Bishop Donald J. Hying is the new national episcopal advisor of the U.S. Society of St. Vincent de Paul.  (Photo: Catholic Diocese of Gary, Ind.)

ST. LOUIS – The Most Reverend Donald J. Hying, Bishop of the Diocese of Gary (Indiana), accepted an invitation to serve as the national episcopal advisor of the U.S. Society of St. Vincent de Paul. He will serve a six-year term. Episcopal advisors attend national meetings, participate in discussions and provide spiritual guidance to the Society members.

Bishop Hying was installed as the fourth Bishop of the Diocese of Gary, Ind. in 2015. Prior to that, he was ordained the seventh Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee in 2011. Bishop Hying also served at St. Francis de Sales Seminary and with several parishes in Wisconsin as well as in the Dominican Republic. He was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee on May 20, 1989. His first priestly assignment was as associate pastor for St. Anthony Parish in Menomonee Falls, Wis. from 1989 to 1994.

“I look forward to serving with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul as its members work to carry out the vision of founder Blessed Frederic Ozanam to grow spiritually through serving people in poverty,” Bishop Hying said.

Bishop Hying is a native of West Allis, Wis. He was born to Albert and Catherine Hying (both deceased) on August 18, 1963, and is the youngest of six sons. He attended St. Aloysius and Immaculate Heart of Mary grade schools, Brookfield Central High School, and Marquette University. He earned his Masters of Divinity from Saint Francis de Sales Seminary.

In addition to his position with SVdP, Bishop Hying serves as the Episcopal Liaison for National Association of Catholic Chaplains. He is also a member of United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Subcommittee to Aid the Church in Central and Eastern Europe.

One of the largest charitable organizations in the world, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (www.svdpusa.org) is an international, nonprofit, Catholic lay organization of about 800,000 men and women who voluntarily join together to grow spiritually by offering person-to-person service to the needy and suffering in 150 countries on five continents. With the U.S. headquarters in St. Louis, Mo., membership in the United States totals nearly 100,000 in 4,400 communities.

SVdP offers a variety of programs and services, including home visits, housing assistance, disaster relief, education and mentoring, food pantries, dining halls, clothing, assistance with transportation, prescription medication, and rent and utility costs. The Society also works to provide care for the sick, the incarcerated and the elderly. Over the past year, SVdP provided over $1.2 billion in tangible and in-kind services to those in need, made more than 1.7 million personal visits (homes, hospitals, prisons and eldercare facilities) and helped more than 20.9 million people regardless of race, religion or national origin.

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For more information about this release, please contact:

Gary Stevens at (314) 576-3993 ext. 209 or (314) 378-5583 or e-mail gstevens@svdpusa.org