ATLANTA--Msgr. R. Donald Kiernan, pastor of All Saints Church, Dunwoody, received the prestigious St. Vincent de Paul Top Hat Award Nov. 4 for his spirit of faith and generosity.

This is the first time the Particular Council of SVDP has given this annual award to a priest for his support of the organization's charitable work.

"The decision to do this was based on the recognition that although a lay organization, our success is enhanced by public expression of support by pastors," said Sheila Bissonnette, executive director of the Particular Council.

Msgr. Kiernan has been both a vocal supporter of the Society, making the work and needs of SVDP well known to others, and a generous personal contributor, Bissonnette said.

Consistently one of the top 10 emergency service providers for people with hardships, the Society provided assistance to 51,934 people in 1995. With a central office in midtown Atlanta and membership conferences in 48 locations in the archdiocese, the Society membership is primarily volunteer. In addition to providing emergency financial assistance, the Society operates food pantries and thrift stores.

"Our support for this work has been traditionally grass roots and Catholic. but we are looking to go well beyond this," said Alan Urech, newly elected president of the SVDP Particular Council. "If we are to reach or exceed our service goals in the next five years, we must seek far more involvement with the civic and business communities."

Urech points to one recent volunteer project involving teams of people from the business community working with Society members. In 1995 one such project involved 175 volunteers and raised $38,000 to provide rent assistance for 112 families.

According to Urech the Society also intends to expand its thrift stores, recruit new membership in the "twenty-something" age group and strategically plan responses for the expected increase in clients seeking the organization's assistance in the next five years.

"We have spiritual roots that run deep, but we also know that we live in the ?90s," said Urech. "To continue making a difference in people's lives we must put our spirituality into action with all the modern resources at our disposal. We aim to be much more visible and more vocal."

For example, the Society has developed a web site on the Internet at www.mindspring.com/~svdp. Their e-mail address is svdp@mindspring.com.

Urech said that the Society wants to establish a partnership with volunteers. "If you have resources, we will ask you to share them with us; we want many people to be financial partners with us, to donate gently used clothing and household items to our six thrift stores and give canned goods to keep our pantries stocked."

Members of the SVDP executive committee in addition to Bissonnette and Urech are Paula Lawton Bevington, secretary/treasurer; Jim Peniston, director of funding; Maureen Alleyn, director of conference services; Brian Lynch, director of shelters; Peggy Mohr, director of stores; Heinrick Louis-Pierre, director of youth services; Sister Loretta McCarthy, SBS, spiritual advisor; Jennifer Harris, director of education and training; Dick Kessler, legal counsel; Ellen McCoy, past president and Jan Majors, thrift store manager.

The Society, whose motto is "No act of charity is 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. This continues today with person-to-person assistance by Society members to those in need.

For further information about the SVDP Particular Council call Bissonnette at (404) 874-7140.