St. Vincent de Paul Society has dismissed the volunteer staff at Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Mesa, saying clients coming for food boxes, utility help and other services were being poorly treated.The society’s current “conference” of 17 volunteers who had been providing the outreach to the poor were ordered to quit, and that their conference be dissolved.
“We had a number of complaints from people we serve that were being rudely taken care of, and the decision was that we are not going to tolerate it,” said Larry Shima, president of a five-parish district and board member of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul-Phoenix. Action was taken after the Rev. Leonard Walker, the parish’s pastor until his resignation last weekend, wrote a short letter Nov. 7 to society leaders.
“We have come to the time when we have to suppress the current leadership of our conference at Queen of Peace due to many complaints we continue to receive regarding rudeness towards those who come here in need,” he wrote.
Shima said he and others from society headquarters would meet today with potential new volunteers to reorganize the St. Vincent de Paul program at the oldest Catholic parish in Mesa.
