The Society of St Vincent de Paul (SSVP)
- Conference of St Mary of the Angels
Thank you for your support!
“Our main purpose is not merely to help the poor - this is but a means to an end.
Our true aim is to preserve in ourselves the Catholic Faith in all its purity and to communicate it to others through the channels of charity. Charity teaches us that when we visit the poor we gain much more than they do” - Frederic Ozanam
The SSVP Conference of St Mary of the Angels, formed in 1971, aspires to live the twin vocation of building a community of faith and friendship, and growing in holiness through loving and serving the poor and needy regardless of their creed or race. Through person-to-person contact, we befriend and journey with over 100 Friends-in-Need residing within the parish boundaries of Bukit Batok and Jurong East in their difficulties, offering them supplementary material assistance, social and spiritual support, and encouraging them to take charge of their own destiny.
One of the SSVP Outings organised for FINs in 2022
Contact Us
If you feel called and are interested to find out more about the SSVP in St Mary and/or wish to refer someone in need to us, click the button below to complete the Enquiry Form and a member will attend to it as soon as possible.
Aspiring to Build a Community of Faith and Friendship
As Vincentians, we meet on the 1st Sunday of the month @ 10:30am and 3rd Tuesday @ 8pm to reflect on Scripture, keep updated on our FINs and activities at the parish and national level. Through various activities we bond and grow in friendship.
Putting our Faith in Action
Through works of mercy
“I will show you my faith through my works” James 2, 18
We reflect—through our limitations, inadequacies and broken selves – Christ’s love to the ones we serve, and in turn are humbled to encounter the suffering Christ in them.
On the 1st Sunday of the month, we catch up with the FINs in the church grounds to share a hot meal and disburse cash and vouchers to supplement their daily necessities. For FINs who are confined to their homes, we visit them to make deliveries.
We also provide other material assistance, for example: monthly Milk and Diapers to needy families with children below the age of 3, weekly tuition and mentoring on Saturdays (9am-12 noon) at St Joachim’s Conference in the Church of St Joseph, education grants for FINs children studying in ITE, Polytechnic, Pre-University and University, and donated dry rations, care-packs and household appliances.
We work together in teams to journey and gradually build bonds of friendship with our FINs through home visits, celebrating festivals and birthdays, sponsoring and walking with them in the Catholic faith, visiting them in the hospital, accompanying them for medical appointments and Mass for the Sick, and attending wakes and funerals.
As a conference, we also organize excursions and parties annually, during Easter and Christmas, bringing small relief and smiles to the FIN families. We work and partner with the various ministries, parishioners, and social agencies to live the social mission of the Church with the poor and needy in dignity.
Keep Updated on the Latest Happenings
SSVP Newsletters
Read all about the latest happenings in SSVP HERE.
What Happens to Your Generous Contributions?
In 2023, the number of FIN families befriended by members increased by 15% over 2022. 55% are elderly poor above the age of 60 years. 40% are people with special needs, and 10% single/young mothers. Generally from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds, many live in rental flats, have one or more chronic medical condition and are unemployed. There is diversity of race and creed in our FINs community.
93% of the requested funds allocated to SSVP by the parish were given out as supplementary financial assistance of cash and vouchers, with each family receiving an average of $181/month (or between $130 and $500/month).
In addition to the supplementary financial and materials assistance rendered, the conference has also been actively befriending and journeying with our FINs socially and spiritually, serving them in hope and love.
2022
Over 50% are elderly poor above the age of 60 years. 40% of our FINs are people with disabilities, and 20% single mothers and/or from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds. There is diversity of race and creed in our FINs community. A large number of our FINs live in rental flats, have more than one medical condition and are unemployed.
In 2022, the requested funds allocated to SSVP by the parish were used entirely for the benefit of the FIN families:
Each family received an average of $160/month or between $80 and $380/month as supplementary financial assistance (cash and vouchers).
The year 2022 was marked by the gradual lifting of Covid-19 restrictions. This meant that our home visits and the ability to gather in church continued to be constrained and limited until closer to the end of the year. Members found ways to progressively connect with the FINs, including making regular phone calls to them and having “come-collect-go” ration distribution in church. Members also continued to meet fortnightly via zoom.
Through it all, with the graces from God, the Society with its 25 members still managed to:
Collect and distribute to our FINs: Care Packs from Temasek Foundation and dry rations and household essentials from the Singapore Red Cross (Project RICE).
Deliver CNY Eve Bento meals from the Social Kitchen to our elderly Chinese FINs.
Guide the attached post-confirmation youth to bring the FINs on a “Tour of the Church grounds”, as part of their Lenten project.
Organize for our FINs the Easter excursion to Bollywood Veggies and Christmas lunch in Gubbio – keeping within safety protocols.
Journey with a FIN towards the Easter sacraments of baptism, confirmation and holy Eucharist.
Learn more about the SSVP
The Society of St Vincent de Paul (SSVP) is a global lay Catholic volunteer organization that offers person-to-person help to those in need, serving in hope. The first conference was formed in Paris in 1833 by a group of 7 friends with the aim of “keeping ourselves firm in our Catholic faith and to spread the faith to others through charity”, and placed under the patronages of Our Blessed Mother Mary and St Vincent de Paul.
Introduced in Singapore in 1883, the SSVP National Council Singapore was subsequently registered as a society and registered charity and today is present in 29 parishes and runs a thrift shop in 501 Geylang Road. In Singapore, SSVP befriends, journeys and provides assistance to over 3,000 Friends-in-Need (FINs), from all religions, ethnicities and nationalities.
To know more about the SSVP National Council Singapore, visit them online via the following channels:
