Vincentians

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08-07-25 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders
08-07-25 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders 1200 1200 SVDP USA

Finding Joy in the Chaos of Service (and Life)

I was blessed to grow up in a community filled with friends, neighbors, and classmates from diverse ethnic, religious, and cultural backgrounds. Our tight-knit circle of school friends, many of whom I still keep in touch with, spent countless hours in each other’s homes, celebrating holidays and special moments together.

I attended my Jewish friends’ Bar Mitzvahs and shared Seder meals at their homes; they joined us for Christmas dinners and came to our Confirmations. It was a joyous way to grow up. We were all beach kids, growing up on the ocean, and our common bond was the water. Whether it was surfing, swimming, or late-night beach parties, we forged lifelong friendships.

My closest friend was Jewish. His parents were immigrants from Germany, and I still remember an expression his mother used to say when we’d start dreaming out loud about our future plans (which, of course, mostly involved becoming rock stars, world-champion surfers, or lifelong beach bums). With love and a knowing smile, she’d say: “Der mentsh trakht un Got lakht,” Man plans, and God laughs.”

The Punchline of the Universe

Many of you have probably heard that expression before, though perhaps not in its original Yiddish. It’s one of those rare proverbs that manages to be both deeply philosophical and a perfect punchline when life throws a pie into your meticulously laid plans.

You might hear this phrase from grandmothers, spiritual sages, or anyone who’s ever had a Monday. But its power lies not just in charm or self-deprecation. It speaks to a universal truth: no matter our intentions, life retains the right to improvise.

We map out our days, plan years in advance, and read books titled Things Fall Apart, assuming, of course, that our particular things will not. Then, the universe, with the comedic timing of a late-night writer, throws in a snowstorm, a flat tire, or a missing cat just to keep us humble.

But this isn’t cruel. The laughter in “God laughs” isn’t the cackle of an omnipotent prankster. It’s the loving chuckle of a parent watching their toddler plot a path to the cookie jar, completely forgetting the laws of physics (and the family dog). It’s a cosmic inside joke and an invitation to loosen up and remember even the best-laid plans are subject to rerouting, revision, and reruns.

Plans Meet Real Life: The Volunteer Edition

Nowhere does this proverb’s wry wisdom hit harder than in the world of volunteer work.

You arrive, eyes shining, plans in hand, ready to fix every woe in a single afternoon. You’ve got a PowerPoint titled Operation Soup for the Soul, color-coded schedules, and an uplifting playlist queued up. Five minutes in, the oven rebels, toddlers outnumber adults three to one, and nobody can find the ladle.

The universe (and, perhaps, God) chuckles gently, tossing in a dash more chaos to your recipe for good.

And yet, and here’s the twist, magic sneaks in through the cracks. The moments you remember aren’t the ones you scheduled, but the laughter during dishwashing, the surprise carrot-chopping talents of a retired dentist, and the mysterious appearance of twelve extra cakes.

Your plan wasn’t the plot. And that’s where the gold is.

The Hero Complex Gets a Reality Check

You’ve probably heard of the “hero complex,” that well-meaning urge to swoop in, fix everything, and earn a modest (or resounding) round of applause. The heart is in the right place, but the ego is riding shotgun.

You rush forward, cape flapping (even if only in your imagination), determined to “save” the community, cure all injustice, and be remembered in stories, preferably with inspiring background music.

But here’s the kicker: reality, like God, has a wicked sense of humor. The hero complex can quickly morph into overconfidence or tone-deafness. You plan to “lift” a community, only to find it already has its own plans, and, more often than not, already built the ladders.

“Der mentsh trakht un Got lakht” pops the ego-balloon before it floats too far. It reminds those of us prone to heroism: don’t assume you’re the protagonist. Ask instead: “What do you really need?” and “How can I help without making this about me?”

That shift from control to curiosity reveals the true spirit of service. The best stories rarely star us alone. They emerge when everyone has a voice when we serve with, not above, others.

Laughing with the Divine

One of the secret gifts of this Yiddish proverb is permission to laugh at yourself, at the universe, and at the micro-dramas that unfold in every charitable kitchen, food pantry, or fundraiser.

Jewish humor, forged through centuries of resilience, finds its strength in irony, self-effacement, and the ability to smile in the face of absurdity. That spirit is contagious. Those who can laugh when the soup burns, the flyers multiply inexplicably, or the event flops gloriously are the ones who recover, adapt, and build true community.

There’s liberation in this laughter. It frees us from perfectionism and opens the door to creativity. Sometimes the failed event becomes the beloved tradition. Sometimes the missed connection becomes a lifelong friendship. And sometimes, busted plans and quick recoveries turn out to be the best team-building activity ever invented.

