CEO Alexia Murphy reflects on Vincentian leadership during Lent and Ramadan and reminds us that values are to be lived through action if we are to end homelessness.
This year, Lent and Ramadan occur simultaneously, and both have much in common. Each is a season of reflection, restraint, and renewal. And each encourages compassion, generosity, and responsibility towards others. While traditionally those marking such spiritual occasions tend to do so through fasting, prayer, and quiet self-examination, I have recently found myself reflecting on what these seasons of restraint might ask of those of us in leadership.
In particular, I’ve been wondering how St Vincent de Paul, the Patron Saint of Charity, and a man whose values are action-led and deeply embedded in our work, would approach this contemplative time as a leader.
Vincent, who lived in the 17th century, was a firm believer in doing. He lived his faith through service, and for him, penance only had value if it led to greater love and more effective action. He believed that if an act of self-denial made someone less patient, less energetic, or less available to the poor, then it should be set aside. Good intentions, in Vincent’s view, were less meaningful if they reduced one’s capacity to serve others.
Instead of bodily restraint alone, Vincent encouraged giving time and attention to those in need; accepting inconveniences and interruptions with patience; practising humility, gentleness, and obedience; and enduring daily frustrations without complaint. These were not abstract virtues, but disciplines that demanded consistency between belief and behaviour.
I cannot claim to walk fully in St Vincent’s footsteps, nor do I actively participate in the disciplines of Lent or Ramadan. But each day, when I step into my role as CEO at Depaul UK, I am conscious that leadership itself is a moral practice. It is tested not in moments of reflection, but in the cumulative weight of everyday decisions: who we house and how we support them, whose lived experience informs our work, how consistently we deliver on our promises, and how we respond when the right course of action is neither simple nor comfortable.
Like Vincent, I believe deeply in the intrinsic value and dignity of every person. That belief demands more than compassion; it requires consistent action. For me, that consistent action is expressed through a commitment to a bold and innovative approach to end homelessness in the UK, not as an abstract ambition, but as a daily responsibility to the people we serve and the staff who support them.
In practice, this means delivering high-quality, impactful work that prevents homelessness before it starts — through early interventions in schools, family mediation, and emergency accommodation. For those who have already experienced homelessness, we provide good-quality housing and tailored support to develop life skills, build confidence, flourish in their community, and avoid homelessness in the future.
Alongside direct support, we are equally committed to advocacy, raising the voices of the young people we serve and influencing decision-makers to tackle the systemic causes of homelessness. In 2025, together with partner organisations, we successfully lobbied for young people in supported accommodation to keep more of the money they earn, enhancing their employment opportunities and long-term financial security. Our advocacy work also helped secure government commitments to invest in affordable housing and prevention initiatives, so more young people have a safe place to call home and can move beyond homelessness for good.
In this season of Lent and Ramadan, Vincent’s leadership reminds me that reflection is most meaningful when it leads to action. Leadership, like faith, is shown not in words, but in how we respond to need, live our values, and make a real difference in people’s lives each day.