Vinnies looks to its origins after 70pc membership decline

The decision to do the refounding work was taken at the Society’s AGM earlier this year, said national president Garry Stevens. Mr Stevens said in an e-newsletter that the social, legal and religious environments have changed greatly since Blessed Frédéric Ozanam founded the Society in 1833.

The Society in Aotearoa New Zealand is “dying”, Mr Stevens stated. “Since 2018, membership has fallen by nearly 70 per cent and the number of conferences is down by 25 per cent.”

Other challenges include the organisation being seen as the “welfare” society, and “we have lost our mission to love”.

“Refounding is a process of going right back to the beginning of the Society, finding out why it was started and beginning all over again in ways that are suitable for today’s world,” Mr Stevens wrote.

“It is not refreshing, not renovating or redesigning. Those words only deal with the outward signs (symptoms) of the problem; they don’t tackle the root cause. We go back to the very beginnings of why the Society was started and the story (reasons) behind its beginning/founding.

“For us, our foundation story is the Parable of the Good Samaritan; the story that Jesus gave us in response to the question ‘What must I do to gain eternal life?’ The answer! ‘Love God and love your neighbour’. That is the mission. That is the ‘why’ we do what we do.

“Therefore, we must start again – rediscover why Frédéric and his companions started the Society and find radically new ways of putting it into action in today’s world.

“We have been given a wonderful opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives. Let us grab it with both hands,” Mr Stevens said.

FULL STORY

Society of St Vincent de Paul NZ e-newsletter 37 (Society of St Vincent de Paul NZ)

Blessed Frédéric Ozanam (SVDP)