Dedicated Millbury Vincentians appreciated

By Christina Galeone
CFP Correspondent

Since it was founded, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul conference at St. Brigid’s Church in Millbury has grown and blazed new trails. Leo Lucke Jr., its president, said that the conference’s food pantry has expanded greatly and is “very similar to a grocery store.” The conference now has a partnership with the Worcester County Food Bank to serve more people and offer a better variety of food. And it has a Needs Committee that recently helped a single mom battling cancer to pay rent for a month and a single mother of four to replace a broken washing machine.
All three initiatives were driven by the dedication of Stuart Mulhane and William Kane, two longtime members who recently retired from the conference.
“They’ve been an inspiration,” Mr. Lucke said.
Although they’ve retired from the conference, the society’s mission – as noted on its website – to nurture a “network of friends, inspired by Gospel values, growing in holiness and building a more just world through personal relationships with and service to people in need” will undoubtedly remain with them. And their contributions will surely have an indelible impact on the conference for generations.     
Stuart D. Mulhane, a married father of two and Vietnam U.S. Army veteran who was awarded two Purple Hearts, the Bronze Star and the Combat Infantryman Badge, joined the conference about 40 years ago, which he said was shortly after the conference was founded. Even though he doesn’t remember whether he was invited by a member or heard an announcement at Mass, he’s glad that he joined.
“We were helping people, whether it be the food pantry or other types of requests,” Mr. Mulhane said. “It made me feel good that I was able to accomplish that. We were able to secure items for people.”
The co-owner and co-director with his son of Mulhane Home for Funerals – which just celebrated 150 years in business – he’s also been active at St. Brigid’s as an usher and a collector.  In the conference he served as president and vice president, and he jointly formed and was on the Needs Committee along with Mr. Lucke and Mr. Kane.
Additionally, he serves the community as a Millbury Lions Club member, the chairman at the Charles F. Minney VFW and board member for the Millbury Council on Aging.   
Despite those responsibilities, he didn’t want to completely leave the conference.
“I told them I would volunteer at certain times,” Mr. Mulhane said. “They have the food drive every month.”
Mr. Mulhane is thankful for the peace of mind that he can retire from the conference.
“For St. Vincent de Paul, I hope they’re able to continue being as successful as they have been,” he shared. “I’m sure they will. They have good people there. They have very good people there.”
About 22 years ago, Mr. Mulhane invited his good friend, Mr. Kane, to join the conference.  The married father of four accepted without any reservations. Mr. Kane recalled, “I had heard about it and became interested in it.”
Like Mr. Mulhane, Mr. Kane has been active in the community. In the Millbury Lions Club, he has served as president, treasurer, zone chairman and regional chairman, and he’s won numerous awards. He also served as co-chair of the Millbury Bicentennial Committee and on Millbury’s 175th Anniversary Committee.
For the St. Vincent de Paul conference, the retired foreman electrician served as president several times and as treasurer. A St. Brigid choir member for 10 years, he loved leading the initiative to expand the food pantry and focus more on nutrition and food choice than prepared baskets. And he was happy to establish the conference’s partnership with the Worcester County Food Bank. He also enjoyed interacting with people he served and his fellow conference members.
“Being able to help people in a way that I hadn’t been able to before was very gratifying,” Mr. Kane shared. He added that one of the many rewarding aspects of being in the conference was “seeing people get off of assistance and better their lives – as much as I missed them when they left. That’s our hope.”
Although he’ll miss the camaraderie and fellowship, he feels it’s time to move on and spend more time with his wife and family. “I hope it continues to grow and prosper … and do God’s work for all our people,” Mr. Kane said of the conference’s future. “As long as I’m able, I’m going to help people. I always want to try to give back.”
Mr. Lucke wishes both gentlemen long, happy lives. And he’s grateful to be following in their footsteps.
“I’m honored to have learned from them and to be able to be where I am right now,” he said.