At St. Vincent de Paul, formation is encouraged and promoted. One required course is called the Ozanam Orientation, which was held at the Ladies of Charity in Knoxville on April 23.
The Ozanam Orientation, in particular, is important because it sets the spiritual and philosophical tone for its members on what St. Vincent de Paul is about. When people think of St. Vincent DePaul, they often think of it as only a charity. But that is not its primary goal. The primary goal of the society is to promote the holiness of its members in the service of the poor. And in the service of the poor, they hope to bring them closer to God in their prayers and in their actions. Above are Vincentians from various parishes in the diocese.
Members came from Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Chattanooga, St. Mary in Oak Ridge, St. Mary in Johnson City, St. Thomas the Apostle in Lenoir City, Good Shepherd in Newport, St. Francis of Assisi in Townsend, and St. John Neumann in Farragut. In the center of the picture is Susan Unbehaun, executive director of the Ladies of Charity, where the training was held, and to the right is Jim Moretti, president of the St. Vincent de Paul Council in the Diocese of Knoxville.
