Celebrating the Vincentian Charism on St Vincent de Paul's birthday

Today marks St Vincent de Paul’s 440th birthday, a man long acclaimed for his dedication to people experiencing poverty. St Vincent took a humble approach to caring for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged people in society, serving them with dignity, love and respect. The Vincentian Charism, inspired by his dedication to the poor and those in need, continues to be seen in the service of millions of Vincentians across the world today.

As Vincentians, we embed this Charism in everything we do. From the front-line staff to the managers in each of our projects, this very spirit is lived out through our commitment to five shared Vincentian values we have identified as holding in common.  Vincentian Pastoral Care seeks to reflect the practice of these values in all aspects of how our member organisations conduct themselves.

So today, not only do we celebrate St Vincent’s birthday, but also the indomitable Vincentian Charism which continues to inspire our work today.

Serving people who are experiencing the effects of poverty

“Isolation, economic pressure and mental health challenges have put extra pressure on vulnerable families this year. We are hugely grateful to our supporters who have enabled us to relieve some of this pressure through donations, practical help and providing emotional support.”

- St Vincent’s Family Project

Respecting each person’s dignity

“Dignity is expressed in the emphasis placed particularly towards our residents that they are people of great value and worth. Worth of honour and respect as individuals, who have come to our centre bringing with them different stories and experiences. Through different pathways, these individuals are supported in their journey, which can either be to become more independent or to live a life as comfortably as it is possible. We treat our residents with dignity, fulfilling their human lives and valuing their personal identity. We ensure dignity is present in all aspects of the individuals' lives, including physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual.”

- The Marillac Neurological Care Centre

Being compassionate and kind

“Providing care with humanity and kindness is at the heart of our service. We respect each person’s preferences, build caring relationships with people using the service and ensure they are supported with patience and respect.”

- Vincentian Care Plus

Enabling choice and change

“Our goal is to equip Glasgow’s Roma community with the self-belief, education, training and mentoring support they need to live flourishing lives and integrate fully into society. We are so proud of the ladies we support and their immense commitment to building a good life in Glasgow. We celebrate with them in all their achievements.”

- The Louise Project

Acting in solidarity for justice

“Imprisonment has a profound impact on families. At Out There, we are concerned with social justice and being seen to challenge some of these issues that create problems for families. Through networking and liaising with prisons and partner organisations, we continue to work in solidarity with these families.”

- Out There 

Pastoral Care

“Here in St Joseph’s, we acknowledge the pastoral identity of our project and our shared responsibility for pastoral care; each member of staff, from support worker through to senior manager, adopts a pastoral approach to their work as well as supporting the work of the pastoral team. Recognising that pastoral care is about human flourishing and well-being, St Joseph’s has worked hard to maintain and develop our sense of community through the challenges of this pandemic year. We have developed creative and thoughtful ways to enable the people we support to maintain family contacts and the friendships they value, as well as offering the traditional pastoral care that people need in these challenging times. Vincent de Paul promoted ‘care of the carer’ as an important aspect of pastoral care. Following in his footsteps, St Joseph’s has recently extended the current benefits it offers to staff by developing a ‘death in service’ scheme ensuring a compassionate and practical concern for staff members and their families into the future.

- St Joseph’s Services