Compassion means allowing another person's suffering to enter our own heart, Bunbury Bishop George Kolodziej SDS has said. Delivering the homily at the 160th Anniversary Regional Mass of the St Vincent de Paul Society WA held at Our Lady of the Bay Catholic Church, Busselton, Bishop George reflected on the compassion of Christ and the vital role that compassion continues to play in the Soci...

The Blessed Sacrament, displayed in a monstrance, was led in procession around the Cathedral. Photo: Eric Odong. Jesus, our Lord and our God, does not wish to stand aloof from us, or keep His distance from us. Rather, He is inviting us into a relationship of affection, of trusting faith and of love, Perth Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB has said. Delivering his homily during the feast o...

As National Volunteer Week (18-24 May) calls all Australians to make 2026 ‘Your Year to Volunteer’, the St Vincent de Paul Society is celebrating the extraordinary contribution of its tens of thousands of volunteers amidst a growing challenge - its volunteer numbers are declining, and the average age is rising. The Society’s National President Mark Gaetani said National Volunteer Week gives...

The Federal Budget has drawn a measured but hopeful response from both the St Vincent de Paul Society and Catholic Health Australia who have welcomed reforms they believe could improve the lives of Australians facing housing stress, poverty, illness and ageing. However, both organisations have also warned that much more needs to be done to ensure vulnerable people are not left behind. In a ...

As winter approaches, the St Vincent de Paul Society is calling on Australians to support the Vinnies Winter Appeal 2026, with new data showing the increased depth of financial pressure now facing households already struggling to get by. A new YouGov survey commissioned by St Vincent de Paul Society found more than half of Australians (55 percent) say they have had to reduce spending on ess...

An invitation to listen and to act. Image: Australian Catholic Bishops Conference. Australia’s Catholic bishops have urged courage and tenderness in addressing the nation’s cost-of-living crisis in their latest social justice statement, The Cost of our Living: Economic and Social Justice for the Common Good. “Across Australia, many of our sisters and brothers are burdened by the rising c...

SVDP WA President Danny Cloghan speaks at the 160th Anniversary Mass on 25 October at St Mary’s Cathedral. Photo: Supplied. By Jamie O'Brien Twenty-twenty-five marks a remarkable milestone for the St Vincent de Paul Society in Western Australia in celebrating 160 years of steadfast service to those in need. The celebrations culminated with a moving Mass at St Mary’s Cathedral on 25 Oc...

National President, Mark Gaetani said the St Vincent de Paul Society shares the concerns expressed by the Grattan Institute about retirees who rent being left behind.

This revitalisation month includes a heartfelt invitation for those not yet involved in the Society to consider how they might be able to put their faith in action and in a practical way show a profound commitment to the dignity of every human person and the call to solidarity.

St Vincent De Paul Society National President Mark Gaetani has said the annual report by the AIHW is further confirmation that the country’s homelessness situation is exceedingly bleak and shows few if any signs of improving.