St Vincent de Paul

St Frances enjoys an active SVP group...

Changing people's lives for the better is the aim and fundamental work of the St Vincent de Paul Society (SVP), an international Christian voluntary organisation dedicated to tackling poverty and disadvantage by providing direct practical assistance to anyone in need. The SVP is just one of many organisations that try to help. Started in 1833 by young students led by Blessed Frederic Ozanam who was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1997, its early members went out into the streets to serve the poor, without judging them. Today in England and Wales, SVP members make around 600,000 recorded visits to people in need.

Within parishes the SVP not only visits the elderly, the housebound and the bereaved but may assist with budgeting or some form of material help. Beyond the parish, the SVP run family support centres, offering debt advice and counselling. Furniture stores collect discarded furniture, reducing land-fill, and where possible repairing it then distributing it to those in need, helping less affluent families to cope and also protecting the environment.

The Ross-on-Wye SVP 'Conference' was formed at the request of Fr Richard in December 2008. The members meet once a fortnight on Monday evenings in the Presbytery. We routinely visit local people who may be having difficulties, whether through ill health, inclement weather or general personal problems. Each conference member tries to make a visit or two each fortnight to someone on the SVP's list and in this way we try to help in any way we can. Often the help we can give is our time. Simply sitting and taking the time to chat to people is one of the most important aspects of the work conducted by the SVP.

Our Conference is always willing to accept to new members and visits are normally conducted in pairs, so please don't be afraid to volunteer. Even though the SVP is a Catholic society, it is not a prerequisite to be Roman Catholic to be a member. Similarly, our visits are in no way restricted to Catholics. If you know someone who you think may benefit from a visit please contact us.

Please click here to learn more about the SVP work in England & Wales.

(c) Copyright St Frances of Rome RC Church, Ross, 2010