Planning with Open Hands

So, the paradox is: “Man plans, and God laughs” doesn’t mean we shouldn’t plan. We should. Plans are useful. Intentions are meaningful. Structure helps.

But clinging too tightly to a plan, bristling at every deviation, (you know who you are) is a surefire way to miss out on the richer, more joyful surprises that come when we let life breathe.

Instead, approach service with ambition and agility. Shoot for the stars, but pack hiking boots and a sandwich just in case the road is actually a roundabout, and the stars are hiding behind a cloud.

What does this look like in practice?

Be prepared, but open-minded. Show up ready, but expect the unexpected, and when your plan falls apart, look for what’s trying to break through.

Perhaps the deepest lesson isn’t that we shouldn’t plan but that we should hold our plans with both commitment and curiosity. In volunteering, this means centering the community’s voice, respecting lived experience, and remembering that partnership always beats paternalism. Some of your greatest contributions might be the ones you never saw coming.

The Invitation to a Better Story

So, by all means, lay out your plans. Bring your best intentions. Leap into service with enthusiasm.

Just don’t be surprised when things go sideways. And if the universe winks, or bursts into laughter, don’t insist on being the straight man in life’s ongoing improv.

Chase your big ideas. But welcome the plot twists. Laugh with the divine, with your neighbors, and most of all with yourself.

Because sometimes, plans falling apart isn’t the joke. It’s the invitation to an even better story.

Oh, and by the way, I still think I would’ve been one heck of a professional surfer. (Cue God chuckling.)

– Peace and God’s blessings,  John

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07-31-25 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders
07-31-25 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders 1200 1200 SVDP USA

My husband and I were living as missionaries in a remote village in San Juan de la Maguana, Dominican Republic, close to the Haiti border, when I first embraced the work of justice. I was skeptical when our Mission Office started to engage with the government in providing breakfast and lunch to the schoolchildren who were attending the schools our mission had built and opened – after all, this was the same government that allowed them and their families to live in towns without electricity, running water, paved roads, medical centers, or schools and hadn’t even assigned birth certificates to most of our neighbors. And, yet, when the Church and the government worked together, we accomplished so much more for the people we were serving than either entity could have done alone. For example, our volunteers and community members built schools; our long-term missioners provided instruction to adults who had previously only received very basic elementary education but would eventually attain college degrees and become the schoolteachers of their villages; while the government provided nutrition programs and officially recognized our schools.

In time, I learned that my observations weren’t novel at all. In fact, we as Catholics have a rich history of Catholic Social Teaching that I just had not yet discovered. In 1891, Pope Leo XIII wrote the encyclical, Rerum Novarum, considered the foundational document of Catholic Social Teaching, in which he called for fair wages and better working conditions for workers, writing that, “The foremost duty, therefore, of the rulers of the State should be to make sure that the laws and institutions, the general character and administration of the commonwealth, shall be such as of themselves to realize public well-being and private prosperity.” And, to this day, our Church continues to inspire us to build a more just society through advocating with our elected officials. As Pope Francis wrote in his first apostolic exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium, “Politics, though often denigrated, remains a lofty vocation and one of the highest forms of charity, inasmuch as it seeks the common good.”

In our political context, however, our Catholic values do not fit perfectly into either major party box. As the Catholic bishops of the U.S. have recognized, we may feel “politically disenfranchised.” But being involved in advocacy does not mean that we delve into partisanship. In fact, our Catholic values transcend party politics – recognizing that God-given human dignity is reflected in every person in every stage and in every circumstance. And, for this very reason, I am profoundly convinced that we as Catholics are uniquely equipped and called to heal political polarization by being in relationship with our elected officials of any political persuasion in order to improve the lives of our most marginalized brothers and sisters.

I am deeply humbled to have recently joined the Society of St. Vincent de Paul USA, which has such a beautiful history of service to our neighbors in need. As Pope Benedict wrote in Deus Caritas Est, “…charitable activity on behalf of the poor and suffering was naturally an essential part of the Church of Rome from the very beginning.” However, he goes on to express, “…it still remains true that charity must animate the entire lives of the lay faithful and therefore also their political activity, lived as ‘social charity.’” We must continue to serve people in crisis because it is what Jesus would do and what we are called to do in imitation of Him. But, sadly, our charitable activities alone will not end hunger, homelessness, or poverty. To create a truly just society in which no child of God is left on the peripheries, we must also be active in the work of justice. But how do we do that?

Most importantly, build relationships with your elected officials. Meet them in their office, invite them to your conference or program, or invite them to a neutral location like a cafe. Share with them your experience as a Vincentian and the needs that you’ve observed in your community. Tell the stories of the people you serve – even better if neighbors in need, or neighbors who have been in need, can join to tell their own stories. Learn about your members of Congress by finding your official here.

