Board meeting in Atlanta (USA) for its 180th anniversary and inauguration of the new SSVP office in Washington DC.

International General Council

During the first week of April 2025, and coinciding with the 180th anniversary of the founding of the SSVP in the United States, the PGI, accompanied by the members of the Board of the General Council, paid a relevant institutional visit to the country. The international delegation was warmly received by the US National Council, presided over by the member John Berry. They were also accompanied by Michael Acaldo, National CEO. This meeting combined moments of spirituality, organizational work, fraternal meetings and visits to various social works that the SSVP develops in Atlanta (Georgia), Baltimore (Maryland) and Washington DC.

Board meeting in Atlanta

On Monday, March 31, at the SSVP Georgia headquarters, located in Atlanta, the Board meeting was held. Board members were welcomed by Denise Fisher, President of the Georgia Archdiocesean Council, and Mike Mies, Executive Director at the headquarters. During the day, management reports were presented, international projects were discussed and new strategies to strengthen the Vincentian mission were coordinated. ​

In addition, among other matters, legal reports were presented regarding the establishment of the SSVP Global Foundation, for which John Berry has been provisionally appointed as Executive Chairman of the Global Foundation until the Foundation is established. On the other hand, the need to develop a Strategic Plan was discussed, a task that has been entrusted to the President of Australia, Mark Gaetani, who has been appointed Deputy Vice President by PGI for this purpose. The preparations for the III Meeting of Vincentian Youth and the Jubilee in Rome, to be held from July 28 to August 4, were also discussed. The PGI announced that, in view of the next presentation of the annual accounts for 2024, Brazil has been nominated as the host country, and that the event will take place in the fourth quarter of 2025. In addition, the dates of the Ibero-American Meeting in Panama, from October 30 to November 2, were announced.

Attendees were also reminded of the forthcoming meeting of the Board, the Executive Committee and the Permanent Section, convened on the special agenda, where the circumstance of its acting as the Board of Directors of the Confederation, in accordance with Article 5.1.2. of the Bylaws, was noted.

Afterwards, the host team presented some of the most outstanding social works of the SSVP in Atlanta:​

• SSVP Pharmacy: the only charity pharmacy in Georgia. It dispenses 2,500 free prescriptions monthly to people without resources.​
• Motel-to-Home Program: allows the relocation of families living in motel rooms. In the last year, it has facilitated the relocation of more than 270 families to permanent housing.​
• Community Market: offers families dignified access to basic foodstuffs, allowing them to select products according to their needs.​

After a tour of the facilities and social works located at the headquarters, the Board members had the opportunity to visit one of SSVP’s charity stores in Georgia, where Darrell W. Hooker, Chief Operating Officer (COO), introduced them to the operation and scope of this community service.

Spiritual and institutional meetings in Atlanta

On Tuesday, April 1, the international delegation experienced a day that united mission, action and spirituality. The day began with a visit to the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, where they were welcomed by Father Howren John and Tara La Bouff, SSVP Atlanta Service Manager. There they were able to learn more about the history of this church, one of the oldest in Atlanta, an icon of Catholicism in the southern United States, and today attended by faithful from 45 districts. During the American Civil War it functioned as a hospital (1861 – 1865), providing services without distinction of sides. It also survived the Atlanta Fire, when much of the city was burned during Sherman’s famous “March to the Sea”. Today, they claim that they “continue to heal people’s souls in the same way, without distinction”. In addition, we learned more about their first pastor, Fr. Jeremiah F. O’Neill and Fr. Thomas O’Relly, whose remains rest in the church. Both left an indelible mark on the history of the Church and their actions were fundamental not only for the growth of Catholicism in Atlanta, but also for the preservation of the historical and spiritual heritage of the city. The Board then took a tour of the social work that the Conferences carry out in the Church, both in the delivery service, the soup kitchen for the homeless and the shelter

Later, at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, they were welcomed by Father Joseph Morris, who shared the rich history of the church and his pastoral work in the community. ​ We thank Ralph Bailey for the guided tour he gave to the members, and the SSVP USA First Vice President Louise Scott and SSVP Georgia Council President Denise Fisher for their welcome and warmth.

