(Right) Sal Aguayo was recently awarded the highest honor, the Gold Medallion, by the Cardinal of the Archdiocese, Roger Mahoney. The award was presented for Aguayo’s continuous dedication, work, and service as a Vincentian in the St. Sebastian Conference of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Left to right are Melinda Aguayo, David Garcia, and Sal Aguayo.

Sal Aguayo recently awarded highest honor, the Gold Medallion by Cardinal Roger Mahoney

April 14, 2010
Santa Paula News

Santa Paula is well known for being a generous and caring community, as evidenced by the winter shelter, Many Meals, and various food pantries. One of these is the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, St. Sebastian Conference.

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul originally started in 1927 and served the community until the mid-1940s. Records of its earlier service were found with receipts of 25-cent meal tickets for the “Mickey Mouse Café” and 15-cent tickets for the “Coney Island Café.” The group was resurrected in 1996, supported by active volunteers such as former St. Sebastian pastor Fr. Roth, the late Joe Bravo and his wife Sylvia, Al Guilin, Ed Geis, Glen Sliger and Sal Aguayo.

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul, St. Sebastian Conference is currently a group of 25 to 35 individuals who like to be referred to as “people serving friends and their families.” The volunteers prepare up to 300 bags of canned goods and fresh food items – received from Food Share on a weekly basis – to be distributed on Thursday afternoons. Currently 300 families, totaling approximately 5,000 individuals, are served.

The St. Sebastian Conference also serves hot lunches once every other month under the umbrella of Catholic Charities as participants of “Family to Family,” and approximately 218 friends and families are served. Also, weekly home visits are made to different friends and families in need of emergency funds.

Sal Aguayo, the first full time president of the group since it was reestablished in 1996, was recently awarded the highest honor, the Gold Medallion, by the Cardinal of the Archdiocese, Roger Mahoney. The award was presented for Aguayo’s continuous dedication, work, and service as a Vincentian in the St. Sebastian Conference of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Aguayo is also a silversmith and an author of two children’s books, which DreamWorks is looking to produce as videos.

Due to the great need in our community, Our Lady of Guadalupe Church is now looking into starting a conference in order to be able to serve even more friends and their families.





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