I am honored to join you in this work and together help build communities in which all of our neighbors can thrive and meet their basic needs. I look forward to meeting and learning from many of you at the annual gathering. May God continue to bless you, your ministries, and all you serve.

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07-24-25 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders
07-24-25 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders 1200 1200 SVDP USA

It’s a Great Time to be a Vincentian! 

When former Cardinal Robert Prevost recently became the first Pope from the USA, he was a longshot choice that even Vatican pundits said “would never happen”.  I took a moment to reflect on other major “firsts” during my lifetime.  Those that came to mind included:

  • The jet airplane enabling passengers to safely travel to any point in the world in a matter of 24 hours or less…
  • Humans landing on another celestial body, the Moon, 250,000 miles away from earth, while other robotic spacecraft land on Mars, or observe other planets, sending back images over millions of miles from these desolate places…
  • Your Apple iPhone which has more computer processing and memory than the Apollo lunar landing vehicle…
  • Successful medical transplants of critical human organs, protective vaccines, cancer treatments, and other significant discoveries enabling longer and more healthy lives…
  • The Internet which provides answers to any inquiry in mere seconds, far outperforming the purchase of an entire selection of the Encyclopedia Brittanica only a few decades ago…
  • The ability to purchase anything globally with a plastic card and without cash in your pocket, and
  • Color TV, satellite radio, GPS, driverless vehicles, and many, many more…

Human innovation inspired by the Holy Spirit has driven our collective progress.

I wonder what our patron, St Vincent de Paul, and our founder, Blessed Frederic Ozanam, might think about the progress of SVDP over the last nearly 200 years, and especially in the US?  They probably hoped that their simple idea of charity to neighbors would catch fire. It certainly did! The Society is now established in over 150 countries around the world.  In the US alone, we have nearly 90,000 Vincentian members in over 4400 Conferences.  According to the Society’s FY23 report, we provided over $1.7 billion in total value of goods and services, made over 1.9 million visits to neighbors in need while serving over 5 million people here.

Despite these successes, however, the increasing challenges that our neighbors face today mandate that the Society build upon its progress.  And we are:

  • The VisionSVDP team is currently analyzing over 24,000 comments from Vincentians around the country into common themes from which next actions will be derived. We are forming our Society’s future together.
  • This past April, our National organization set up a Washington DC office, led by Ms. Ingrid Delgado. She is well qualified to advocate for our neighbors on a number of Congressional issues ranging from preventing homelessness, food/nutrition, and other related policies.
  • SVDP is now ranked 59th in the Top 100 Charities in the US as determined by the well-respected Charity Navigator organization, a major improvement from 75th the year before. This key ranking ensures our donors, both large and small, that their donation to the Society will be used prudently and effectively.  We are looking to crack the top 10 soon!
  • The Vincentian mission has expanded into areas such as operating homeless shelters, disaster services, medical and dental clinics, pharmacies and prison ministries.
  • Although Vincentians have always worked to prevent homelessness at the Conference level, this issue has become our North Star as a National organization. We are accomplishing this through government advocacy, funding related projects, and broader public awareness.

Your Board of Directors is fully engaged in continuing to build our momentum in assisting our neighbors.  But it is you, our Members, who work tirelessly each day to make our Society what it is and what it will be tomorrow.

Who will give the Society it’s next big idea in spirituality, fellowship, or service?  Look in the mirror; YOU, that’s who!  Your prayers, support and innovative ideas are always welcome at the National, Regional, Council or Conference levels.  We thank God for you and all those called to be Vincentians.  Come Holy Spirit, come!

St Vincent de Paul and Blessed Frederic Ozanam, pray for us!

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07-17-25 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders
07-17-25 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders 1200 1200 SVDP USA

Walking from Jerusalem to Jericho

This past weekend the Gospel reading was one of my favorites, the parable of The Good Samaritan. This is one of not just my, but a lot of people’s, favorite parables. You might call it one of Jesus’s greatest hits. It is so famous it has a hospital named after it in about every city in the country. And it is quoted by politicians, philosophers, and by that relative at every holiday dinner who manages to turn every conversation into a lecture for everyone at the dinner table.

But let’s look at it a little differently. We know the obvious point, right? ‘Help people in need.’ Yet if this parable were only about emergency roadside assistance, we would be done by now; grab a Band-Aid and a bottle of oil, and we are Saints. But Jesus never told a story just for the surface lesson. So if that’s the case, and we know it is, let’s dig deeper, with a smile, with honesty, and, I hope, with a spirit that finds real hope, not guilt, in his challenge to us to find his message.

