At what was then my local parish, the pastor asked if I would consider joining the Society of St Vincent de Paul. "It is about helping the poor" or something like that is what he said the Society consisted of. It didn't take long. After a few days of personal discussion with family members and reflection I decided to give it a try. Soon I discovered that St Vincent de Paul was more than helping the poor. Yes, we helped the poor, we helped solve material and emotional crises at local households, but we also grew strong in friendship among Vincentian members, and we were nurtured spiritually by circumstances and by people. Especially those who we visited often displayed signs of a faith much stronger than my own. I saw the face of Christ in God's children, brothers and sisters of mine, even those who didn't utter a word while visiting at their homes. This started about 15 years ago for me. The Lord has since called me to serve in a different capacity at the Society, but the path continues to be the same. It is clearly the path to God's Kingdom, with my feet and my soul deeply rooted in the world, right here in the Pittsburgh area.