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Conference presidents wanted change
By Kalea Hall
YOUNGSTOWN
The leadership change sought by area conference presidents of the St. Vincent de Paul Society will take effect next week.
“They were requesting a leadership change no matter how it was done,” said the Rev. David Bergner, vicar for social concerns for the Diocese of Youngstown.
“That is going to be accomplished on Dec. 16.”
On Tuesday, Brian Antal resigned as president of the Diocesan Council of Northeast Ohio and as president of the St. Vincent de Paul Mahoning District Council. On Wednesday, the district council will meet to start the process of electing a new president and to appoint an interim president.
Until then, Antal will stay on as president of the Mahoning district. David Skowron has assumed the duties of president of the Diocesan Council of Northeast Ohio. In this role, Skowron, who is the president of St. Vincent de Paul Trumbull County Council, will be the spokesman for the society in the Diocese of Youngstown.
“I think the reality is, Brian brought many skills to his position; it was just time for change,” Father Bergner said.
Antal has been leading the Mahoning County District for four years. He is in his second term and has 21 months remaining in that term.
Antal’s resignation came after the dining hall was closed last week after the resignation of former kitchen manager Ralph “Skip” Barone. Some volunteers of the St. Vincent de Paul Society dining hall on Front Street walked out.
Many came forward and questioned Antal’s leadership. They believed the mission of the dining hall became clouded by new policies and procedures.
The diocese met with St. Vincent de Paul Society conference presidents from local parishes and worked with the national council to address the issues at hand.
“It’s an unfortunate circumstance,” Father Bergner said. “There are no winners or losers. The mission must go on. It’s bigger than one person or organization.”
The dining hall reopened for lunch Monday with a new manager, Wayne Murray.
Skowron has been with the St. Vincent de Paul Society as a volunteer for more than a year. At the Trumbull County society, where the dining hall and thrift shop operate on Niles Road in Warren, Skowron said 180 to 200 people are fed each day during the week.
“The numbers have exploded,” he said. “These people are the working poor.”
Skowron knows there’s a need in Warren and Youngstown, which is why the temporary closure of the Youngstown dining hall was “gut-wrenching.”
“They count on that meal,” he said. “We are a huge resource.”
He is concerned about the donations to the society taking a hit during this critical time because of the recent publicity the society has received.
“We have been here such a long time,” Skowron said. “[The society] might be going through transition phase, but we are a Catholic organization, and we will get back on our feet. We hope to prove how worthy we are of their donations.”
Father Bergner believes donors will continue to feed the mission.