Expansion of Holy Trinity Eastern Suburbs

After 12 months of consultation and recruitment, our Conference activity now covers all the Eastern suburbs in Wellington, recently adding the Kilbirnie/Rongotai/Lyall Bay/Hataitai area to our existing Seatoun/Strathmore/Miramar mission.  This step continues the St Vincent de Paul Society’s strengthening of its mission across the Wellington area, supported by our parish, Cardinal John Dew and archdiocesan officers.   The expanded coverage doubles the client population previously assisted by the Seatoun & Miramar Conference, which is now known as Holy Trinity Eastern Suburbs Conference. 

With the strong support of the parish pastoral council and parish priest of Holy Trinity Parish, eleven new active members have been recruited plus an extra eight associate members to strengthen the capacity of the Conference to deliver the St Vincent de Paul Society mission to poor, sick, lonely and marginalised people in the wider area.

The overwhelming consensus was for an enlarged Conference with stable structure and resources, rather than trying to sustain two smaller Conferences in the same parish and suburban area.

During the latter part of 2019, our Conference completed a simple social assessment to identify deprivation and needs in the parish and social housing area, consulted parish and community leaders for their support, and began recruitment through personal contact and presentations to parishioners at all Masses. Although disrupted by COVID-19 lockdowns In 2020, prospective new members participated in information sessions, attended monthly meetings of the Conference, successfully completed membership application and Police vetting procedures, and are now starting to get involved in visiting and assisting clients in need, accompanying experienced members.

A commissioning liturgy was led by Fr Ephrem Tigga, our parish priest of Holy Trinity Parish, at Mass on 11 October 2020 in St Patrick’s Church, Kilbirnie, to prayerfully welcome the new members into active membership of the St Vincent de Paul Society in the service of those in need in our communities. We have been blessed.

I am also pleased to advise on behalf of all our members that Andrew Bridgman, an experienced member of our Conference, has been unanimously elected as President of Holy Trinity Eastern Suburbs Conference to succeed me after my nine faith-filled and fruitful years serving in this role.

 Brendan Quirk | Holy Trinity Eastern Suburbs Conference