The Society of St. Vicente de Paul’- Australia (SSVP-Australia) visited Universidad de Sta. Isabel (USI) last Sept. 28-29, 2007.

        Bee Bromhead, SSVP-Australia National Youth coordinator was head of the group Adams Burnas also came. National Youth member, SSVP -Australia SSVP-Philipppines Formation Director, Narciso “Jim” Cruzat and National Youth Committee Member, Karl Michael Hila were also with the visiting group.

        The Australian SSVP delegation came all the way to USI to share their Australian apostolate and experience the apostolate of the SSVP in the Philippines. The group conducted home visitations in Pili, Camarines Sur, a partner municipality of SSVP. The Gift of Love institution of the Missionaries of Charity at Concepcion Pequena, Naga and the Villa-Marillac Home for the Elderly of the Daughters of Charity at Calauag, this city, were also top priorities in the group’s itinerary.

        The Society of St. Vincent de Paul (Samahan ni San Vicente de Paul) is an international Catholic Lay Organization founded in Paris on April 23, 1833 by a group of young students and an elder person who worked together to create the First Conference in response to the cry of the poor. The founder and birthday celebrant was Blessed Frederic Ozanam.

        At present there are more than 700,000 SSVP members from 137 countries. In the Philippines, there are around 6,000 members

        The main apostolate of the SSVP is the Person to Person (PPA) or contact with the poor done through the following: home visitation (home, hospital, prison, charitable institution), health ministry, immediate relief to calamity/disaster stricken areas; educational assistance (Assist-A-Student Program); livelihood projects; liturgical and para-liturgical preparations; catechism; issues/advocacies concerning the poor, formation of members and beneficiaries; family welfare apostolate; socio-eco pastoral, renewal and studies

        A group with a minimum of seven members may organize a conference Interested parties may contact the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, National Council of the Philippines, 3F Rm. 307 Pius XII Catholic Center, 1175 U.N. Avenue, Manila, tel. no 5242771, fax 5221070.