Scottish Catholic Observer

ARCHBISHOP Leo Cushley of St Andrews & Edinburgh has called members of the Society of St Vincent de Paul the ‘beating heart’ of the Catholic Church in Scotland.

He praised the society’s work at its annual national Mass at the Gillis Centre Chapel in Edinburgh on Saturday.

“Along with the men and women religious across the country the people who volunteer in the SSVP are the beating heart of the Church,” he said.

“You are at the centre of what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ.”

The Society of St Vincent de Paul is a worldwide confederation of national charities with about 750,000 members. Membership is open to men and women, young and old.

It came to Scotland in 1845, 12 years after the first Conference was founded by Blessed Frederic Ozanam in Paris.

Across Scotland there are now 2100 voluntary members making about 140,000 visits to people in need every year.

At the conclusion of Holy Mass on Saturday, those present consecrated the SSVP to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. There then followed an opportunity to venerate a relic of St Vincent de Paul himself.

“This was a great opportunity for members from across Scotland to come together, make friends and strengthen ties between our many conferences,” event organiser Richard Steinbach, SSVP President within the Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh, said.

Pictured above are, from left, Archbishop Cushley, national SSVP president Jim McKendriock, Richard Steinbach and Fr Kevin Dow.