In it we intend to tell you about our group here at Our Lady & St Alphege, our aim to help those less fortunate than us, what we are doing and have done, and how you might be able to help.

As a beginning, member Barbaba Molloy introduces the group and asks, "Is this the right thing for you?"


SVP Membership Appeal. September 2010

"Good evening/morning everyone. My name is Barbara Molloy and I am a member of the St Vincent de Paul Society, the SVP, here in St Alphege’s parish.

"This year marks the 350th anniversary of the death of St Vincent de Paul, who gave much of his later life to serving those in need and trying to redress the causes of poverty. The SVP would like to mark the anniversary by encouraging people to serve their community, remembering Christ’s teaching that the two greatest commandments are to love God and love our neighbour as ourselves.

"The vast majority of the SVP’s work is done by volunteers, visiting people in their own homes, residential homes, hospitals and hospices. Greater longevity and families scattering, lead to increasing loneliness for many older people, including members of our own parish. This form of poverty will grow unless we make efforts to put some love back into the community. In addition to visiting housebound parishioners, we support individuals and families affected by debt, addiction or sickness.

"The Christian demand is that we help those in need, offering part of ourselves to help others. We may prefer to do this alone, by caring for a member of our own family or a neighbour. Others will find it better to do it as part of an organisation. There are many excellent bodies, whether starting from a Christian ethos, or with humane motives.

"The SVP is one of the oldest organisations to go out and help people by person to person contact. It was founded in Paris in 1833 by Frederick Ozanam, a French Catholic student, who was challenged in a university debate “What are you Catholics doing for the poor now?”

"Our parish SVP group meet one evening a week, remembering Christ’s words “Where two or three meet together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” . Meetings are short but business-like, (at least we try our best to be business-like!) focussing on seeking out people in need. Prayers are said together for those we try to help and for those who help us. Help can be given to people from any faith or indeed none. Most people join the SVP to help others only to find their own lives enriched – and all of us in this parish’s SVP have found this to be true.

"People have busy lives. Speaking for myself, I have a full-time job so I generally fit in one visit per week; other members can and do much more than me.

"You may be wondering ‘when is she going to ask us for money’! We decided not to have a retiring collection for the SVP this year as we have received generous donations from individuals and through the SVP wall boxes during the year. We thank you for this financial support. We recognise too, the support that has been given by the Parish to various disaster appeals for Haiti and Pakistan.

"If you would like to be part of our group, or are wondering if this might be the right thing for you, there will be SVP members at the back of the church after mass who can tell you more. If you are reading this online, you can contact us via the Presbytery (01225 424894). God Bless."

Our Report to the Parish. April 2009 - April 2010

 

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