Service/Outreach

St Vincent de Paul Society

Northcote and Thornbury Conferences

Both of our parishes – Northcote and Thornbury– are part of (‘Conferences’) of the St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria.

Both parish ‘Vinnies’ groups respond to calls from people in need in their parishes by providing food, clothing, utilities and other forms of assistance. Together with Holy Spirit Parish they respond to nightly house calls.

  • Membership of the St Vincent de Paul Society provides parishioners with opportunities to live the gospel message in a variety of ways, the most ongoing of these including:
  • visiting people in their homes in the parish area and in inner suburbs, to help find the most appropriate response to the person’s or family’s needs;
  • working as a volunteer in the Thornbury Vinnies Centres, which provide furniture, clothing and household goods to families and people who are in need;
  • packing and delivering food hampers for needy families at Christmas;
  • providing financial assistance to St. Vinnies;
  • providing administrative support at the Society’s central office by way of assisting with mailouts and receiving calls for assistance at the State Call Centre.

Becoming Involved

Vinnies groups at both parishes are always looking for volunteers to assist with one or more of the society’s activities. This involvement can be matched with volunteers’ availability (once a year to many times a week) and interests. Interested parishioners are encouraged to contact the Parish Office (94842907). Parish staff will provide the contact details of the Vinnies’ President at each parish.

Laudato Si' Action Platform

Social Justice

Our Partnership Parishes have a commitment to Social Justice and support the Australian Bishops work in this area.

The Partnerships Parishes celebrate Social Justice Sunday each year.

This year the Australian Bishops’ Social Justice Statement, “Cry of the Earth, Cry of the Poor”, invited us to join in responding to Pope Francis’ invitation to take a seven-year journey towards total ecological sustainability guided by seven Laudato Si’ Goals. The Statement provides theological foundations to ground and inspire our efforts to care for creation while responding to the needs of the disadvantaged and excluded. More information: ACBC Office for Justice, Ecology and Peace, www.socialjustice.catholic.org.au

or Tel (02) 6201 9845.

The Statement calls us to listen, hear and respond to the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor through practical action. When one part of the Body of Christ is wounded, the other parts care for the afflicted part so that all can be healed and made whole. What affects one affects all, as everything and everyone is connected. We are invited to be lifegiving agents in the transformation of our communities in ways that reflect the mercy freely offered by our loving God. As people of prayerful contemplation, dialogue, and action, we commit to right relationships in our covenant with God. It is clear that the signs of our times call for urgent action to defend, protect, and restore the earth and the dignity of the human person, especially those places, creatures, and people who are most vulnerable. In following God’s law of living a moral life from the inside out, we upend and transcend any worldly standards that would diminish the sacredness of any part of God’s creation. People are more important than profits, and the beauty of our natural world is a precious gift to us and to the generations who will follow. In transitioning to sustainable and just economic systems and practices, we commit to partnering with the work of the Spirit in renewing the face of the earth.