St Vincent de Paul Society celebrates 100 years in Sutherland Shire

Volunteer members of the society had to travel on horseback or by horse and buggy.

Reaching Kurnell, where many people lived in shacks during the Depression years, involved riding or walking along the seashore.

The early days were recalled on Saturday night when the Sutherland region of the society, which these days is better known as Vinnies, opened a year of centenary celebratory events with a mass at St Aloysius, Cronulla.

The mass was celebrated by Bishop Richard Umbers, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Sydney, and Father James McCarthy, the parish priest.

Conference members and staff were joined by community leaders, including NSW Attorney-General and Cronulla MP Mark Speakman, mayor Carmelo Pesce and deputy mayor Carol Provan.

The president of the society's Sydney Central Council, Tony Cranney was also present.

Bishop Umbers, in his homily, spoke about the society's origins and the work of its members, who demonstrate their faith by caring for the poor.

"No act of charity was foreign and no person served was alien, to the society," he said.

Sutherland regional president Pat Cudmore said society members encountered many "sad stories of need".

The society was founded by Frederick Ozanam in Paris in 1883 and brought to Sydney at St Patrick's Church Hill in the city by Charles O'Neil, a Scottish migrant.

The society spread slowly through Sydney and reached Hurstville in 1899.

On February 19, 1922, conferences were formed at Sutherland and Cronulla.