About the Society

As members of the Vancouver St. Vincent de Paul Society Conference, we work for a global Catholic ministry with a membership of more than 800,000 volunteers worldwide, dedicated to serving Christ in those around us. It's a big organization!

There are over 4300 conferences (local chapters) in the United States alone. In 2021, nearly 90,000 American volunteers  assisted 4.2 million people, providing services valued at $1,574,106,839!

For more information, use this link from the National Society website.

Our Vancouver Conference is one of seven Conferences here in Southwest Washington, which together make up the Columbia River District Council. Our Columbia River District Council is one of six District Councils in the Seattle Archdiocesan Council, which covers all of Western Washington.

The Conference actively seeks to recruit and retain volunteers without regard to race, creed (with the exception of active members), color, gender, sexual orientation, criminal justice status, disability, marital status, veteran status, national origin, age or physical handicap.

Membership - Becoming a 'Vincentian'

Vincentians seek to bear witness to the love of Christ through:

• prayer 
• meditation on the scriptures
• the teachings of the Catholic Church
• their daily lives
• and in their relationship with those in need and with our fellow Vincentians

There are two types of membership in SVdP: Active (Full) Membership and Associate Membership.

1. Active (Full) Members are those who participate regularly in the prayer life, meetings and charitable activities through personal contact with the poor of the Vincentian Conference or Council into which they have been received.

An Active Member accepts the Rule of the Society, belongs to the Catholic Church and is received as a Vincentian brother or sister into the Society's Conference or Council with which he or she is affiliaed by formal action. Normally, membership implies Conference affiliation. Only Active Members hold office in the organization.

2. Associate Members are those affiliated with the Society by formal action of the Conference or Council with which the member will be joined. Associate Members include those who sincerely and publicly accept the Society’s Rule but may or may not belong to the Catholic Church, may or may not attend Conference meetings on a regular basis nor engage in the works of the Society on a regular basis. Associate Members are kept informed of the developments and activities of their immediate groupings as well as the general progress of the Society, particularly in the local area or diocese. They are invited to attend the general meetings and special observances of the Society and to participate in its charitable activities.