Outreach

The St. Stephen Benevolent Conference (SSBC) of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul is a Catholic lay organization that leads women and men to join together to grow spiritually by offering person-to-person service to the needy and suffering in the tradition of its founder, Blessed Frederic Ozanam, and patron, St. Vincent de Paul. SSBC members witness God’s love by embracing all works of charity and justice and collaborating with others to offer material, spiritual, and advocacy assistance that will promote dignity and self-sufficiency. We meet regularly for prayer and reflection, mutual support, and adherence to a basic Rule to nourish the spirit of poverty, humility, and sharing.

Through the generous contributions of our parishioners and community, we are able to assist individuals and families in the Bentonville, Bella Vista, and Centerton areas with food, financial assistance, and spiritual support. If you are interested in becoming a member, please contact us at 479-696-9361 and/or join us at our bi-weekly meetings which are held on the first and third Sundays of the month at 8:45 a.m.

Major Events:

The St. Stephen Benevolent Conference hosts an annual Friends of the Poor walk/run each Fall in conjunction with St. Vincent De Paul Societies across the country. Walkers and runners join together in this family friendly event to show solidarity with the poor. Entry fees are donation based. T-shirts will be provided to the first 100 who register with a donation of $25 or more. Stay tuned for dates!

The St. Stephen Knights of Columbus was chartered as Council 12458 in 1999. It has served the parish, community and the world with worthwhile activities and funds to help those in most need. The Knights are very active within the community and the parish to help with seminarian and college scholarships, donations to other church organizations, especially the religious education program. Each year, we donate nearly $20,000 by raising funds through special projects like:
– Rummage sale
– Fish Fry’s
– Golf Tournament
– Fall Festival
– Tootsie Rolls for Intellectual Disabilities

Meetings are held on the 2nd Thursday of each month at 7:00 pm in the St Jerome Room at St. Stephen. Watch for one of our frequent activities in the weekly bulletin.

If you are interested in joining the 175+ members of the Saint Stephen Knights of Columbus, contact Grand Knight at bentonvillekofc@gmail.com or ask around to talk to one of our parish Knights.

One Knights of Columbus initiative is to collect and redistribute used medical equipment for our parishioners. Medical equipment can be expensive and many times is only needed temporarily. Our objective is make select equipment available at no cost. If you have good condition equipment, or if you need equipment please email Jim Morrison, jmorrison9.jm@gmail.com, so we can coordinate your need.