How you can help fulfill the mission of St. Vincent de Paul
Catholics are noted for their vast number of saints and name their churches after them. Some saints like St. George (and the dragon) have been relegated to the rank of legend. Some saints have supposedly been assigned duties to help us here on earth - St. Christopher helps travelers; St. Anthony helps find lost objects; St. Anne and St. Catherine help find husbands; and poor St. Joseph, if buried upside down in your yard, is reported to help you sell your house.
Most saints were real people living real lives and hoping, like volunteers of all faiths today, to make this world a better place for others. One of these saints was St. Vincent de Paul who was noted for his work with those forgotten by society, the poor, the sick, the imprisoned and abandoned babies and children. The Vincentians and the Sisters of Charity, which he founded, still continue his work today; but his name is more closely associated with a lay organization, dedicated to helping the needy, founded in his memory 175 years ago - the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.
The society's first nationwide Friends of the Poor Walk will take place on St. Francis de Paul's feast day, Saturday, Sept. 27. Locally, St. Catherine of Siena Conference will host a 5K Walk. The Honorable Judge Patricia Piper Golden, long known for her work and concern for children and families in crisis, will serve as emcee for the event. It will be an early morning hike with registration/check in at 7 a.m. and the event kickoff at 7:45 a.m. The walk will leave St. Catherine's, at the intersection of routes 72 and 31 in West Dundee, then walk the perimeter of Spring Hill Mall and then south down Route 31, around Market Loop to Village Quarter Road and back to St. Catherine of Siena Church.
As of this writing, there are close to 500 registered walkers. The event is being sponsored in part by Signature Builder Group, Meritus Financial Group and the Knights of Columbus Siena Council 8596. Other local parishes joining St. Catherine are St. Mary, Huntley; St. Mary, Elgin; St. Monica, Carpentersville; St. Elizabeth Seton, Crystal Lake; and the Youth Ministry of St. Sophia in Elgin. All funds raised by walkers will be used to directly serve those in need in our communities regardless of race or creed.
To register for the Friends of the Poor Walk, or to volunteer call Grace Roban at (847) 638-1753. Walkers can solicit funds from supporters or they can just make their own donation to help the cause.
Volunteers are needed to check people in, give out fruit, man the two water stations and make sure everything is moving smoothly. Masseuses await the walkers after the event. The after-party will include music and raffle prizes donated by local businesses in appreciation for the walker's participation. The walkers' registration numbers will be their raffle numbers.
Roban describes the Society of St. Vincent de Paul as the people's last resort after all other agencies have been exhausted. With more than 5 percent of local residents and 8 percent in the Elgin area living below the poverty level, there is a critical need. She stressed that the society 's purpose is not to be an enabler but rather a group to helps people get over the bumps in life and move forward.
Some of the tangible services offered by the Society of St. Vincent de Paul include person-to-person assistance through home visits to the elderly, sick and disabled, disaster relief, housing assistance, food pantries, education and job assistance programs, youth programs and pharmacies that provide prescription drugs at no cost.
If you, or someone you know, are in need of help with food, clothing, furniture, utility or rent assistance, call your local St. Vincent DePaul hotline: Carpentersville, St. Monica, (847) 428-5467; Crystal Lake, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, (815) 459-3033, ext. 404; Dundee area, St. Catherine of Sienna, (847) 428-0036, ext. 240; Elgin, St. Mary-East, (847) 289-2222; or Huntley, St. Mary Parish, (847) 669-3137.