SVdP Diocesan Council

The Diocesan Council is the St. Vincent de Paul organization supporting and coordinating the work of all the Conferences of St. Vincent de Paul in the Columbus, Ohio Diocese. Council membership comes from members of the conferences. The sixty-two currently active conferences are organized into nine District Councils.

We are located in the Diocesan office building at 197 E. Gay St. Columbus, Ohio, 43215. Contact us:
By phone:    614-221-3554

By email:  Administrative Assistant: Gerard Dolci [email protected]

   Council President: Deb Zabloudil [email protected]

Council Projects

The Diocesan Council helps Conferences address the needs of the poor. The Council provides:

• Gatherings for spiritual growth and friendship
  • Top Hat Award Mass and Dinner 
    
  • Sunday of Recollection (watch for further information due to coronavirus restrictions)
  • September: Friends of the Poor Walk/Run  
  • December: the Bishop’s Appreciation Mass.

• Training for members,
  • Bridges out of Poverty Construct Training cohosted with Mount Carmel Health System
  • Ozanam Training for new members of our Conferences
  • Presidents’ Training

• Support and counsel for conferences, which includes:
  • Voice of the Poor the legislative advocacy activity focused on issues impacting our neighbors who are living in poverty
    
  • Diocesan Council Web Site

• Special Works of the Council
  • St. Lawrence Haven, serving the hungry with a sack lunch five days a week. 
  • Free Clothing Distribution Center providing clothing for the most needy of people.
  • Funeral Fund, offering a supportive donation for those who die with no means for burial.
  • Bishop Griffin Resource Center is a food pantry and social service center serving our neighbors living in poverty on Columbus' far East side.
  • Housing Facilities in Newark OH include a men’s shelter with a food pantry and thrift store.
  • Men's Shelter of Delaware County will be a men's shelter with staff to help men who are released from from the the Delaware County Jail transition to life after incarceration.

The Diocesan Council differs from the Conferences because we have no Fifth Sunday collections. We rely on the conferences, and occasional grants for funding. Volunteers from the conferences provide staffing for our ministries. 

Diocesan Vincentians serve on the Council Board. Current board membership is:

Diocesan Council Officers:

• President: Deb Zabloudil
• 1st Vice-President: Bill Heinmiller
• Secretary (Interim): Maureen Meck 
• Treasurer: Janet Jobko
• Immediate Past President: Tony Jones
• At Large - Young Adult: Open
• Spiritual Advisor: Fr. Charles Klinger

Directors - District Council Presidents:

• East: Bill Heinmiller
• East Rural: Tim Peterson
• East Southeast: Alejandra Leon
  
• Inner City: Marie Placide
• North Central: Jerry Nieman
  
• North Northwest: Danita Podach
• North Northeast: Nancy Thatcher
• South Rural: Bridget Rourke
• South Southwest: Garnett Purnell

Committee Chairs:

• Ozanam Orientation: Warren Wright
• Voice for the Poor: Alejandra Leon
  
• Youth: Open
• Friends of the Poor Walk: Jim Williams 
• Publicity: 

Administrative Staff:

• Administrative Assistant: Gerard Dolci
• Director of St. Lawrence Haven & the Free Clothing Center: Heather Swiger
• Thrift Store Operations: David Oboy