The road from Jerusalem to Jericho, back in the day, was steep, twisty, and notorious for trouble. The star of the story, the Traveler, gets mugged and left half-dead. Enter three characters: first, the Priest, followed by the Levite. Both see the poor man but pull off the world’s earliest and most literal example of “ghosting.” Now, I do not know about you, but I think that if there were smartphones back then, I’m betting one of them was busy pretending to text while tiptoeing away. (“Sorry bro, can’t help, on an important call with my camel dealer!”)

And then comes The Samaritan, cue the dramatic gasp from Jesus’s original audience. Samaritans and Jews hated each other. Absolutely hated! If you were writing this as a modern sitcom, the soundtrack would add seriously ominous music. This Samaritan, who had every cultural excuse to pass by, stops, helps, pays, and promises to return.

But Jesus doesn’t end the story there with, “So, go and make better to-do lists for good deeds,” but instead, he flips the question the legal expert asks, “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus answers, in effect, “Go and be a neighbor.”

Fast-forward 2,025 years. The Jericho Road is now a six-lane highway, and our roadsides are crowded with not just one, but millions left battered by poverty, caught by cycles of injustice, overlooked by a world zooming past. We find “travelers” in every city and suburb, some homeless, others burdened by injustice, isolation, or the crushing weight of being unseen. And if we are honest, most of us have, at times, played every role in the story. Some days, we are rushing by, busy and tired. Other days, we stop and help. Some days, we are the one in the ditch, praying someone will notice.

But before any guilt creeps in, I believe that we should view the message of the parable not as Jesus’ way of condemning us to a life of exhausted do-goodery. But rather as a call to discover the joy, the promise, the adventure of becoming neighbors in a world allergic to neighborliness. There is no room for guilt here, only the possibility to wake up and be happy as we do.

You see, maybe Jesus told this story with a twinkle in his eye. He knew that if he gave us a hero from an unexpected place, (a Samaritan!) and a cast of respectable bystanders who miss their calling, it would rattle us out of self-righteousness. The story is not about racking up merit badges for kindness; it is about the delight of seeing with new eyes.

The gentle shock of self realization in this parable is the great equalizer. After all, who among us has not crossed the street to avoid an awkward situation, pretending suddenly to be engrossed by a shop window, or suddenly finding great interest in a can of beans at the grocery store to avoid someone? Jesus understood this. He uses the priest and Levite to show us: you are not alone in your discomfort. We all get squeamish. But don’t worry! Today is a new day, and mercy is always waiting for its cue.

There is an old saying: “Guilt can make good house guests, but they shouldn’t move in.” The Good Samaritan never helped because of guilt, he helped because he saw. Mercy only comes from seeing.

Jesus invites us not to be superheroes, but neighbors with open eyes. The point is not to solve every problem overnight or save the world alone. The Samaritan did not defeat the muggers, set up new road policies, or even stick around for years. He did what he could, with what he had, right in front of him, and he kept the compassion going.

What is more, the story upends the idea of “us and them.” The Samaritan helps not because of obligation, but because he knows what it is like to be on the margins himself. When you recognize your own wounds, it becomes easier to admit: “There but for the grace of God go I. Today I am the helper. Tomorrow, I need a hand.”

How, then, do we live out this parable in a noisy, divided, and complex world? How do we approach poverty and justice without falling into despair, or worse, numb indifference? Here are a few thoughts, think of them as “Samaritan Survival Tips” for the modern age:

Slow Down, Look Around, See

  • Look – rushing past is easier when we don’t look at people. The gift of the parable is the reminder that compassion starts by seeing, not solutions, not strategies, but faces. This week, try this as an experiment: wherever you go, make eye contact with one extra person. Notice who usually goes unnoticed.
  • See: If you are met with a smile, celebrate! If you’re met with a grumpy stare, congratulate yourself for finding a true neighbor-in-waiting.

Limitations Are not Lethal

  • The Samaritan did not fix everything; he just did his part. You won’t eradicate global poverty on your lunch break. But can you buy a meal for one person, write a kind note, or support a group working for justice? Absolutely.
  • And if you are an overachiever, remember, even the Samaritan took that guy to an inn. He didn’t build a hospital on the spot!

Break the Paradigms

  • The Samaritan crossed social divides. Today, that might mean listening to someone with a different political viewpoint (OMG, really?!?), religious, or cultural background, or inviting them for coffee.
  • When you are tempted to judge or turn away, remember: every act that builds a bridge makes the world a bit less lonely.

Make Justice Personal

  • There is a temptation to think justice is for “the professionals” or for someday when you have more time. But real justice begins with small, personal changes; paying attention, advocating when you can, supporting policies that help the vulnerable.
  • It is the little things: fair wages for workers, welcoming newcomers, not hoarding all the snacks in the office kitchen (a true act of mercy!).

