Society of St. Vincent de Paul — Angamaly Area Council
The Conference of Charity was founded by Blessed Frédéric Ozanam (a French lawyer, literary scholar and advocate; 1813–1853) along with six like-minded individuals in Paris, France in 1833. The founders were students at Sorbonne University at the time of establishment.
The Conference took Saint Vincent de Paul as its Patron Saint — a great saint well known for his works of charity. This Conference later came to be known as the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SSVP), an international voluntary, lay Catholic organisation of members committed to helping all those in need, including the poor and the vulnerable.
"Helping each other can make the world better."
Angamaly Area Council was formed in 1965 and now includes 17 conferences including St. Thomas Conference. In the financial year 2021–22, the conference spent approximately ₹40 lakh in the form of different aid. This amount was contributed by different well-wishers and members of the conference through the secret collection.
St. Thomas Conference is one of the basic units of SSVP in St. George Basilica Parish, Angamaly, having 20 active members. The conference was established on 8th December 2002 with 12 members. Other conferences in the same parish include St. George Conference, St. Mary's Ladies Conference, Arogyamatha Ladies Conference, and St. Chavara Youth Conference.
St. Thomas Conference engages in a broad range of charitable activities to support the community across spiritual, educational, financial, and medical dimensions.
Spiritual and mental support to families in need across the parish community.
Direct financial aid to families facing hardship — ₹5 lakh+ in FY 2021–22 by St. Thomas Conference alone.
Scholarship programmes, guidance classes, seminars, and coaching centres for students in need.
Medical aid for the needy, including the current flagship Dialysis Centre project for Angamaly.