Society of St Vincent de Paul to organize centenary celebrations

MANGALURU: The Society of St Vincent De Paul, popularly known as SSVP, will be celebrating 100 years of its presence in the Diocese of Mangalore. The inauguration of the Centenary Year will be held on Feb 9.
Addressing reporters on Wednesday, Joe Coelho, President of the Central Council, SSVP, Mangaluru, said SSVP, the world's largest Catholic lay charity organisation, came into existence in Mangaluru in Bendore parish in January 1926.
The Milagres unit was established in the same month.
Later, in May of the same year, two more units, Rosario Cathedral and Bejai, came into existence. The basic work of SSVP involves visiting the poor, sick, and needy and distributing relief to the deprived in their own environment. SSVP helps the needy while protecting the self-respect and anonymity of the recipient.
Each unit adopts a minimum of five families and looks after them as their own. Today, the Mangaluru Central Council has 623 adopted families with 1765 members.
SSVP was started in 1833 in Paris, France, by Blessed Fredric Ozanam and his six companions. It was established in India in 1863 in Bombay. Since 1926, SSVP has spread throughout the diocese, and today they have 111 units in as many parishes across the diocese. They also have three youth units, with a total membership of 1539 active members, and many are serving as volunteers.
At present, SSVP has a Diamond Jubilee Health Scheme, which covers 623 adopted families with 1765 members. The scheme is executed in collaboration with Father Muller Medical College Hospital, Mangalore, and Thumbay. This scheme provides free medical care and dialysis care for the members of the adopted families.
As part of its centenary celebrations, SSVP has planned many projects. Some of them include Shikap, which will aid 405 students of adopted families. Asro, a shelter project, aims to help one hundred families build or repair their houses.
Coelho said that the Vicar General of Mangalore Dioceses, Msgr Very Rev Fr Maxim Norohna, will release the Centenary Logo. Rev Fr Francis D'souza, Spiritual Advisor of Mangalore Central Council, will release the Centenary Theme. Rev Fr Dr J B Saldana, Diocesan PRO and Parish Priest of Bejai, will launch the Centenary Projects.