By Kathi Stearns, Staff Writer

ATLANTA__Colorful banners proclaiming “The Lord Hears the Cry of the Poor,” and “Whatever You Do For the Least of My Brothers, You Do For Me,” adorned the sanctuary of the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception Sept. 8.

The signs reflect the mission of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVDP), which is celebrating 150 years of service to the U.S. and 90 years of ministry in Georgia beginning in May 1903, at the Immaculate Conception Shrine.

Over 300 people, representing 21 of SVDP’s 44 parish councils, joined in the anniversary Mass celebrated by Archbishop John F. Donoghue. Father John Adamski, pastor of the Shrine, Father Terry Kane, pastor of St. Catherine of Siena, Kennesaw, and Father T.J. Meehan, who is in residence at the Shrine, concelebrated Mass.

Sister Marita Carmel Rondinelli, RSM, spiritual advisor of the St. Vincent de Paul Particular Council, led the congregation in song. The first and second readings were announced by Billie Monroe, The Gospel was proclaimed by Deacon Sam Anzalone of the Shrine.

During his homily the archbishop focused on the Gospel reading, Matthew 5:13-16, in which Christ compliments his disciples saying, “You are the salt of the earth...you are the light of the world.”

The archbishop explained that salt has characteristics which made it a precious commodity at the time Jesus preached. Salt was seen as pure and was used both as a preservative for special foods and also as a garnish which rendered unpalatable food acceptable.

Archbishop Donoghue told the congregation that Christ challenges all of us to be the salt of the earth. “All of our words and actions must spring from the purity of Christ, whose sole motivation was self-sacrificial love,” the archbishop said. “What is good about life, and especially life in Christ, becomes a part of the treasure of the Church and is preserved in the Church’s life and tradition. And finally...we are to bring flavor and the pleasing aroma of our faith to the broth of human existence and experience.”

The archbishop used this analogy to thank the people who have given years of service to the society, saying that they have been the salt of the earth to those they have served. “I truly believe that those who have approached this society with the idea of service, know full well the holy work of the Gospel concerning the poor, the burdened, the rejected and the despised.”

“We pray united under the banner of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, that God will continue to favor this, our service, that He will send us more workers to help carry the redemptive burden, and that by our work, He may be more clearly revealed.”

After the eucharistic celebration Ellen McCoy, president of the SVDP Particular Council, told the congregation that this Mass was a time to celebrate the work of the past and an opportunity for each member to rededicate themselves to the mission of the Society.

She believes that in coming years more will be asked of nonprofit organizations when less can be provided by governmental agencies. “I believe one of our next acts is public advocacy,” Mrs. McCoy said. “Our national spiritual advisor Bishop (Terry) Steib has encouraged us to speak out on behalf of those we know in poverty.”

As the celebration continued, Mrs. McCoy presented the prestigious SVDP Top Hat Awards to Rick Nerone, a parishioner of Corpus Christi, Stone Mountain and Lorraine Owen, a parishioner of Holy Family, Marietta, for their spirit of faith and unselfishness.

Mrs. Owen began working for SVDP in 1967 when she volunteered to help sort donated clothes and other items at the SVDP Thrift Store on Edgewood Avenue. She has also been involved in “Chit Chat Parties” sponsored by the SVDP Society of Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, Atlanta, which provide clothing and shoes to the Central State Hospital in Milledgeville. In 1980 she was one of the founding members of the SVDP council at Holy Family. She has served as a caseworker since the conference was formed and participates in her parish’s Secret Santa program and Hunger Walk each year.

“I never felt that I was deserving of this,” said Mrs. Owens. “I’ve been to these Masses before and seen many different people get this award and thought, ‘Gosh, those people are something else.’ I’m not an emotional person, but I was so moved I was brought to tears.”

Nerone is the co-founder of the Corpus Christi Conference which was established in 1974. He served as the conference president for two years, was treasurer of the thrift store and served as a store committee member for two years. In 1976 he started the Thanksgiving and Christmas food basket programs and continues to work with these projects. He has additionally coordinated volunteers to run a concession stand at the Georgia Dome, a volunteer activity the St. Vincent de Paul Particular Council uses to generate financial support in response to the ever growing needs of the poor. Currently he is a caseworker and helps in the training of new members.

