Society of St. Vincent de Paul takes new advocacy focus to Washington

Published: 2004-02-26

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Two hundred newcomers among the 700 people participating in the annual Catholic Social Ministry Gathering in Washington were seasoned experts on aiding the country's poor, but less practiced at bringing those concerns to the rest of the world. For the first year, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul joined 12 other sponsoring organizations at the annual conference that brings together people in various Catholic social service programs for a few days of issue briefings, skills workshops, lobbying Congress and old-fashioned bonding with others in the same line of work. Eugene Smith, the society's national president, explained that the decision to join the annual gathering was part of a new focus on advocacy being added to the society's core work: providing food, household goods, emergency cash and other things needed by the poor through parish-based councils.

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