Practice Joyful Generosity

  • The Samaritan’s help was not grim or resentful – it was generous, practical, and promised a return. Let us find ways to give that bring us joy, not just obligation. The smallest gift, given with lightness, can change someone’s life, and yours too.

The parable of the Good Samaritan is not a burden; it’s an invitation to a bigger, bolder, and happier life. It is about discovering our ability for mercy every day, in ordinary places, for ordinary people; travelers and strangers who are, in the mystery of faith, our very selves.

So, let us each walk our own Jericho road with our eyes open and our spirits light, ready for the unexpected. You may find your call not just in grand gestures, but in a smile, a meal, a shared laugh, or the willingness to be present when no one else does.

Remember: the world doesn’t just need more “good Samaritans;” the world needs more neighbors. Let us be those people together, with a bit of holy hope, and a lot of joy.

Peace and God’s blessings,

John

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7-10-25 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders
7-10-25 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders 1200 1200 SVDP USA

Sharing Christ’s Light and Love

As Vincentians, we know that the worlds of public policy and helping our neighbors are often intertwined.

Take the soaring cost of medicine. As Vincentians, we see the effect these costs have on those we serve every day. It’s an issue that one administration after another talks about – but rarely manages to do anything about.

But Vincentians always seem to find a way, don’t we?

In 1995, Baton Rouge opened the first St. Vincent de Paul charitable pharmacy in the country offering free medicine to those who needed it. Why? Because on Home Visits, we met people forced to choose between food and life-saving medications.

From there, the idea blossomed in places like Cincinnati, Atlanta, Dallas, Madison, Monroe, Houma-Thibodeaux, and Biloxi. The effort in Cincinnati required us to take an active role in advocating for legislation in Ohio to allow charitable pharmacies to exist. Our leadership in Ohio even helped draft the state bill in 2006 that permitted them. The same thing happened in Texas, where our leaders there took an active role with legislative leaders on this issue.

The result? Hundreds of thousands of free prescriptions have been filled by Vincentian pharmacies – ensuring people do not have to make that horrible choice between food or rent and medicine.

I have personally seen Christ walk through our pharmacy doors in Baton Rouge. I have seen Him in the faces of people brought to tears — not from sorrow, but joy. I will never forget one couple I met there. They had worked their entire lives, but the wife desperately needed medication they could not afford (this was before Medicare Part D). We helped them, and I will always treasure their tears of gratitude.

But that is not where this story ended. Sometimes as Vincentians we do not realize the far-reaching effects of bringing Christ’s love to someone. The husband in the story above, touched by the love we showed, heard about our toy drive for children in need.

Though he could not afford to buy gifts to donate, he had woodworking skills. He began crafting wooden toys from scrap wood — dozens that first year, then over four hundred the next. Every day, he had a goal to make a toy or two because he wanted to share that love. He did it for several years, until he physically could not anymore. His generosity inspired all of us as Vincentians immeasurably, and this propelled our Council to establish many other new efforts and initiatives through the years.

Christ recognized that there were big problems in the world, but He also knew that solving them started with going to the hungry, the thirsty and the naked and addressing their individual needs with God’s grace. Yes, we are called to render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s, but most importantly we must love our neighbor. For us, that is done by living our Vincentian Charism and going joyfully into the corners where few others dare to bring Christ’s light and love.

Best wishes in Christ,

Michael J. Acaldo

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ETWN: Society of St. Vincent de Paul Aids Texas Flood Victims
ETWN: Society of St. Vincent de Paul Aids Texas Flood Victims 729 382 SVDP USA

ETWN: Society of St. Vincent de Paul Aids Texas Flood Victims

July 9, 2025 

EWTN News Nightly speaks to SVDP Conference President Mike Henke of Kerrville, Texas – where the tragic flooding has occurred – offering a first hand glimpse of what’s happening on the ground.

Meanwhile, fellow Society of St. Vincent de Paul USA Conferences have started sending supplies and donations.  “Neighbors, friends, strangers, have been amazingly generous and I think they really feel a need to try to help at this point in time.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHxq8yulGBI

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Regional Meetings in Nine States
Regional Meetings in Nine States 2560 1706 SVDP USA

Regional Meetings in Nine States

Vincentians from across the United States gathered together this spring and summer at nine different regional meetings to embrace their shared friendship, spirituality, and service to the neighbor. More than 1,000 Vincentians were in attendance, representing all nine regions and hundreds of SVdP Conferences and Councils.  See below for highlights of each region’s gathering.

Southeast Region

Mid-West Region

Some comments from Vincentians at the Midwest Regional Meeting:

“This is my first regional meeting and I didn’t realize all the different works of charity that other Conferences do. I am bringing back some ideas to my own Conference.”
“I always enjoy coming to the Regional meeting. It reminds of why I became a Vincentian in the first place!”
“The spiritual aspect of the meeting serves as a mini-retreat for me and helps me grow as a Vincentian.”

