Bishop Alan McGuckian SJ, Bishop of Down and Connor, is joined by SVP Ambassador Malachi Cush, SVP Regional President Mary Waide, Fr Vincent Cushnahan, and Pauline Brown, SVP Regional Manager, at St Vincent de Paul Parish Church Ligoniel, in Belfast. Photo: SVP The Society of St Vincent de Paul marked the Feast Day of their patron saint with a special Mass celebrated by the Most Reverend Alan McGuckian SJ, Bishop of Down and Connor, at St Vincent de Paul Parish Church in Ligoniel, Belfast, on September 24. Nearly 100 members of Ireland’s largest voluntary charity attended the event.
Mary Waide, SVP Regional President for the Northern Region, expressed her gratitude, saying, “It was an honour to welcome Bishop McGuckian to celebrate our Feast Day Mass in this important anniversary year for the Society of St Vincent de Paul… I would particularly like to thank Fr Vincent Cushnahan for his warm hospitality.”
Fr Perry Gildea, the charity’s Spiritual Advisor, reflected on St Vincent’s legacy of charity, emphasising his mission to help strangers in war-torn regions and raise essential funds to feed the hungry.
SVP members work across all communities to support people from all backgrounds, promoting self-sufficiency and advocating for social justice. Last year, SVP spent around £5 million to assist those facing poverty in Northern Ireland, responding to tens of thousands of requests for help.