ST. VINCENT DB PAUL SOCIETY

New Zealand Tablet, 14 August 1919, Page 35

ST. VINCENT DB PAUL SOCIETY

SACRED HEART BRANCH, NORTH-EAST :f; ::;; : -. ;.;:': '' VALLEY. /' " ■' ''"""'•'. ' .',-' - The annual meeting of the Sacred Heart branch (St. Joseph's Cathedral Conference) of the St. Vincent de Paul Society was held on Tuesday evening, August 5, in the meeting room, Sacred Heart School, North-East Valley. Father Spillane (spiritual director) presided, and there was a good . attendance of members. Among those present were Mrs. W. Duffy (president of the Particular Council, Dunedin) and Mrs. M. A. Jackson (president of St. Joseph's Cathedral Conference). Following was the annual report: The branch consists of nine active and 71 honorary members. Twenty-one meetings were held during the year, with an average attendance of five. Twentyeight cases were relieved, and 241 visits paid to the sick and poor. Forty-six orders were given for coal, 31 for groceries, seven pairs of boots were supplied, 27 new and 165 second-hand garments were distributed, and 29 parcels of second-hand clothing were received during the year. The members regret the severance, during the year, of their spiritual director, Father Ardagh, to whom they were deeply indebted for advice and assistance. The members desire to thank most sincerely all honorary members and friends who generously contributed much appreciated aid. The statement of accounts showed :—Credit balance brought forward, August 1, 1918, £9 14s lid; collection at church, £8 5s 6d ; subscriptions for year ending July 31, 1919, £23 17s 6d : donation from Bailey Fund, £5 ; total, £46 17s lid. Expenditure, including groceries, £lO 8s; coal, £l9 9s 7d ; lighting, £1; donation to Mount Magdala, £1 Is; sundries, lis 2d; leaving a credit balance of £l4 5s 2d. In referring to the admirable report of the work done during the year, Father Spillane eulogised the devotion of the members to the interests of the poor and distressed of the district, and to the material help so generously extended to those who had most acutely felt the strain during the years of the war and its dire consequences. He urged continued and liberal support to the excellent charitable society of St. Vincent de Paul, which, over a lengthy period of years, had done such noble work in and around the city of Dunedin. He (the speaker) would give every assistance and encouragement possible to the society in its laudable endeavors, and this, they knew, would always be done by the priests of the parish in the future as in the past. Mrs. M. A. Jackson also spoke in commendation of the manner in which the work of the society was being carried out in the North-East Valley, and of the assistance the members had rendered St. Joseph's Conference. The office-bearers of the branch are: President, Mrs. J. S. Hungerf ord ; vice-president, Mrs. W. Duffy; wardrobe keeper, Mrs. C. Graham; secretary and treasurer, Miss N. Murphy.