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11-27-24 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders 1200 1200 SVDP USA
  • Jill Pioter

11-27-24 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders

The Beautiful Exchange In early 1997, I was in the final stages of my reconciliation with the Catholic Church, a process that had begun in earnest eight years earlier and which would be consummated at the Easter Vigil that year. During those months, I had a spiritual director, a Carmelite hermit named Fr. John of…

11-21-24 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders 1200 1200 SVDP USA
  • Jill Pioter

11-21-24 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders

“God knows the sufferings of his children because he is an attentive and caring father. As a father, he takes care of those who are most in need: the poor, the marginalized, the suffering and the forgotten. No one is excluded from his heart, for in his eyes, we are all poor and needy.” –…

Contemplation: When Will That Day Come? 800 800 SVDP USA
  • Kristen Blacksher

Contemplation: When Will That Day Come?

By Timothy Williams, Senior Director of Formation and Leadership Development  “When I am formed,” a teenaged Frédéric lamented, having been assured by his spiritual director that his many doubts would be eased at that time, “When will that day come?” [13, to Materne, 1830] He might as well have asked when the Grand Canyon would…

11-14-24 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders 1200 1200 SVDP USA
  • Jill Pioter

11-14-24 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders

Thankful for You! As Thanksgiving approaches, our Vincentian family has so much to be thankful for. This time of thankfulness is a wonderful opportunity for all of us to do an inventory of the blessings in our lives. Recognizing all of our blessings assures us of God’s love for ourselves and the important work we…

Contemplation: To Be Vincentian 800 800 SVDP USA
  • Kristen Blacksher

Contemplation: To Be Vincentian

By Timothy Williams, Senior Director of Formation and Leadership Development  “A Conference meeting” the Rule instructs, “shall incorporate Spirituality, Friendship, [and] Service” [Rule, Part II, Statute 7]. These three, of course, are the Essential Elements of the Society, and importantly, we are expected not to incorporate or highlight only one of them, but all three.…

11-07-24 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders 1200 1200 SVDP USA
  • Jill Pioter

11-07-24 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders

The other day, I was speaking to one of our Vincentians and she asked me, “Hey, what ever happened to VisionSVdP?” I must say I was a little taken aback by the question, and I asked her why she was asking. I told her that VisionSVdP was going full speed ahead and that we were…

Contemplation: A Boundless Reserve 800 800 SVDP USA
  • Kristen Blacksher

Contemplation: A Boundless Reserve

By Timothy Williams, Senior Director of Formation and Leadership Development  “Money,” our Rule tells us, “must not be hoarded.” [Rule, Part I, 3.14] Members of the Society have always understood this to mean that every dollar we have is meant to serve the needs before us today; we do not save up for a rainy…

10-31-24 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders 1200 1200 SVDP USA
  • Jill Pioter

10-31-24 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders

BOO! I am your scariest trick-or-treater! Yes, I’ve been told that I have a face for radio. It’s that time of year, and today’s the day that we’re going to see the little gremlins coming to our door, yelling “trick or treat.” I can’t wait for it to get started. Much like our upcoming elections,…

Contemplation: Our Vincentian Hearts 800 800 SVDP USA
  • Kristen Blacksher

Contemplation: Our Vincentian Hearts

By Timothy Williams, Senior Director of Formation and Leadership Development  In his encyclical, Dilexit Nos, Pope Francis focuses on the importance of the heart to the practice of our faith; not merely the physical, biological heart, but the heart which is the core of our being, the union of body and spirit. Not surprisingly, he…

SVDP Council Spotlight: Baltimore 1078 720 SVDP USA
  • Kristen Blacksher

SVDP Council Spotlight: Baltimore

As a single mother to a grown, autistic son, Sarah faced a heartbreaking reality. Sarah had been commuting all the way across town for work. But then, she got divorced and that commute was no longer feasible. Her son couldn’t be left alone that long, so she had to choose between her job and caring…

Helping families on the brink of homelessness saint vincent de paul 2
What does the Grants Pass decision mean for SVdP USA? 1080 720 SVDP USA
  • Kristen Blacksher

What does the Grants Pass decision mean for SVdP USA?

THE RECENT GRANTS PASS U.S. SUPREME COURT DECISION ALLOWS LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO MAKE IT A CRIME FOR SOMEONE TO LIVE OUTSIDE AND UNSHELTERED IF THEY HAVE NO HOME. This is concerning because criminal laws do not address the actual problem of homelessness — which has more to do with skyrocketing housing costs and inflation than…

Vincentian Spotlight: Jim Dodd 1200 1200 SVDP USA
  • Kristen Blacksher

Vincentian Spotlight: Jim Dodd

FEW WEEKS BEFORE HIS RETIREMENT, JIM DODD SAW AN INTERVIEW ON TV THAT CHANGED HIS LIFE. It was the executive director of St. Vincent de Paul Cincinnati discussing hunger and poverty at Thanksgiving. His eyes still well up as he recounts the moment he comprehended the suffering of people within his own community. “When you…

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