St Vincent de Paul Feast and Annual General Body Meeting Held in Mysore Diocese

27 September 2026 |Virgin of the Poor Church, Mysuru. 

The Feast of St. Vincent de Paul and the Annual General Body Meeting of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SSVP), Mysore Diocese Area Council were celebrated with great enthusiasm at the Virgin of the Poor Church, Bannimantap, Mysuru. Nearly 150 Vincentian members from around 30 conferences across the Diocese participated in the celebration and meeting.

The programme began with the Holy Eucharist presided over by Most Rev. Dr. Francis Serrao SJ, Bishop of Mysore. In his homily, Bishop Francis reflected on the close connection between faith and action. Referring to the words of St. James, “Faith without works is dead,” he reminded the Vincentians that genuine Christian faith must be expressed through concrete acts of love and service.

Bishop Francis encouraged every parish in the Diocese to establish a unit of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, describing the Society as another face of the love of Jesus present among the poor and needy. He emphasised that through love and service, Christians bear witness to Christ.

Reflecting on the Sunday Gospel, in which a father invites his son to go and work in the vineyard, the Bishop reminded the members that the Lord continues to invite each one of us to respond to His call by reaching out to the sick, the poor and those in need. He encouraged the Vincentians to allow the life and example of St. Vincent de Paul to inspire them in their ministry of charity and service.

Following the Eucharistic celebration, Fr. Arul Selva Kumar addressed the newly joined members. He presented the origin, history and growth of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and explained its structure and functioning. He patiently clarified the doubts of the new members and provided practical guidance through hands-on interaction with members of some of the existing conferences.

The programme was animated and coordinated by Fr. Maria Xavier, Spiritual Director for the Pious Associations, Diocese of Mysore, together with the Vincentian members. Fr. Maria Xavier gave the members general instructions regarding the functioning and mission of the Society and clarified various questions raised by the participants.

He also encouraged the existing conferences to reach out to nearby parishes and establish new SSVP conferences, so that the charitable mission of the Society could reach more people in need. As a part of the meeting, the members were divided into groups and invited to prepare action plans for the forthcoming programmes and activities of the Society.

The gathering provided an opportunity for Vincentians from different parts of the Diocese to come together in prayer, fellowship, formation and planning. The celebration concluded with a renewed commitment to live the Vincentian vocation of faith expressed through love, compassion and concrete service to the poor and needy.

The Diocese of Mysore continues to encourage the growth of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in every parish, following the example of St. Vincent de Paul and Blessed Frédéric Ozanam in bringing Christ’s love to those who are most in need.