Happy New Year!

Bishop John Keenan recently took to Facebook to comment on the report that he was reading by the SSVP in the Diocese of Paisley. Bishop John has a wide reach on Facebook and SSVP Scotland are pleased that his message of the great works that are carried out in Paisley have been ‘liked’ by almost 1000 people!

Just reading through the annual report of the Paisley Diocese St. Vincent De Paul Society which gave £106,000 in charity to the needy in 2016 as well as making 7,000 visits to the homes of the needy or to Hospitals and Care Homes. Their clothing and furniture projects helped out 86 families and their members 6,400 times brought the elderly and disabled to Sunday Mass, not to mention the special works projects with those with special needs and with the homeless. Amazing work, all carried out by 250 members throughout the diocese.

I am so proud of all of you and encourage more of our Catholics to make a New Year’s resolution to join up to become members in this wonderful work.

The great work that is being carried out in Paisley is guided by the ‘Vincentian charism’. SSVP members around the world will celebrate 400 years of this charism in 2017.

SSVP National President, Jim Mc Kendrick, writing in the most recent edition of the Ozanam News, reflected on the history of the SSVP, and the works of charity which were carried out by St Vincent de Paul 400 years ago.

At the time, St Vincent reflected that(on hearing of a family who lived in an isolated house in his parish) that,

It moved me to the depths of my heart. I did not fail to speak feelingly in the sermon and God, touching the hearts of those who were listening, caused them all to be moved to compassion for the poor afflicted people.

We know that his compassion led to immediate action.

Read more of Jim’s address in the December 2016 edition of the Ozanam News