St. Alphonsus

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul, St. Alphonsus, is a faith-based non-profit, made up of local parish members brought together by faith to serve their communities. Our Conference was organized in 1972, by a small group of people who saw suffering and need in our community. They came together and formed a Saint Vincent de Paul Conference to make a difference and do something. 

One of the very first cases was a late evening call one cold January night. Two members gathered together to provide assistance to a rural area of Ocean Springs. Huddled in an unfinished cinder block garage with no door or windows was a father, mother and two small children bundled up around a small fire on the concrete floor. The members transported the family to temporary lodging with heat until arrangements could be made the next day. Funding was a problem as the only receipts were from the member’s weekly donations and a once each year a fish fry. Today our local conference relies on the generous donations of parishioners, members and the community.

The St. Alphonsus Parish conference is part of the Diocese of Biloxi St. Vincent de Paul council which is made up of 29 local conferences within the diocese. Vincentians are united by a spirit of poverty, humility, and sharing. We are nourished by prayer and reflection, mutually supportive gatherings, and adherence best practices to international standards put forth by the international and national councils of St.Vincent DePaul. 

Our work is unique in that our local Vincentians (members) offer tangible assistance to those in need on a person-to-person basis — however they need it most. Vincentians in the St. Alphonsus conference make over 200 home visits annually and serve more than 500 people annually. 

No work of charity is foreign to the Society. To quote our patron, St. Vincent de Paul: “Charity is infinitely inventive.”