WASHINGTON — The Society of St. Vincent de Paul, known for its worldwide mission of caring for the poor, christened a new advocacy office in the nation’s capital this month with an internationally attended celebration.
The festivities began with a Mass celebrated by Cardinal Wilton Gregory on April 4 at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, followed by a reception and ribbon-cutting at the United Methodist Building, where SVdP USA will now coordinate lobbying work on Capitol Hill.
Present for the event were members of the organization’s international confederation, its U.S. council, and Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the apostolic nuncio to the United States. Pierre celebrated the blessing rites for the new office, which will be headed by SVdP’s first national director of public policy and advocacy, Ingrid Delgado.
“I’ve had the opportunity to work in public policy for the bishops for 12 years,” said Delgado, who previously worked for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Florida Catholic Conference.
“I’m so excited that it’s prepared me for this moment to serve all of you.”
Society of St. Vincent de Paul USA
According to federal data, more than 11% of U.S. residents live in poverty, totaling 36.8 million. Black, Hispanic, and Native Americans are affected at disproportionate levels relative to their respective national populations, and when compared to the poverty rate of White Americans.
In his remarks at the blessing ceremony, John Berry, president of the SVdP National Council, spoke on the importance of Catholics’ direct advocacy for the poor to federal legislators in Washington.
“We must not only serve the poor but stand beside them, speak for them, and challenge the systems to keep them impoverished,” he said.
“Our faith and our actions must walk hand in hand. We must support organizations that are working to address the root causes of poverty, including systemic racism and economic inequality.”
The event also highlighted the challenges of the current political climate, in which federal assistance for the poor is threatened by fiscal retrenchment and ideological wrangling at the capitol.
The Catholic Church has recently faced strong opposition from the Trump administration for its work with financially challenged immigrant populations, including a cutoff of funding to the USCCB shortly after Inauguration Day. As a result, the bishops announced this week that they would not renew their partnership with the federal government for refugee and children’s services.
On Friday, Delgado spoke of her work with the USCCB on poverty issues, including opposing cuts to the SNAP Program, and Berry noted that the opening of the SVdP’s Washington office underscores the need for persistence in lobbying efforts.
“Hope in the Vincentian tradition is rooted in the unwavering belief that God is present among the poor and the suffering. When we stand among them, we stand with Christ himself,” said Berry.
“Since our founding in 1833, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul has been committed to working not just to serve the poor, but to advocate for them. We serve those in need without regard for their demographics or creed, no matter what political party is in power.”
Nate Tinner-Williams is co-founder and editor of Black Catholic Messenger.