“I was absolutely stunned when my name was called,” said Nerone. “If you know what this award stands for, you realize that you are in a select company.”

Throughout his 21 years in the ministry he has watched the Corpus Christi SVDP Council grow. “When we started the council we only had four or five people; we’d raise about $150 in our monthly collections,” Nerone said. “Now we have over 25 members and our monthly collection has grown to $2,000-$5,000 a month. The numbers are just mind-boggling.”

But as the council has grown so have the number of cases that need assistance. When the Corpus Christi Council began it dealt with 15 cases in a month; now the chapter handles over 100 cases in the same period.

“The thing I like about the council is that it is so low key,” Nerone said. “There is no fanfare; you just kind of do your thing and hope it makes a difference.”

SVDP Society certificates of recognition were given to: Ron Allen, Transfiguration, Marietta; Marisue Bevacqua, Our Lady of the Assumption, Atlanta; Bill Bollinger, Immaculate Heart of Mary, Atlanta; Jim Burke, Holy Family, Marietta; Dick and Avid Cox, St. Matthew, Fairburn; Meika Frazier and Deborah Gittens, Sts. Peter and Paul, Decatur; Dale Safarik, Our Lady Queen of Angels, Thomson; James and Catherine Sieben, St. Phililp Benizi Jonesboro and Jim Weldon, St. Thomas More, Decatur.

Mieka Frazier received recognition for starting the first SVDP youth conference in the archdiocese at Sts. Peter and Paul in June 1994. The conference consists of teens between the ages of 13-18 who have dedicated themselves to serving the needs of the poor.

Last June the 12 teens cooked 400 spaghetti dinners and delivered them to the Woodruff Park homeless. “We also try to do a lot of charity work within the parish,” said Meika, a senior at St. Pius X Catholic High School. “We clean the homes of our elderly parishioners; next Sunday we are going to have a breakfast for them.”

According to Meika, five members of the organization will attend SVDP’s national convention in St. Louis, Mo., later this month. The teens sold candy, sponsored a magic show and held car washes to earn the money necessary for the trip.

“SVDP has provided me with the opportunity to reach out to people in my parish community and set an example for others my age,” she said. “It’s been real challenging, but it has been rewarding to serve the needs of so many people.”

In conjunction with the anniversary celebration, Sept. 5-8 was designated St. Vincent de Paul Week through the Catholic schools in the archdiocese. Students from nine schools designed posters to publicize the work of the Society and its annual fall special collection. Sara Pesaresi, an eighth-grader at Our Lady of the Assumption, was chosen the first place winner; 116 posters were submitted.

First graders at Immaculate Heart of Mary School decided to donate their snack money, totaling $5.35, to the SVDP Particular Council. Students from the third, fourth and fifth grades wrote the SVDP Particular Council a check for $331.50. Meanwhile students at Sts. Peter and Paul and St. John Neumann, Lilburn, have already begun planning their SVDP food drives which are held annually before Thanksgiving and Christmas.

In honor of the Society’s 150th anniversary the Particular Council will try to raise $150,000 during its annual collection which will be held in all parishes and missions of the archdiocese Sept. 16-17. The donations received in the collection will provide direct aid to people in Atlanta’s inner city and those parishes where there is no SVDP conferences. Last year’s annual collection raised $134,000.

According to Sheila Bissonette, executive director of the SVDP Particular Council, if this year’s goal is met, it would provide one-sixth of the Society’s needed income.

The success of the annual collection correlates directly with the number of people the Society will be able to assist in the coming 12 months, Ms. Bissonnette said. The annual appeal is the basis of support that proves that SVDP is a viable organization worthy of additional financial support from corporations, foundations and individuals.

She has undertaken additional projects, like the Dome concession stand, the Hunger Walk and selling Christmas cards, to try and offset any shortfall in the collection and to have the ability to say yes to more people with emergency needs.

The Society, whose motto is “No act of charity if foreign,” was founded in 1833 by Venerable Frederic Ozanam and five friends while attending the Sorbonne University in Paris. This group of Catholic men believed that the Catholic laity did little to live their faith and began visiting the poor in their homes, providing them with whatever assistance they could.