Vision of St. Vincent chapel takes shape

Skirting a bustling area where the urban cacophony of central Baton Rouge is persistent, a planned chapel on the campus of the Society of St. Paul will offer some of the most downtrodden individuals in the community the silence of prayer, a transitory reprieve from the difficulties life has tossed their way and perhaps most important a sanctuary to spend alone time with the Lord.

St. Vincent de Paul executive director Michael Acaldo’s vision, which he shares with the organization’s board and which has been more than a decade in the making, is finally going from the draftsman’s board to shovels in the ground, possibly as early as the end of the year.

Acaldo said the plans for the chapel have received preliminary approval from Bishop Michael G. Duca and Vicar General Father Tom Ranzino, who is chairman of the Liturgy, Art and Music Board for the Diocese of Baton Rouge, and now the final construction documents are being prepared. Once completed, the chapel, which was originally discussed as early as 2010 and is the only project left to be completed under the organization’s Vision 150 Strategic Planning process, will finally go out to bid.

“We are really excited about it,” Acaldo said. ‘We’ll go out to bid, get prices and if the prices are not too scary, we will make it happen. I can’t thank Bishop Duca enough for his support.”

“Our chapel is going to be for the purpose of letting people know why we are here,” he added. “God is in every square inch of the world and every square inch in our main charitable block here but until we build the chapel there is no space just for God. I think that will inspire people to really connect their faith with our work.”

The organization has $1.2 million tucked away for construction but even if the bids fudge a bit over that mark, Acaldo said the board has indicated “we are going to take a leap of faith.

“We are going to get it done.”

“God is in every square inch of the world and every square inch in our main charitable block here but until we build the chapel there is no space just for God.”
Michael Acaldo
Executive Director of St. Vincent de Paul

As an addendum to the original plan for the 50-seat chapel, a meeting area that can hold from 35 to 50 additional people hs been added. Acaldo, with a hint of pride, said once completed the chapel could potentially hold up to 100 people when factoring in the connected meeting area.

He envisions a variety of groups, including support groups, using the meeting room, and also hosting students while they are on campus experiencing a real-life look at the good work St. Vincent offers daily.

Initially, Mass will be celebrated on special occasions, such as the feast days of St. Vincent de Paul and St. Louise de Marillac, who is the patron saint of social workers and whose name the chapel will bear. Several priests have already volunteered to celebrate Mass on those and other special occasions, Acaldo said.

“I can just see so many people during the Lenten season and especially Holy Week (visiting the chapel); I can see a lot of things happening in that chapel,” Acaldo said.

He is recruiting volunteers for the chapel, which will allow the facility to be open to the guests of St. Vincent, and it is those individuals whom he embraces. He said discussions at the center often focus on how the organization can provide for the needs for anyone who wants the opportunity to reflect and pray in an area designated for  that purpose.

He sees daily the gratitude of the homeless who are being fed or housed by St. Vincent de Paul and while their bodies may be tattered, their hearts are often overflowing with the love of God. And their devotion to their faith whatever that might be, is what drives Acaldo.

“They are just so thankful God is providing for their meal for the day,” Acaldo said. “When you hear that, it is from the heart,  you hear the guests pray.”

“Anybody that has done St. Vincent de Paul work, whether it’s working in the shelter or one of the homes, they will tell you the faith that people that have so little their faith is so rich that God is going to take care of them.”

Acaldo said 90% or more of the people St. Vincent serves are people are trying to follow Christ’s example and they are  appreciative of the organization’s services.

Acaldo said minus the chapel, the final project of Vision 150 was completed several years ago, which included admittedly lofty goals. He said one of the goals before the chapel was built was to open a family shelter, which happened in 2018.

A new day center was built shortly before the pandemic hit, which threw another delay into the process.

More recently, the board said the chapel finally has to be constructed, even if it stretches the budget.

“Every project we’ve ever had we had to take a little leap (of faith),” Acaldo said. “Sometimes you just know exactly where (the funding) is going to come from. When you are doing the good work of God, it all seems to fall into place.”

Once ground is broken construction is expected to take 10 months to a year to complete.