To be asked to carry on the 400-year-old legacy of an Occitan French priest, acting as part of a society created in his name, in a country on the other side of the world (and unknown to most of the world at the time) - certainly seems like a challenge. However, having to spend only an hour after school to learn to help people, is not in reality very demanding. The work of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul has proven priceless to many people in need - as its motto states. And we, as the “Young Vinnies” of St Paul’s College, seek to fulfil the society’s mission to help these people - to Help People.

In this session we focused on the plight suffered by the homeless, as preparation for our homelessness retreat in the beginning of September. Following the instructions of the staff sent to help us, we reassessed the difference between a house and a home, and began to understand what it really means to be homeless. This will be made more real to us in our retreat, but these meetings have already brought closer to home to everything that we see on the news, and in the street. Thanks again to the Vinnies that arrive - without fail - to do the work of the Saint himself.