Manual of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in the United States

Procedures for Admitting Members

The President of the Conference is usually the member initially involved when someone asks to become an Active Member of the Society at the local parish, or when an Active Member proposes a possible candidate. The President contacts potential members and privately discusses their interests, qualifications, and background with them, along with the responsibilities of membership.

These initial meetings and the explanation of membership responsibilities may result in a decision to withdraw or defer the petition for membership. If the decision is to proceed, the President will inform the Conference at a regular meeting about the recommended person. If approved by the Conference, the candidate will be admitted and welcomed, with formal acceptance contingent upon training and discernment.

The Rule (Part II, Statute 4) requires that a Commissioning of new members take place at an appropriate time and occasion, after they have gained experience in the Society. Also, it reminds all members to have an Annual Commitment Ceremony, in order to renew their promise of service to the members and to the poor, thereby deepening the spiritual dimension of their vocation. The usual occasions for commissioning and renewal are Conference and Council liturgies, festival day celebrations for St. Vincent and/or Blessed Frederic in September, and Ozanam Sundays in April. The publication Vincentian Celebrations, available from the National Council, is an important resource of prayer services for these occasions.

Formation of Members

The Rule unites all Vincentians throughout the world. It mandates the formation of its members and officers, in order to increase their knowledge of the Society, deepen their spirituality, and help them improve their service to the poor. (Part I, Section 3.12)

In 2002, the Board of Trustees (National Council of the United States) approved the foundational document Vincentian Formation for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in the United States. Section I of this document clarifies the vision, process, and key assumptions of formation; develops the human, spiritual, intellectual, and ministerial areas of formation; and identifies the core values and virtues for Vincentians. Section II gives the objectives and roles for leadership and service. The National Council currently offers many formation programs, with the commitment to continue developing programs in the future.

Indeed, membership in the Society involves lifelong formation. Effective membership requires a kind and loving heart, formed in the Vincentian spirit. Initial formation for new members is provided informally by the local Conference.

The Vincentian Reflections, available from the National Council, allow members to continually deepen their knowledge and understanding of Vincentian spirituality, personally and as a community of friends. Our Vincentian charism challenges us to find the Christ hidden in each other and the needy we serve.

The spiritual formation program Serving in Hope, created by the National Council of the United States, is an essential tool for Conferences and Councils. Because they are called to bring the love of God to the poor and suffering, all Vincentians must become rooted in the spirituality that is the heart and soul of the Society. The Serving in Hope program deepens the understanding of how a Vincentian lives and acts in the spirit of St. Vincent de Paul and Blessed Frederic Ozanam. Serving in Hope consists of the following modules:

Module I: Our Vincentian Vocation

Module II: Our Vincentian Spirituality

Module III: Our Vincentian Heritage

Module IV: Our Vincentian Mission

Module V: Our Vincentian Rule

Module VI: Our Vincentian Conference Life

District and (Arch)Diocesan Councils provide the national Ozanam Orientation program for new and veteran members, so they can better understand the nature and purpose of the Society and develop the attitudes and knowledge necessary to serve and empower the needy.

Conference members recognize the importance and value of attending the Society meetings at the local, diocesan, regional, and national levels which offer formation and training sessions. Such encounters foster the spirit of friendship that Frederic Ozanam considered a primary goal of the Society. Attending these Society meetings is a basic Vincentian commitment, ensuring the growth of Vincentian spirituality and molding members into true successors of Frederic Ozanam. Members who habitually miss Society meetings risk spiritual stagnation, forgetting what their Vincentian charism means and who they are called to be.

Conference Meetings

Conference meetings are privileged occasions during which members manifest Christ’s love to one another and experience his healing presence. Conferences meet regularly and frequently (at least twice a month), in celebration of mutual friendship and out of a passion to serve the Lord. Unlike other organizations within and outside the Church, the Conference meets less to conduct business than to celebrate and deepen its unity for essentially spiritual reasons. Opening and Closing Prayers, together with the Vincentian spiritual reflections, heighten our awareness of the Holy Spirit’s presence.

