As we reported in our last newsletter article about our Chapel project, Bishop Duca wrote, “May the spirit of Saint Vincent de Paul guide our efforts for the glory of God and for the support of the spiritual needs of
our whole Vincentian family.” St. Vincent de Paul Board leaders are in the process of finalizing plans for the project, and we are looking forward to putting the project out for bids.
Over the last 150 years, St. Vincent de Paul has been a community leader in providing food, clothing, shelter, healthcare, and other basic necessities. From our beginning in 1865, St. Vincent de Paul has been known for our commitment to Gospel values in serving the most vulnerable.
This project is important to the community because individuals who come to us seeking help often ask for a quiet place where they can reflect and pray. When someone is experiencing homelessness, hunger, or poverty, they have a sense of desperation and hopelessness. Many people we serve are experiencing emotional and psychological stress, and they find strength and comfort in prayer and reflection. This Chapel will provide our neighbors in need the opportunity to strengthen their faith and also help them to realize that many of the volunteers that come to serve do so because of their faith. That connection is important in bringing people together.
Many people who volunteer at St. Vincent de Paul do so because of their faith. Over the years, many of our volunteers have said that they came to us hoping to change someone’s life and found instead that their own lives were transformed. Finally, volunteers will have a place where they can quietly pray to connect their service to their faith.
Some St. Vincent de Paul volunteers have spent over 50 consecutive years in volunteer service. In fact, one volunteer started as a teenager and then served as a volunteer for almost 70 years until his passing. Ask any of these many volunteers why they were so connected and committed and they will tell you that it was because of their faith. Each of us is on a spiritual journey and we are all called to nourish our faith through prayer and action. We believe this chapel will enable us to achieve this most important objective.
The chapel will be built in the heart of the St. Vincent de Paul charitable campus. Once the final set of plans are complete they will be posted online at svdpbr.org. Continue to keep this project in your thoughts and prayers as we move to ground breaking and completion of this long-time dream of our Vincentian family!