?
In 1833, Frederic Ozanam, a university student in Paris and a group of five fellow students were challenged to prove their faith in Christ through action, not just words. They took up the challenge and began to work with the poor in Paris. They visited the poor in their homes and provided assistance to help them become more independent. This small group attracted more followers and soon spread to other cities in Europe and around the world. Today the members of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul provide witness to Christ’s love in over 100 countries.
Who do we help? We provide help to people in need. Usually this is done with food vouchers. People may also have unusual one-time expenses or someone who’s unemployed, families and single parents with low incomes. We try to respond quickly to a request for help, but we encourage people not to wait until they have no food before calling us. We always make a home visit to respond to the need.
Is the help confidential?
The people we help, their circumstances and the help we provide is kept confidential among the conference members.
How do we collect our funds?
The funds we give to our neighbors in need come from the parishioners of St. Bernard Parish through the two yearly collections for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. In addition, we have a food drive at Christmas and Easter.
How can people reach us?
They call the parish secretary and a volunteer will call them back and arrange a time for a home visit to assess the need and respond accordingly.The St. Vincent de Paul helps those in need in out parish with Bundle Sunday, the Christmas food drive and with food vouchers.
Legion of Mary
The Legion of Mary is world-wide apostolic organization of Catholic men and women who place themselves under the banner of Mary, Queen of the Legion. With the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit, they strive to develop greater spiritual lives while practicing works of mercy. The purpose of the Legion is for the Glory of God and the salvation of souls. The Legion of Mary members participate in the life of the parish by visiting families in their homes and in hospital and through collaboration in every apostolic and missionary undertaking sponsored by the parish. All are welcome to join this ministry.
Catholic Women's League (CWL)
The Catholic Women’s League (CWL) of St. Mary’s church is part of a national organization serving the parish community through initiatives in areas such as spiritual development, education, health and Christian family life. They are active in prayer and fundraising for charities to support the church both locally and abroad and in promoting social justice. Their motto is “For God and Canada”. This group is open to all women.
