Members of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul at St. Ann Church renew their commitment at a special liturgy in honor of the 175th anniversary of the organization. Photo provided

SAN ANTONIO • On the evening of April 23, 1833, Frederic Ozanam, who had just celebrated his 20th birthday that day, met with six students from the Sorbonne in Paris at the offices of the Catholic Tribune, along with his mentor, Emmanuel Bailly. That night the Conference of Charity, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, was born as the men recalled the Lord’s preaching of the Gospel and his reaching out to the poor. Not only did Frederic and the others who joined him take care of the physical and material needs of others, they also involved themselves with tutoring, even setting up libraries for members of the military.

For the past 175 years, the Society’s motto, “no act of charity is foreign,” means that the members of the Society, known as Vincentians, have continued to bring to those in need what they need when they need it, with the help and grace of God.

Last month across the globe, Vincentians celebrated their 175th anniversary with various events. In the Archdiocese of San Antonio, numerous conferences (the term used to identify a group of Vincentians at a parish) celebrated a special liturgy on April 20 in honor of Blessed Frederick Ozanam, founder of the Society.

Tony Sanchez, president of the conference at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Helotes, was delighted by the great turnout of Vincentians from several parishes, Our Lady of the Atonement, St. Brigid, St. Luke, St. Joseph (Honey Creek), from Kerrville and Bandera, who attended the Mass in Helotes, celebrated by Msgr. Carlos Dávalos, who used the prayers and music specifically designed by the Society for that liturgy.

At St. Benedict Church, Joe Hill, president of the conference there, reported that his pastor, Father Eddie Bernal, also used the special prayers from the Society at the Mass celebrated April 20. Hill noted that the celebration of the Society’s milestone coincides with his parish celebrating its golden jubilee this year.

Angela Angel, president of the St. Ann Church conference, took advantage of the special liturgy, celebrated by Father Luis Leal, OP, to have a commissioning ceremony for all the members of the conference after the Mass. She presented them certificates and also recognized members who contributed to the renovation of the Society’s “Frederick & Rosalie Clothing Closet.” It is a project of the local conference.

The 175th anniversary celebrations will continue from May through August at regional meetings in Dallas, St. Paul, Des Moines, Tampa and other locations. A special “Vincentian Heritage Retreat Day” will be held throughout the country on Sept. 9, the feast of Blessed Frederic Ozanam. The festivities will culminate with the Society’s four-day annual meeting in Louisville and end Sept. 27, the feast of St. Vincent de Paul.

An added blessing was the announcement that the Society, because of its extraordinary work for the past 175 years by over 700,000 members in over 144 countries, had been proposed for the 2008 Nobel Peace Prize.

The work of helping others continues in the San Antonio archdiocese. The Society needs a new walk-in refrigerator/freezer at its new warehouse. The estimated cost for the unit, installation and electrical work is $70,000. Credit card donations can be made by calling the office at (210) 225-7837 and ask for Jeanette Flores.

For more information about the Society in the Archdiocese of San Antonio, see the Web site, www.svdpsa.org.