St. Vincent de Paul is much more than a patron saint of thrift shops! Hearing the profound deathbed confession of a dying servant, Vincent became more convinced of the special attention that must be given to the poor. In 1625, Vincent founded the Congregation of the Mission for the purpose of caring for the poor. Originally priests only, the mission expanded to include groups of laity who provided for spiritual and material needs of the poor in each parish. Nearly 400 hundred years later, his legacy lives on including here at St. Jude with our own St. Vincent de Paul Ministry:

You can donate to St. Vincent de Paul online - be sure to click fund

"118‑St. Vincent de Paul" in the dropdown menu. If you wish to join our team of Vincentians, please contact Diane Murphy via email: svdp@stjude-redmond.org

St. Vincent de Paul is much more than a patron saint of thrift shops! Hearing the profound deathbed confession of a dying servant, Vincent became more convinced of the special attention that must be given to the poor. In 1625, Vincent founded the Congregation of the Mission for the purpose of caring for the poor. Originally priests only, the mission expanded to include groups of laity who provided for spiritual and material needs of the poor in each parish. Nearly 400 hundred years later, his legacy lives on including here at St. Jude with our own St. Vincent de Paul Ministry:

The early Christians, we learn in Acts, brought the faithful together in prayer… everyone sharing their possessions and money with those in need. As members of St. Vincent de Paul, we try to bring that kind of help to our neighbors in Redmond. 

People we help will thank us. We reply, “It is the generosity of our pastor and parishioners that make our giving possible.” Those of us who volunteer for SVdP are merely the vehicle bringing the aid. Thank you for letting us act on your behalf.

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is a Catholic lay organization that helps people in need. Anyone may volunteer to be a Vincentian. We meet formally on the third Thursday of the month at 7 pm in Lovett Hall.

For more information, please contact Diane Murphy via email: svdp@stjude-redmond.org

You can donate to SVdP online (please click fund 118-St Vincent de Paul in the drop down).

I was initially concerned about finding time to serve with the Society of St. Vincent DePaul, given my family and full-time job. After speaking with group members, I decided there was a role for me. The training introduced The Rule, which among other things highlights this vocation being for every moment of our lives.

The Vincentian vocation affects all aspects of members’ daily lives, making them more sensitive and caring in their family, work and leisure activities. Vincentians are available for work in the Conferences only after fulfilling the family and professional duties.

These two sentences reassured me that prioritizing our lives helps us become better Vincentians. I spend a few hours weekly on the mission, while others may give more or less time depending on their circumstances. Helping those in need is rewarding, and what I’ve learned makes me more caring at home, work, and elsewhere.

If you want to volunteer with St. Vincent DePaul or another ministry, supportive ministry members can help you balance your new role with your current commitments.

You can donate to St. Vincent de Paul online - be sure to click fund

"118‑St. Vincent de Paul" in the dropdown menu. If you wish to join our team of Vincentians, please contact Diane Murphy via email: svdp@stjude-redmond.org

In February, our St. Vincent de Paul ministry witnessed two unprecedented situations that helped families remain housed, which we attribute to divine intervention.

The first miracle happened before I even realized it. Terry, a mother with two children, was just a week away from eviction. The amount of financial help needed exceeded what our conference could offer one family. Because her daughter was undergoing treatment at Children’s Hospital, Terry couldn’t work as much, leading to a smaller paycheck, although she kept her full-time job. She took on a second job to help cover their expenses. I found out about this situation shortly before joining an SVdP local retreat with other conference presidents.

At the retreat, I spoke with Mr. Smith, president of a Seattle conference about Terry’s situation. He mentioned his conference had surplus donations and offered to assist. After sharing Terry’s case details via email, their conference pledged funds less than 24 hours after we spoke. We learned about the pledge just before our meeting with Terry the next morning. We are certain that God put us in the right place at the right time when Terry was out of options. It was such a blessing.

The second miracle happened a few weeks later. We assisted a refugee family whose father, Mark, was hospitalized and unable to work. When we met him, his spouse and son, he was still very weak and recovering from his treatments. Without income, the family faced eviction, and his wife had to care for him and their son. No other agencies offered financial help, but the Vincentian on the case found resources to support them if they could remain housed.

We reached out to other SVdP conferences nearby, and three of them helped cover Mark’s rent. We shared his story with a parishioner who also stepped up because we were still short on funds. We have not cobbled together rent resources for a family like this before, so we know He was guiding us. We shared the joyful news with a very grateful family.

We felt God’s guidance on both of these calls. Miracles do happen, especially when we work together under His direction!

You can donate to St. Vincent de Paul online - be sure to click fund

"118‑St. Vincent de Paul" in the dropdown menu. If you wish to join our team of Vincentians, please contact Diane Murphy via email: svdp@stjude-redmond.org

Past Articles:

February 2026 - It Truly Takes a Village

December 2025 - Gratitude & Blessed: St. Vincent de Paul

October 2025 - Vincentian Ministry
August 2025 - Some St. Vincent de Paul Stories

July 2025 - St Vincent de Paul: Small Miracles 

May 2025 - Bringing Good News to the Poor