Mountain Region

North Central Region

Mid-Atlantic Region

“For the second year in a row, we had nearly 100 Vincentians attend from the Councils in the region. They noted the strength and relevance of the agenda topics and speakers. From surveys collected, I felt as if our Vincentians are anxious to hear more in-depth information about our Society, its future and best practices among Conferences and Councils, and love their time together in fellowship.” – Paul “Korky” Korkemaz, National Vice-President, Mid-Atlantic Region

Northeast Region

Mid-East Region

South Central Region

“I wanted to share the pictures of the beautiful Vincentians we met on the 645 mile trip that Barbara and I took at the beginning of May. We had a wonderful time meeting the Louisiana councils and conferences and got to understand the amazing works being done. We are truly blessed to have the Society of St. Vincent de Paul represented so well in Louisiana. I want to thank the leadership and the members for all they did to make this trip so much fun as well as the hospitality they showed us. Thank you!” -Michael Pazzaglini, National Vice President – South Central Region

West Region

Some comments from Vincentians in the West Region:

“I mostly liked getting to meet and learn from other Vincentians.”
“I liked the Poverty Simulation, which gave me more insight into the lives of our neighbors in need, especially the time it took to access needed resources.”
“It’s always good to spend time with other like-minded Vincentians. The spiritual talks and mass lifted my spirits, rejuvenating me to go forward in the name of Christ.”
“The poverty simulation softened our hearts and created a better understanding and compassion to the needs of our friends and the continued need from St. Vincent de Paul’s brothers and sisters.”

Regional Map Reference:

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07-03-25 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders
07-03-25 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders 1200 1200 SVDP USA

Who do You Say that I Am?  The unbreakable bond between faith and service

In this past weekend’s Gospel reading we hear Jesus ask Peter and the other Apostles the question “Who do you say that I am?”  My Pastor, and I’m sure many of yours, used this Gospel reading, and this question in particular, in his homily last Sunday as an opportunity to encourage us to explore our personal relationship with Jesus and to ask ourselves who do we say that He is to us in our lives?

That question Jesus posed to his disciples has resonated across centuries, demanding a response not just from Peter but from all of us who claim to be followers of Christ. Today, this question is still the mirror that lets us reflect on our relationship with Jesus. For many of us, especially we Vincentians, that relationship finds its most powerful and meaningful expression not in abstract theological belief, but in tangible advocacy for, and solidarity with, the poor. We have come to understand (and thus to answer that question for ourselves) that to believe in Jesus as Lord while ignoring the marginalized is to offer an incomplete answer, a contradiction that severs faith from its purpose.

In the Gospel, Peter declares, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). That was a profound statement of faith and understanding, not merely for its words but for its implications. Jesus’ identity as the Messiah was inseparable from his mission: to “preach good news to the poor, freedom for the prisoners, recovery of sight for the blind” (Luke 4:18). The early Church understood this, that turning faith into action made us who we were! James minced no words: “Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (James 2:17). Everyone who has answered Jesus’ question throughout the ages has thus declare allegiance to a Savior who himself became poor and who judges nations by their treatment of the “least of these” (Matthew 25:40). Our faith is hollow if it does not propel us toward the margins.

Vincentians know and believe service to the poor is non-negotiable. Jesus’ ministry was a relentless confrontation with systems of exclusion. A battle against injustice and mistreatment of the marginalized.  Jesus embraced lepers, he dined with tax collectors, and he championed Samaritans, all acts that scandalized the social norms of the day! Let us be real folks, Jesus today would be considered a radical, a revolutionary, a socialist, a ‘left wing’ crazy. His teaching today would translate to dismantling structures that perpetuate poverty: they would mean a fight against unjust wages; they would be a cry of agony about the lack of adequate healthcare for the poor and the attempt to slash it even further to fund tax cuts for those who probably really don’t need them.  Jesus would cry about the fact that, just like his Mother at the time of his birth, people cannot find a place to live because of the housing crises in our nation. And Jesus would ask why we treat refugees who are trying to escape tyranny and terror in their native lands so poorly when God provided the model of compassion and care for the refugee when he saved Israel from the Egyptians in the Old Testament?

Jesus taught us advocacy and justice. He taught us that they are INSEPARABLE! We know and understand Advocacy is not charity; it is justice at work, echoing the prophets: “Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed” (Isaiah 1:17). When we advocate for the poor, for legislation that protects the most vulnerable, for fair immigration policies, for ethical labor practices, or for climate justice, we embody the command to “loose the chains of injustice” (Isaiah 58:6).

