Marina Gray is a dedicated Vincentian, who was elected as the new Central Council President for Bathurst in February 2024, following in the footsteps of the late and much missed Kenneth Rabbett.
Generosity and helping others is simply Marina’s way of life. What keeps Marina volunteering after so many years? “I’ve always enjoyed helping people,” is her modest answer.
However, Marina’s call to be a Vincentian was clearly meant to be. “I decided in primary school that one day I would be with the St Vincent de Paul Society,” Marina said.
Marina was born on the original feast day of St Vincent de Paul and foreshadowing the ‘Mini Vinnies’ spirit, took inspiration from the saint’s life in her early childhood at Sacred Heart Convent Cabramatta, where she first encountered the Society and supported our community fundraising.
“I also took the full ‘St Vincent de Paul’ as my Confirmation name,” she said. “A lot of the time the nuns at school would try to change the name to Pauline!”
Marina’s exceptional dedication to helping others, more or less full time, over more than 25 years was recognised by the NSW Government in the 2023 Hidden Treasure Honour Roll of the Rural Women’s Network, particularly noting her volunteering for the Society and the SES.
Marina has served as Conference President of St Therese Conference Bathurst, President of St Ignatius Conference Bourke, President of the Evans Regional Council and President of the Cobar Regional Council, among other contributions as a member of the Society.
The people she’s met in her journey with the Society have also been essential to making a sustained difference over many years. Most recently, Paul Burton, the late NSW State Council President, was one of those inspirations.
This Vincentian quality of spending time listening and getting to know the people we assist is similarly rewarding and ultimately most fruitful in making a difference.
“I tell this story to new members but there was a lady coming in continually for assistance, who had children, and then we found out the real problem – why she needed money for food,” Marina said.
The safe relationship developed between the person we assist and local members allowed her to share more deeply about an unjust situation causing her family’s lack of food, and members were also able to share about some of the potential options and services available.
“The next time we saw her, she thanked us and she never needed assistance with food again.”
After serving and becoming experienced as a Vincentian, it’s natural to share the wisdom and skills acquired with new Vincentians and grow the Society’s impact.
Marina encourages members to support new and future Vincentians, whether informally or in leadership roles. “I think the best thing is that people are encouraged,” she said.
“Go to the Regional Meetings, go to the Leadership Forums that are offered. I think people think that [leadership roles] are beyond them or they can’t do that. Once they start going, they can see everyone’s human.”
“There’s plenty of support around. You mightn’t be able to do a leadership role right now but in the future you might be able to. I’d like to say that I’m able to do what I do because I have an absolutely fantastic supportive husband, Bruce.”
Marina and her family’s lives have been immersed in the Vincentian spirit for many years, with Marina’s passion for craft benefitting Christmas decorations for people we assist, and for much of her descendants’ lives, Christmas Day has been about helping others.
Grandson Connor is a dedicated young volunteer alongside Marina, as is her daughter Jenifer.
“We had last year off for the first year for a long time…but for the last umpteen years, as long as Jenifer can remember, she’s been doing Vinnies Christmas Day activities with me.”
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