Happy Feast of Saint Vincent de Paul

Feast of St. Vincent de Paul: September 27

My husband and I are so lucky to have our lives and marriage touched by the stories and legacies left behind by so many of the Saints of the Church. One such Saint is St. Vincent de Paul. Tomorrow celebrates the Feast of St. Vincent de Paul. We honor and celebrate him and the work he did for the poor.

Our experience with the St. Vincent de Paul Society

Soon after we were engaged, I heard from a friend about new dresses on sale for 90 percent off at the St Vincent de Paul Society thrift store in Cocoa Beach. I called my sister soon after learning of this to see if she would be willing to go to the thrift store to look at the dresses. I never thought to get my dress at a thrift store but I knew they were brand new dresses and was excited about getting a beautiful dress for less money. Not to mention help a good cause such as the St. Vincent de Paul Society who does so much through the Church to serve the poor. There was to be no dress hunting. There was to be no big search. I was determined to buy a dress here. After trying on only about 8 dresses, I was able to find the dress of my dreams and buy it for only $47.40.

Trying on the dress of my dreams

Our wedding day was the most amazing day of our lives and I certainly was a beautiful bride. I was so proud to tell everyone the story of my $50 dress. A $50 dress that made me just look and feel like a princess.

Before the ceremony

After the ceremony

Two weeks after our wedding, my parents held a second reception where donations were collected in lieu of gifts. We were able to collect $560 and donate it to the St Vincent de Paul Society chapter at St Mark the Evangelist Church in Fort Pierce, Florida, where my parents are parishioners.

Kris and I were able to make another donation for $400 to the St Vincent de Paul Society in the Diocese of Orlando where my dress was purchased. The $400 is the remainder of what I would have paid for the dress had I purchased it in a retail bridal shop.

The memories we made on our wedding day making our vows to one another in front of God and our family and friends and celebrating with them are worth more than any amount that we can donate.

We are grateful for organizations like the St. Vincent de Paul Society and the work that they do in the honor and memory of such a great saint. We are thankful for the memory and story we have to share with our friends and family for the rest of our lives. We hope to continue to make donations to the St. Vincent de Paul Society in the honor of our anniversary and the memory we will have for a lifetime.

Happy feast day!

Unfortunately, the thrift store in Cocoa Beach where my dress was purchased has since closed. There are still two other thrift store locations in Apoka and Cleremont that continue to the work of St. Vincent de Paul in the Diocese of Orlando. For more information, please visit their website:  http://www.svdporlando.org/

For more information on the St.Vincent de Paul Society, please visit their website: http://www.svdpusa.org/

For more information on the life of St. Vincent de Paul, please check the website:  http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15434c.htm