Effective advocacy balances both global action with local action. Hence, our support for others across the globe through our Twinning and Global Relief efforts. Our support for a well project in Kenya, our relief programs in Lebanon and Palestine, succeed not by bringing material support but by partnering with local SVdP Councils and Conferences, allowing them to support the needs in their communities.

Our work with the poor is sacramental, our real and tangible encounter with Christ. Mother Teresa called the poorest of the poor she worked with “Christ in distressing disguise,” and Dorothy Day saw the soup kitchen as an altar. When we feed the hungry, we partake in the Eucharist’s deeper truth: Christ broken for the broken. This work transforms us. In the face of suffering, our tidy theological boxes collapse, revealing a God who dwells in scars. As we wash feet, we rediscover Jesus’ question: “Do you understand what I have done for you?” (John 13:12). Service is where faith sheds theory and puts on flesh.

A relationship with Jesus that avoids the poor is a half-truth. The theologian Bonhoeffer warned against “cheap grace,” grace without discipleship. To call Jesus “Lord” while ignoring Lazarus at our gate (Luke 16:19–31) is spiritual hypocrisy. The truth of our bond with Christ is known in the reality of compassion: “If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?” (1 John 3:17).

Today, as Jesus asks, “Who do you say that I am?” our answer must not be on our lips but in homes restored, stomachs filled, and chains broken. Only then does our confession become real, a lived gospel where faith and justice embrace.

The Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi opens with such perfect words, “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.” But we can also add another line, “Lord, make me an instrument of your justice.”

Let us ask God’s help to continue to strengthen us as we understand and acknowledge those places and times where maybe we have reduced faith to words, and to reignite in us the fire that burns for the poor.

And thus, may our answer to “Who do you say that I am?” be in actions inspired by faith and of love.

Peace and God’s blessings,

John

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SVdP USA National President John Berry Urges Congress to Protect Medicaid and SNAP
SVdP USA National President John Berry Urges Congress to Protect Medicaid and SNAP 1080 1350 SVDP USA

SVdP USA National President John Berry Urges Congress to Protect Medicaid and SNAP

As Congress tries to pass the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act, my fellow Vincentians and I are deeply troubled that some members of Congress see the bill as a hammer and our social safety net as the nail.

While the Senate Parliamentarian has ruled against inclusion of concerning provisions that would act as cuts to Medicaid and SNAP, one thing remains clear: This bill in its current form will have an unprecedented and devastating effect on the poor.

The cuts are staggering. The legislation, as passed by the House, would slash $793 billion of Medicaid funding over the next 10 years, which the Congressional Budget Office estimates will lead to 10.3 million fewer people enrolled in this lifesaving program. It would also lead to nearly $300 billion in funding cuts over the next decade for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, resulting in an estimated 7 million people losing or having significantly lowered SNAP benefits.

This means that millions of children will go unfed, millions more adults and those with disabilities will lose health care benefits, and the gap between upper incomes and those on the lower end will widen.

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul USA recognizes the fiscal pressures that Congress and our nation must address. But we must also ask why the poor must suffer the most – and suffer they will.

As one of the largest organizations serving the poor, our lived experience and our Catholic tradition teaches us that parts of this legislation run counter to our moral values. Our Vincentian volunteers are on the ground, striving daily to alleviate poverty in every corner of the land. Our food pantries, thrift stores, and charitable pharmacies are found in urban and rural America, in red states and blue states.

So, today, we are advocating for those too often left behind, forgotten, and marginalized and for our own volunteers in asking Congress to reconsider these painful and unfair proposed cuts. It is time for our voices to be heard.

To those in Congress, we ask that you open your eyes and hearts to those who are suffering and the systems that perpetuate poverty in this, one of the richest nations in the world. As Pope Leo XIV put it so well recently, “Helping the poor is a matter of justice before a question of charity.” Let us commit today to building a more just world that elevates us all.

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06-26-25 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders
06-26-25 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders 1200 1200 SVDP USA

Mentoring

When I think of mentoring, several people come to mind depending on the stage of life I am reflecting on. Did I recognize at the time their impact on my life? Not often. Did I ever see myself moving into the role of mentor? No, and “What would I have to offer?” was typically the response I had. Little did I know the plans God had for me. Do you find yourself thinking something similar when you see the word mentor or when you are asked to take on a leadership role in SVdP?

To begin, I ask you to reflect on shared experiences.

Growing up, did you willingly enter into acts of service? Like me, it may have depended on the type of service. In my youth, I somewhat willingly took on tasks like making meals and canning vegetables. These tasks, much like mentorship, were significant and integral to the functioning of our household. On the contrary, I strategically stacked dishes on the counter with no intent to wash them, understanding the importance of my duty but purposely prolonging the process of actually washing the dishes. Whether mentorship to you is more like reluctantly washing dishes to me, I hope you can relate and understand the significance of your role in it.

