Queen of All Saints Basilica

St. Vincent dePaul Society

St. Vincent De Paul born in 1581 spent the 60 years of his priesthood organizing many associations to benefit Mankind. All stood the test of time except the all male “Association of Charity for Layman.” Some 200 years later, our founder, Frederic Ozanam and fellow students formed a union of laymen to aid the poor choosing as their patron the great friend of the poor, St. Vincent De Paul.

Frederic Ozanam wanted the members of his association to become personally acquainted with those in need, to understand that the poor are not faceless numbers but real people who need compassion and hope as much if not more than financial help.
The society came to Chicago in 1857, four years after the death of it’s founder, Frederic. Its first Conference (as each chapter is titled) was established at St. Patrick’s, Chicago’s first Catholic Church.

During the Civil War, the Chicago Vincentians served the needs of the Confederate prisoners held at Camp Douglas in the city. In 1871, after the Chicago fire, much of the relief work was done by the Vincentians, who continued to help long after the emergency service organization disbanded.

In the years following, in cooperation with the Little Sisters of the Poor, the Daughters of Charity and other religious groups, the organization helped found orphanages, homes for the elderly, infant and maternity hospitals and other facilities to serve the poor, the sick and the forgotten.

Today there are over 150 Conferences of the society carrying on the tradition of service to the needy in the Archdiocese of Chicago. Members, through their service give witness to God’s love for the poor and those who find themselves temporarily in need of financial assistance due to loss of employment, homelessness, illness or family difficulties.

 The St. Vincent De Paul Society of Queen of All Saints strives to develop the spirituality of its members by living the Gospel mandate to serve others. Our meetings begin and end with prayer – always recognizing it is God’s Love that we are sharing with our brothers and sisters in need.

We sponsor the Christmas sharing program, the sweater drive in the fall, the shoe box collection of toiletries for the homeless at Easter, and the gift card collection in the spring. During the year, we assist individuals who come to or call the rectory seeking emergency help for food, rent or shelter, transportation or payment of overdue utility bills. Each request is investigated, home visits made where necessary, referrals made to appropriate service agencies and/or emergency temporary financial assistance provided.

We rely on the generosity of our parishioners to assist us in meeting these financial needs. Parishioners wishing to help can find the St. Vincent De Paul poor box in the vestibule of the Church near the usher’s desk.

We welcome anyone who would like to help us serve our brothers and sisters in spiritual, physical or financial need. We meet on the first and third Wednesdays of each month at 7:30 p.m. in the Holy Name Room.

Loving is the art of caring
Caring is the art of sharing
Sharing is the art of living
Living is the art of loving

Live and share your loving care with the needy by sharing yourself with them, as God has shared himself with you.