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St. Vincent de Paul Society
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Overview
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Our Lord said to His disciples, "What you do to the least of My brothers and sisters, you do to Me." This is the credo that the St. Vincent de Paul Society lives by.
The St. Vincent de Paul Society is named after the saint whose name it bears. St. Vincent was born in the village of Poui in Gascony, France in 1575. He was renowned for his charity and generosity to the poor and needy, humbly depriving himself of all material goods and taking on the afflictions of others as his own.
The Cathedral's St. Vincent de Paul Society was formed at the Cathedral approximately 35 years ago. Several parishioners, under the inspired and enthusiastic leadership of their Rector, Rev. Msgr. Paul D. Gleason, got together to see how they could best meet the needs and ease the suffering of the many destitute people in this poor inner city parish. The idea had originated in Biddeford, and Msgr. Gleason asked his friend, Father Bill Armand, to come talk to our parishioners. Prior to the formation of the Society, needy people would ring the bell at the Rectory and request help. Volunteers would investigate the request, sometimes going to the person's home to pursue it.
As a first step, the group decided they would have to ask for financial assistance from the Parish in order to fund the venture. The next step was to open a thrift shop storefront on Congress Street, not far from the Cathedral. They did not serve meals in those early days - they handled mainly clothes and other goods through the thrift shop, gave out slips for dinner at soup kitchens, money for rent help and medicines, and gave out baskets of food at Christmas. After a time they moved from Congress Street to a basement corner of the Guild Hall (adjacent to the Cathedral), and later to an old red brick building on the Cathedral's property which had been the St. Joseph's Home for Elderly Women, run by the Sisters of Mercy. The Society conducted its business there until the building was torn down in 2000. They are now located once again in the Guild Hall in renovated space.
As time passed, it became clear that Portland needed another soup kitchen, and in 1974 the St. Vincent de Paul Soup Kitchen came into being. Once again, volunteer parishioners and friends came to the rescue and before long meals were being fed to long lines of needy and homeless people. The dining room in the red brick house would only seat 14-16 at a time and the house was small, so those waiting in line had to stand outside in all kinds of weather. The facilities have improved considerably, both for the volunteers and for their client guests, now that the Soup Kitchen has been moved into the Guild Hall.
The goal of the St. Vincent de Paul Soup Kitchen is to provide nutritionally complete noontime meals 5 days a week to homeless and poor Portland residents. It is the most successful soup kitchen in Portland, serving nearly 36,000 meals annually. It plays a vital role in the life of the inner city. Without the generous financial assistance of our loyal Cathedral parishioners and friends each year, we would not be able to maintain the Soup Kitchen, and we are grateful to all who contribute so generously. We are also deeply indebted to those parishioners and friends who devote their time and energy to this most worthwhile project. It is a true living example of a Corporal Work of Mercy.
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Contact Us
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If you would like more information about the St. Vincent de Paul Society, please contact the Rectory.
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