Vincentians serve all over the United States, and with this issue, we’ll visit our Vincentian brethren in the South. In the five-state area of the Southern Province, Vincentians are concentrated in three “apostolic centers.”

 

The first center is in New Orleans, Louisiana. There Vincentians minister at the downtown parish of Saint Joseph and its new outreach, the Saint Joseph Rebuild Center.

 

At our second center in Dallas, Texas, Vincentians work both in special ministries such as area prison outreach, provincial administration, and at Holy Trinity Parish.

 

The third center, based in North Little Rock, Arkansas, consists of the mobile Vincentian Evangelization Team.

 

New Orleans—Saint Joseph Church and Rebuild Center

Saint Joseph Parish was established in February 1844 to serve a growing Catholic population in the heart of New Orleans.  The Rebuild Center is a coalition of Catholic and other faith-based organizations serving the Canal Street corridor.  Founded following the devastation inflicted upon New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina, the purpose of the Rebuild Center is to provide a setting, resources, and opportunities for collaboration among Catholic and other faith-based organizations in this area of New Orleans.  It has become a beacon of hope for the local community.

 

Dallas—Holy Trinity Parish

For over 100 years, Holy Trinity Parish has been serving the uptown community of central Dallas, Texas. And for over 90 years, Holy Trinity School has provided a quality Catholic education to children from kindergarten through the eighth grade. The parish outreach programs extend to a local retirement center, and two nearby homeless shelters.

 

Another community outreach is the Holy Trinity Center. The staff at the center helps the unemployed find jobs, furnishes them with monthly “job lists,” provides a computer, phone, and fax for job search on the internet, and allows resume preparation.

 

The people of Holy Trinity Parish, following Jesus Christ and his servant Saint Vincent de Paul, share a deep concern for the suffering of the poor, and put this concern into action.

 

North Little Rock—Saint Anne Catholic Church

Saint Anne Parish was founded in 1909 when a few pioneers attended Mass at Saint Joseph’s Orphanage near Camp Pike. Pastors who were chaplains to the Sisters at the Orphanage served the group. Throughout the years, the pastors and parishioners of Saint Anne have had a “can do” spirit in transforming their small parish into the hub of a vibrant Vincentian presence in Arkansas, serving people throughout the region, especially the poor.

 

Here in the South, Vincentian family members can be found answering the call of service to others in need. And while each region of our country presents its own unique challenges, all share the same need for spiritual nourishment. And where there is this need, you can find Vincentians.