St Vincent De Paul, Christchurch City Area
St Vincent De Paul exists to help people in need throughout our community.
Canterbury
St Vincent de Paul has been in New Zealand for 157 years starting in Christchurch. We are a charity that exists to assist our community. We are volunteer based, with a few paid roles. Our members and volunteers make regular visits and give assistance to; individuals and families in need, the elderly and sick, those in our local prisons, and the homeless in our local communities. we have a welfare line that supports the providing of food, clothing, bedding, firewood, budgeting, advocacy and furniture. We support our community and refugees in need.
In Christchurch, we have hundreds of members and volunteers both young and old, doing good works throughout our community every day. We rely on donations of goods and money. There is no government funding presently and we receive some limited grant funding, but rely heavily on cash donations. In the current economic environment donation funding is hard to come by, but demand has grown, as have our expenses despite tight management of costs.
More about us
Our members and volunteers make regular visits and give assistance to needy individuals and families, the elderly, the sick, or the homeless in our local communities. We operate a food bank and provide clothing, furniture and bedding.
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Latest update
Celebrate The feast Day for St Vincent de Paul 27 September 27 September 2024
Vincent de Paul's History
St Vincent de Paul (1581 – 1660) was the third child in a poor peasant farming family at Pouy, France. Although a talented student, family priorities meant that he was required to help on the family plot.
At 15, St Vincent de Paul went to Seminary College and then studied at Toulouse University receiving a Bachelor of Theology. He part-paid for his studies by tutoring other students.
At 19, St Vincent de Paul was ordained a priest and appointed Parish Priest a few years later. However, he resigned his Parish Priest role to avoid legal appeals against his appointment because of his young age.
On a return boat trip to Marseilles, St Vincent de Paul was taken captive and, for the next two years, he was sold and passed on as a slave from one master to another. When he was finally released from slavery, he returned to France and went to Rome to resume his studies. On his return to France, he ministered as Chaplain and Priest.
St Vincent de Paul founded, “The Ladies of Charity”, a group of wealthy women, to collect funds for missionary projects, hospitals, victims of war and to pay ransoms for the release of gallery-slaves in Paris.
St Vincent de Paul was well known by his flock for his compassion, humility and generosity. He was referred to as, “The Great Apostle of Charity”.
St Vincent de Paul’s Feast Day is the 27th September. He is the Patron Saint of Charities including the St Vincent de Paul Society.
Latest donations
Thank you very much for the donation - all donations go towards our welfare program - food or bedding.
Thank you for your donation. Much appreciated - all donations go towards Welfare either food or bedding.
Thank you for your donation. All donations go towards our welfare program either food or bedding. Much appreciated.
Thank you so much for your donation, this has gone towards food parcels given the big demand
Thank you so much for your donation, this has gone towards food parcels given the big demand
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