|
Vincentianism at St. James Cathedral |
by Matt Zemek, Phil Schlosser and Michele Ferguson St James Cathedral Conference of the Society of St Vincent de Paul
It was hoped that, through research, the St. Vincent de Paul Society here at St. James could cobble up a bunch of photos, documents and anecdotes that would make the early days of our existence come alive in rich detail. For the Vincentians who serve the residents of Seattle's Catholic Cathedral parish, it would be nice to point to a scrapbook's worth of pictures and stories that pay tribute to the many men and women who have reached out to the poor of St. James since 1921.
But it's actually quite fitting that we Vincentians don't have a whole lot of historical archives to offer. It's oddly appropriate that we don't have many markers of our identity on the grounds of the Cathedral parish itself.
Why? Because the essence of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, often simply referred to as the "Society," is about bringing the parish we serve--and the Christ we worship--to people's homes. Since 1921, Vincentians have been bringing St. James Cathedral to the dwelling places of people in dire need of not only tangible assistance -- help in paying for rent, electric bills, beds, clothes, and food -- but also an empathic, listening presence and meaningful spiritual uplift.
Day after day, week after week, the magic and meaning of St. Vincent de Paul ministry find life away from the Cathedral building, as Christ's words resound in humble dwelling places: "where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in their midst." This enduring idea--first established by Jesus himself in the Gospels--captures the essence of the Society and the home visits that represent the core of Vincentian ministry.
In a strictly geographical and spatial sense, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul doesn't have much of a history on the Cathedral grounds. But that's more than okay, because Vincentians have been bringing the special sacredness of St. James Cathedral--its faith, its ethos of service, and its heart for the poor--to the holy ground of people's homes. The Society here at St. James has extended the notion of church to every home visited within the parish's boundaries. The spiritual home found by many inside the cathedral building, especially on Sundays, has been taken outside to the everyday worlds where people struggle with life.
Vincentians--at St. James and everywhere else, for that matter--have gone to and sought out the poor, trying to fill in the gaps left by a society that continues to ignore its most vulnerable members. It's simple, and it doesn't lend itself to colorful archival footage, but it's the essential, ordinary work of patient people trying to be present to the needy in their time of struggle and hardship.
It's what Vincentians do today, as they walk parish neighborhoods to do their home visits in pairs, and it's what Vincentians--here at the Cathedral and everywhere else in the world--will continue to do as long as the poor are among us. Quietly but consistently, with little fanfare but considerable dedication, the Vincentians of St. James Cathedral will continue to bring church--and desperately needed material assistance--to those in our midst. What began 83 years ago at this parish will continue the same way it started, as a group of Vincentians will carry on in their mission to meet people where they live and extend the love of Christ to those who suffer.