Every Conference meeting includes a spiritual component that promotes active participation and discussion. The presence and participation of the Conference’s Spiritual Advisor are especially important. The Vincentian Reflections, provided by the National Office, are a vital resource for all Conferences. St. Vincent drew his teaching from the Gospel and from Life. He wanted his followers to integrate the Gospel into the whole of their lives. Vincent’s legacy has the simplicity of everyday life and the penetrating strength of God’s word.

Therefore, the Vincentian Reflections are based on the Sunday Gospel of the Liturgical Calendar, and the scripture readings of the Vincentian feast days. Each reflection offers time for prayer, silence, and discussion so that of the Word of God can penetrate our Vincentian heart. Vincentians grow in spirituality as they actively participate in these discussions, relating the words of scripture to their service of the poor.

The typical agenda for Conference meetings can be found in the Rule. Praying and reflecting together, Vincentians use these occasions to review their contacts with the needy in a simple format. They exchange communications, take stock of their funds, organize their activities, and take up a secret collection to support their works in the spirit of “the black bag” collections of the founding members. The regularity of these meetings is the key to developing an effective team effort and achieving the goals of the Society.

The Rule requires Conferences to meet weekly or at least twice a month. Having Conference meetings less frequently, or suspending them during the summer, violates the Rule and the spirit of the Society and can result in loss of aggregation and affiliation. It can also adversely affect the poor and seriously impede the ongoing spiritual growth of the Conference members. The Conference meeting is the best forum for the continuing education and formation of members both spiritually and as helpers. This ongoing formation complements the special formation session sponsored by the local Councils.

Conference meetings should not be lengthy. Officers and members can ensure brevity by spending a few minutes before each meeting making sure necessary materials are readily available. Outside matters should be left for discussion after the meeting is over.

The Conference meeting must maintain a welcoming environment, so that men and women of all ages and backgrounds can work together and share their Christian values. Members should keep Conference meetings interesting, focused, productive, and convenient for everyone who might want to join.

Members can improve their helping skills by visiting the needy, primarily in their homes, and then reviewing the details of the visit with other members at the Conference meeting. Members should try to learn from their experiences, seeking the insights and advice of other Conference members to become more skillful in the art of helping people. Everyone learns, and solutions come more easily, when all members collectively analyze a problem.

Indeed, it is in the Conference meetings that members can experience Christ’s presence in each other and the workings of the Holy Spirit. In a sense, these gatherings become a living, vivid witness of God’s healing presence among all. These unity-building occasions foster personal renewal and rededication to service. The Conference gathering is a dynamic environment for learning about life, human problems, and Christian solutions. They also develop a Vincentian spirituality which emphasizes the love and service of the needy and suffering. The friendship among members encourages spiritual growth and leads all members to a greater identity with the person of Christ.

Home Visits

From the Society’s beginning, the central and most basic activity of Conferences has been the visitation of the needy in their homes. This is the clearest symbol of our Vincentian charism, which dictates the highest respect for the dignity of the poor. It symbolizes our Vincentian commitment to reach out to the needy, rather than require them to report to an outside service site. In the home, needy persons feel most free to entrust their stories of struggle. In that family setting, Vincentians are asked to listen, offer humble advice, and render assistance.

In the modern world, there are certain situations when a home visit is not possible or advisable – for example, those involving homelessness, battering, or safety. Nevertheless, Vincentians should never excuse themselves lightly or regularly from the tradition of home visitation. Even when assistance is given in an emergency from the parish or other service site, Vincentians should follow up with a home visit.

Vincentians always visit in pairs. This practice emphasizes the Conference’s status as a community, not a collection of individuals who “do their own thing.” The visiting team is ideally composed of Vincentians of both genders, various age groups, and different life experiences, so that a better perspective of the needy person’s situation can be gained, and various courses of action explored. From the beginning, Vincentian visitation to the needy was done in pairs for the protection both of the needy person and the members. The precedent was set by Christ Himself, when He sent out the Apostles two by two (MK 6:7). The Society wisely continues this tradition in the interest of safety, liability, and propriety.