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ACU and St Vincent de Paul Society Queensland to establish new campus hub

Australian Catholic University’s Banyo Campus will be home to a new chapter of the St Vincent de Paul Society Queensland Banyo Conference as part of a newly signed agreement between the two organisations.

Under the new partnership, ACU students and staff experiencing an immediate crisis or hardship will have direct access to emergency relief through a new hub being established at the Banyo Campus.

The Campus hub has been adopted as a “special work” of the Society’s Banyo Conference, based at the Banyo-Nundah Catholic Parish.

ACU staff will have the opportunity to volunteer at the campus hub as members or associates of the local Conference.

ACU Banyo’s Campus Ministry team will also establish the first Vinnies@ACU student society. The student-led university club will collaborate closely with Vinnies Youth to provide peer-to-peer support, support fundraising initiatives, and contribute to an extensive range of volunteering opportunities, some of which will contribute directly to credit into their degrees.

The new partnership between ACU and the St Vincent de Paul Society Queensland extends on years of community service and works of charity across 13 different programs.

ACU Campus Dean Professor Susan Dann said the new partnership agreement would provide a concrete governance structure that formalises the long-standing collaboration between ACU and the Society in QLD.

“ACU and St Vincent de Paul Society Queensland have worked closely for more than a decade on a range of community initiatives, including their support of our incredible Clemente Australia program, and welcoming our students for community engagement placements in critical programs such as Buddies Day and Sense,” Professor Dann said.

“For the first time, the Society will have a formal hub on the Banyo Campus, offering support to students and staff in need. I also welcome the opportunity for our students to embrace the work of the Society through ongoing volunteer opportunities on and off campus.

“Our new partnership with St Vincent de Paul Society Queensland affirms our mission as a Catholic university that strives for the dignity of the human person.”

The St Vincent de Paul Society’s connection with universities dates back to the charity’s origins.

A young Frédéric Ozanam witnessed the extreme poverty caused by a cholera epidemic while making his daily venture to university lectures.

Moved by the plight of the poor Parisian families, the 20-year-old established the St Vincent de Paul Society in 1833, named in honour of St Vincent de Paul, the patron of Christian charity.

St Vincent de Paul Society Queensland’s acting chief executive officer Joe Duskovic said the opportunity to work with ACU was a reminder of the Society’s original vision.

“Frédéric Ozanam was a 20-year-old student when he founded the Society in 1833, called to live his faith in action with his fellow university students,” Mr Duskovic said.

“It is fitting that nearly 200 years later we continue Blessed Frederick Ozanam’s spirit of service to the poor through this renewed partnership with ACU.

“The St Vincent de Paul Society welcomes the opportunity to work closely with ACU for the benefit of people on the Banyo Campus but also more broadly in our community.”