43
St. Vincent de Paul dining hall concerns still under review
By Kalea Hall
YOUNGSTOWN
Area leaders and the Diocese of Youngstown are still in talks with the National Council of the U.S. St. Vincent de Paul Society to resolve the society’s downtown dining-hall closure.
Those talks continue even though the society’s dining hall at 208 W. Front St. is expected to reopen Monday with a new manager.
“I think everyone is working really hard to resolve the issue of the dining hall,” said the Rev. David J. Bergner, vicar of social concerns for Catholic Charities of Youngstown.
The dining hall has been closed since Monday after the resignation of former kitchen manager Ralph “Skip” Barone. Brian Antal, president of St. Vincent de Paul Society Mahoning District, cited “personnel issues” as the reason for the hall’s temporary closure.
After the closure, volunteers came forward to express their concern with Antal’s leadership and implementation of various rules they did not agree with. The volunteers say they want a leadership change before they go back.
Antal issued a release Wednesday evening that stated the dining hall would reopen Monday. He could not be reached to comment further Thursday.
“The society will resume its normal schedule moving forward,” Antal said in the release sent out Wednesday. “We look forward to helping those in need in our community once again.”
Also on Wednesday, the Diocese of Youngstown and presidents of the area St. Vincent de Paul conferences sent recommendations to the national council of what they think should be done to resolve concerns with the dining hall, but those recommendations haven’t been released.
Father Bergner expected to hear back from the national council Thursday, but had not heard back by the end of the work day.
“St. Vincent de Paul is a national organization, and they have their own chain of command,” Father Bergner said.
The national council has said it does not generally get involved with local St. Vincent de Paul Society councils unless it is requested to do so. The Diocese of Youngstown has no contractual authority over the Mahoning District’s society, but does share the same mission.
Though the dining hall remained closed Thursday, those in need once again went to the parking lot across the street from the facility, where former society volunteers distributed lunches to about 145 people.
Area organizations also came to donate services to the effort.
Lunches will be handed out again at 11 a.m. today in the parking lot.