Province News

“A land developer creates something from damn near nothing,” says Joe Kelley, business leader and longtime supporter of the Vincentians. “You look at a cornfield and say, ‘I can build a neighborhood here’ – it takes a unique kind of vision and leadership.” For many years, Joe has used his vision and leadership to advance Vincentian projects to serve the poor and address homelessness in St. Louis. Joe worked with Fr. Ed Murphy, C.M., to expand programs at the Guardian Angel Settlement, a social service organization serving more than 2,000 low-income children and families.
He also is an active supporter and […]

For the people of St. Vincent de Paul Parish in St. Louis, service to the poor and vulnerable is not just a line in their mission statement – it is a way of life. For more than 175 years, the parish community has had a strong, dynamic presence in South St. Louis City, extending Christ’s mercy to people in need. “Our door is always open,” explains Fr. Ed Murphy, C.M., pastor. “We feed people every single day. If you are hungry or homeless, we are here to care for you – regardless of your circumstances. Our job is not to […]

On Valentine’s Day, a group of 18 Colorado Vincentian Volunteers, four staff and a handful of community supporters gathered in prayer before embarking on our profound journey. We sang together, “We are on holy ground,” and began our pilgrimage to El Paso, Texas and Juarez, Mexico. We prepared to go where Vincent commissioned us to go – out to the margins. After a 12-hour overnight bus ride, we reached our destination. Over the course of several days, we experienced immigration proceedings at a courthouse, heard a presentation from an advocacy agency providing legal aid, ate homemade tamales and listened to […]

Your support of the Walking with the Poor campaign provides grants to help young people understand the history and charism of the Vincentians. The internship program at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, TX, is one example of your generosity at work. The program provides college students opportunities to either serve at Vincentian parish or minister to immigrant families at a local bus station. Click below to watch a brief video about this important ministry. Thank you for your support!

At a recent event in Denver, more than 150 members of the Vincentian Family gathered to discuss the Catholic social teachings regarding immigration issues in
the United States. Participants were committed to coming away with
 a shared vision and collective response to the challenges many immigrants face in their journeys. The theme for the event was Challenging Voices. Healing Voices. How Can We Be Silent? Participants were encouraged to meet people from various branches of the Vincentian Family, to learn from one another and hear different perspectives. Fr. Guillermo Campuzano, C.M., 
the delegate from the Congregation
of the Mission to the United […]

Fr. Henry Grodecki, C.M., has joined the international missions as pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Co-Cathedral in Anchorage, AK. He recently was recognized for his pastoral leadership and commitment to the local immigrant population. The Catholic Anchor, the local diocesan publication, featured an article about him. Read the article here.

Catholic Home Study, an evangelization ministry of the Western Province, is always pursuing new ways of spreading the Gospel in the digital age. In addition to Catholic faith formation resources available free on their website, the ministry recently launched a new prayer app and podcast. “We are looking for transformational ways to reach out to younger people and invite them to embrace and live their faith,” explains Fr. Ron Hoye, C.M., Director of Catholic Home Study. “I teach people that the more time you give to God, the more God expands in your life.” The new app, God Moments, is […]

Jerry Girsch and his wife Linda first learned about the Vincentians when Jerry was invited to join the board of trustees at DePaul University. As they drew closer to the Vincentians at DePaul – the largest Catholic university in the country – they knew quickly that they wanted to play a role in supporting the mission. “We liked that the university offered opportunities for first-generation college students and families in need,” Jerry recalls. “Linda and I did not come from wealthy families and our parents did not have college degrees, so the idea of helping students in need struck a […]

This summer, 13 Vincentian volunteers traveled more than 7,000 miles to the Vincentian region in Kenya, East Africa, to serve the poor. For months leading up to the trip, the volunteers raised funds to cover the cost of their travel and to provide supplies to the people they would meet. In June, the group made the long journey to Nairobi, and settled in at DePaul Centre, a Vincentian house of formation that served as the group’s headquarters. During the school year, the facility houses seminarians studying for the priesthood. The center offered the volunteers a comfortable place to meet, sleep […]

This year, we invited our friends, benefactors and lay collaborators to join in celebrating 200 years of Vincentian service and the start of a third century
of faith. The response was overwhelming! Dedicated people from throughout the United States have offered their prayers and financial gifts to enliven and expand our mission – the mission of St. Vincent – to evangelize the poor. This year, your gifts touched the lives of those we serve by helping to: Provide direct service to the poor in the United States Establish the Welcome the Stranger program in Kenya Enable care to our senior Vincentian […]