Have you ever heard the term Vincentian? A food pantry or thrift store helper may come to mind, yet, I am a Vincentian, and neither of those.
The term Vincentian contains the root word Vincent, which comes from the well-known 17th-century French saint, St. Vincent de Paul. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul was founded in Paris, in 1833 and named after St. Vincent, the patron saint of charitable societies. Its members are called Vincentians.
My Vincentian journey over the last few decades is a testament to its transformative power. I’ve witnessed how God can place a humble Vincentian in an ordinary situation and empower them to impact their neighbor’s lives in deeply fulfilling ways.
As a Vincentian, I’ve accomplished things through God’s grace that I could never have imagined. I met a woman in a nursing home and took her to visit her son in prison, whom she hadn’t seen in 12 years. I helped a young family relocate after they learned that their son had a brain tumor. I comforted dozens of senior fire victims who lost everything in a fire and furnished new household goods when they resettled. I supported a homeless woman’s journey to bury her mother’s ashes.
Praying and reflecting on our Vincentian experiences produces abundant spiritual growth. “Vincentians never forget the many blessings they receive from those they visit,” the society’s rule 1.12 reads. “They recognize that the fruit of their labors springs, not from themselves, but especially from God and from the poor they serve.”
God’s love and compassion for the poor are at the heart of the Vincentian mission. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us, this love is part of the church’s constant tradition, inspired by the Gospel of the Beatitudes and Jesus’ poverty. As the face of Christ, Vincentians are called to embody this love and see the face of Christ in those they serve.
Being the face of Christ in a journey toward holiness calls for virtue. The five key Vincentian virtues are simplicity, humility, gentleness, selflessness and zeal. St. Vincent called the first three his Gospel virtues: simplicity points to God, humility to self and gentleness to others. Selflessness helps us acquire these virtues, and zeal is a burning desire to please God and one’s neighbor.
Today, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul spans more than 150 countries. Eleven active conferences flourish in the Arlington diocese as models of spirituality, friendship and service. I belong to the St. Timothy conference in Chantilly, which has 52 members serving 236 families monthly with a food pantry, direct financial assistance and spiritual encouragement.
When William Shakespeare coined the expression, “The world is my oyster,” he wasn’t referring to Vincentians, and yet, the world is my oyster when I can bring joy to wherever God calls me.
Unterkofler is a formator for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and a parishioner of St. Timothy Church in Chantilly.
Find out more
Unterkofler shares more of her Vincentian experiences in the book “Cloud of Witnesses” and online at gentleservant.com.
