St. Vincent de Paul | Louisville

By Brother John Baptist Hoang, O.P.
Dominican Province of St. Joseph

You may have seen us on campus: two young men wearing white medieval robes walking around the grounds of St. Vincent de Paul in Louisville, KY. For all those who stopped dead in their tracks with a puzzled look of confusion, let me introduce myself.

My name is Brother John Baptist, and I belong to the Order of Friars Preachers, the Dominicans. We are a Catholic religious order of friars, founded in 1216 by Saint Dominic. We live a common life dedicated to prayer, study, and preaching—modeling our life on the life of Jesus and the Apostles.

"Their lives would not be helped by my shallow, distant pity. These friends needed me to care, really care for them. And I needed to look into their eyes and see myself reflected in their being."

By Mandy Zoeller Olivam
CrossRoads Ministry

I stand in a line of huddled bodies, taking in sights and smells that have become familiar. I catch the eye of a stranger or two and smile – “How are you?” I ask.

“Hello.” The chatter of friends murmurs amidst the clang of pots and pans from the kitchen. I scan the rafters, the stained glass windows, the tables with vases of bright flowers. We fall silent and remove our hats as a prayer is offered, blessing the food we are about to share, and declare “Amen!” together as the line begins to slowly file along.

Those who have come to eat – old and young people of all shapes and colors and creeds – resume their talk and make their way through the lunch bar. I find an ease in this space. I am at St. Vincent de Paul’s Open Hand Kitchen. Here, once again, I know I will find good food that nourishes me and good friends who enrich my spirit. Here, I will break bread with strangers and friends…and, more often than not, I will break open my heart in profound ways. Here, I will discover people who are on a journey, who I can connect with and learn from. Here, I find wondrous paradox in the faces and stories of those I meet. Here, I have found a home.

By Adam Shelley, MSSW, CSW
Program Manager
St. Vincent de Paul

There are many benefits of being an employee of St. Vincent de Paul, but one that most people likely haven’t heard about is that employees have the privilege of eating free meals in the Open Hand Kitchen. Most people probably wouldn’t boast about being allowed to eat lunch in a “soup kitchen,” but one must understand two things: 1) I love to eat, and 2) to call the Open Hand Kitchen a “soup kitchen” is an injustice.

Editor's Note: Thanks to all the 8th-graders from St. Athanasius School who visited St. Vincent de Paul last week. We invited them to share their reflections afterword, and here are 10 of the students' very thoughtful reflections:

* "Going to St. Vincent de Paul was really moving for me. It showed me that not everyone is as they seem on the outside. People we know and socialize with could have home problems or be homeless. It really opened my eyes to the world around me."