I continue to ask you to reflect on shared experiences. How do your words line up with your actions and how does that affect your role as a mentor? I tend to hurry and quickly want results, yet I tell my children to take a peaceful approach to life. How have I tried to mitigate this somewhat reckless approach in my actions vs my words that seem to have the opposite meaning? My approach — intentionally reflecting on scripture before the rest of the household comes alive. I love mornings and the joy that comes with a new day, like unlimited potential, anticipation for what God has planned for me, and the peace of God-centered direction that comes from this routine. Intentionality is vital and that relief of busyness comes in service to others and the providential relationships I encounter daily. How well you know your talents or needed areas of improvement may determine your ability to provide mentorship.

We look to Youth, Young Adults and Emerging Leaders (YYAEL) to embrace this humble servant leadership vocation we live as Vincentians, but how to make that a reality is the burning question. We all have a place for this need, even if youth are already active in your local SVdP. We all want authentic and humble leaders to effectively guide our efforts locally and must work to achieve that desired outcome. Sound familiar?

This is where the last part of YYAEL provides a workable solution — the Emerging Leaders Team (ELT). Vincentian experiences and opportunities in leadership at a national level. ELT allows for growth in spirituality and friendship through service designed for our YYA members. I think a few things will help us connect YYA with our existing, more familiar Conference Life. Ultimately, we want to kindle the Vincentian flame rooted in Catholic ethos and the love of putting others first and ourselves last, or what I consider a lifelong Vincentian mentality.

With this in mind, here are three things to consider:

  1. The first consideration in aiding YYA (Youth and Young Adults) is to assess yourself and be honest with what you discover. Be willing to explore the tough topics and uncomfortable parts of life. If you can openly share your areas of improvement, YYA will see your authentic approach and guidance as something worth considering. I learned quickly to be who I am, and God will handle the rest. I am not in control, so why try to hide all my frailties? YYA need an honest approach to being a Vincentian, which can be achieved through authentic mentorship. 
  2. Second, surround yourself with “good” people. Who are your people, your circle, or those closest to you regularly — daily, weekly, monthly? When I step back and see through a providential lens, I can see how people may fit into my life. I know the relationship with this person is a means of growing closer to who God has called me to be through service to others. I process the challenges and find ways to continue or mend the relationship. At times, I need as much guidance as I feel called to provide under the label mentor. Again, receiving the ebb and flow of the relationship with this person directly seen as an angel from God, I can See the face of Christ and Be the face of Christ through mentorship.
  3. Third, schedule a time to connect. Again, ask yourself a series of questions to gauge your commitment. What amount of time do you want to invest in a potential relationship? Are you willing to allow for flexibility in scheduling? Will you tolerate or address the possible frustration of last-minute cancellations, delayed responses, or meetings on the fly? When we start any relationship, time is needed to establish a routine that allows for flexibility and honesty. This approach can make me uncomfortable, but the reward outweighs the uneasiness if I let God lead.

With YYA, the same approach can lead to a lasting relationship. It may be a longer or shorter time of discernment. What happens in that space of time? Hopefully, mentorship ignites, and a desire to walk with this person is kindling. You allow for the ups and downs of interacting, assessing the demands of life, and ultimately working through these distractions that impede our relationship with God. I find myself sharing the dos and don’ts of life with my children in hopes of them avoiding some of the same pitfalls of selfishness, loneliness, and an overall lack of faith I experience when I am not in alignment with God’s will.

That is our directive for being a member of the Society — growing in holiness. What better way to do it than walking with our YYA as they embark on the changes in these life stages. I am guessing most of us have a few pointers worth sharing. The wisdom of our fellow Vincentians is not tied to age or other demographics. It is tied to our encounters. Conversations that involve both parties listening and hearing one another that make a lasting impact. I learn many things when I take my motives out of the equation, in turn providing a service to others and tending to the spiritual aspects of that relationship. Intentionality, self-awareness, and honesty surface as the means to friendship through mentorship.

These are not hard and fast things to follow when considering a mentorship role with someone. Instead, I see these ideas as a way to start the process and allow God to develop that exact path as you encounter one another as Vincentians. Like our friends in need, when I focus on the encounter offered with mentorship vs. the material help, desired outcome, or number “helped,” I find myself enjoying and adapting to the journey instead of wanting to finish the ride.

May you, too, see value in mentorship with those you have been called to serve in this way. Listen, hear, reflect, and stay the course. Are we not already mentoring someone in one way or another? We are Vincentians, and it seems to be a key to our growing in holiness. I know I have much to learn and continue to receive the fruits of being an unlabeled mentee to some pretty great Vincentians who might not identify as mentors, but you are to me. So thank you, S, C, M, J, K, D, A, R, Z, C…and now you have “The Rest of the Story. Good day!”

 

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