Arrival in Washington. Visit to social works in Baltimore – Maryland

On Thursday, April 3, the delegation traveled to Baltimore to get an up-close look at some of SSVP USA’s most emblematic social works. They were welcomed by Pauline Manalo, National Vice President of Vincentian Programs and Services, and John Schiavone, President and CEO of SSVP Baltimore.​

They visited the Good Harvest SVdP Community Kitchen, which offers free meals to homeless people, adults at risk of social exclusion, migrants, unemployed or families with very low incomes; they distinguish themselves by providing humane and dignified treatment to people who come to the soup kitchen, the Beans & Bread center, wherethey offer a comprehensive service to people who are homeless and where they find, in addition to hot meals and a dignified and welcoming environment, a shower and laundry service, and the Sarah’s Hope family shelter, which provides safe accommodation, food and support services to entire families who are going through a housing-related crisis. Its ultimate goal is to achieve family unity, which often breaks down when families are experiencing homelessness. In this way, the Board members were able to see the positive impact of Vincentian action in the community.

They also visited the Basilica of Baltimore, officially called the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the first Catholic cathedral built in the United States after independence, where they were greeted by Archbishop William Lori, who emphasized the importance of service to those most in need, pronounced the following words “Work, sacred and charity”, which mean that these actions are not only social but also spiritual, and must be done with love and respect, in response to an elevated or divine mission.

At the end of the day, they were able to have a time of prayer at the St. Jude Shrine, a Catholic devotional temple dedicated to St. Jude Thaddeus, which is considered among the most outstanding in the world. It is also a place of pilgrimage and prayer, seeking the saint’s intercession in difficult times. The members united in prayer through the recitation of the holy rosary, presided over by Father Pepe Orozco C.M.

Holy Eucharist and inauguration of the new SSVP office in

On Friday, April 4, in Washington D.C., the delegation participated in a Eucharist presided over by the Nuncio of His Holiness the Pope to the United States, Cardinal Wilton Gregory, in the Basilica of the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, and concelebrated by Archbishop Andrew Bellisario C.M. This liturgical act, which was attended by all the members of the United States Board, underlined the unity and spirituality that characterizes the Society. The Basilica has a beautiful chapel dedicated to St. Vincent de Paul, where there is a luminous portrait of Frederick Ozanam.

The main event of the visit took place with the blessing and opening of the new SSVP office in Washington, D.C., a historic milestone for the United States Council, attended by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, Apostolic Nuncio of His Holiness to the United States, and Andrew Bellisario, C.M. The building, strategically located near the Capitol, will serve as a nerve center for advocacy efforts and institutional relations at the federal level, as well as for the launch of new social initiatives aimed at addressing current challenges. The office will be directed by Ingrid Delgado.

During the ceremony, National President John Berry delivered a moving speech in which he stressed the importance of transforming hope into justice: “Hope is the seed, but justice is the harvest. If we do not act, hope remains just a dream. Justice must propel us to action, inspiring efforts that ripple outward, create lasting change, and making our world a better place.”  He also added: “There is a crisis of conscience for our nation and every nation. The pursuit of individual prosperity cannot come at the expense of the common good. This new headquarters in Washington D.C. represents a fundamental tool to amplify the voice of our poorest brothers and sisters in the spaces where public policies are decided. Here we will not only serve, we will also advocate with strength and faith.”

The President General, Juan Manuel B. Gomez, congratulated the members of the National Council in the person of its President John Berry for having achieved, for the second time, to be included in the Forbes list of the largest charitable associations in the USA, and stressed in his final speech that the opening of this new headquarters is a decisive step in the commitment of the SSVP to dignify the lives of excluded people. “This office will be an open house, a place of listening, advocacy and Vincentian witness in the political heart of the United States.”

Conclusions of the meeting

The institutional visit to the United States was a reaffirmation of the founding spirit of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul: committed charity, effective service and faith lived in humility. The warm welcome by the National Council of the United States, the richness of the social works visited, the fraternal dialogue with the members and the deep spirituality shared, strengthened the bonds of unity and mission within the International Confederation.

With the opening of the new headquarters in Washington D.C., a new stage in the history of SSVP USA begins, marked by a renewed vocation of leadership, advocacy and evangelical commitment.