By Peter K. Ilchuk

Vatican II has stimulated many new ideas for Catholics to become active witnesses of their faith through the lay apostolate. One such idea, however, had been put into practice many years ago and is made manifest through the working of the St. Vincent de Paul Society.

Founded in 1833 by a group of men in their early twenties, the society has as its aims “to bear witness to Christ and his Church by showing that the faith of Christians inspires them to work for the good of humanity; to bring together men of good will...to establish a personal contact between its members and those who suffer and to bring to the latter the most effacious and brotherly aid possible.”

The St. Vincent de Paul Society here in Atlanta works primarily with those suffering from social and economic needs in striving to project the Church into the community.

One of its chief methods of personal sanctification of the members through understanding the needs of the poor is through the Society’s store on Edgewood Avenue.

Here clothing, household goods and other commodities are provided for the poor at prices which they can afford to pay and well below other thrift stores.

The profits from the store are poured back into the community from which it came in other benefits. This year 25 children will be sent to summer camp -- a relief from the oppression of the city that they would otherwise be unable to experience. In addition 25-30 children assemble for ballet classes on Saturday afternoons. Besides acquiring dancing skills, the classes introduce these culturally deprived children to an art form readily available to the average citizen but far out of their reach for social or economic reasons.

Emphasis is placed on the person-to-person contact by the members with people in need. It is only through understanding their social and economic problems that the Society can aid them in their spiritual difficulties.

The members accomplish this aim through working with social workers and government services, such as the Office of Economic Opportunity, in providing household items for those who have requested it. The government services would prefer personal contact through the community involved rather than direct government aid. The Society provides this contact by bringing the goods they have available to the needy people.

Part of the aim of the society is personal sanctification of its members. It is through the involvement in the community and the aiding of a fellow human being that the individual’s faith is strengthened. No less is the faith of the Church at large strengthened by the manifestation of its principles and tenets through the good works of these men.

The Society is organized in groups of eight to ten men who work in a particular part of the community. The group, called a conference, usually takes the name of the parish in which it meets. In addition, these conferences are united by an area council which directs the major projects for the area. The Atlanta council is primarily concerned with the functioning of the store.

There are at present almost 100 members of the St. Vincent de Paul Society in the Archdiocese of Atlanta Council, headed by Joseph Murphy. Although at present there is no full time administrator of the Society’s project, such a post is planned for the fall to meet the growing needs of coordinating the groups’ efforts. The organization originally open only to Catholic men, now accepts women and members of other faiths. Membership is by invitation only.

The operating expenses and the cost of goods are met through donations. The chief means of obtaining items for the store are through collection boxes situated in most of the city parishes. Also, the Society operates a collection truck to pick up larger items or goods from persons unable to get to a collection box.