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05-05-2022 A Letter From Your Servant Leaders
05-05-2022 A Letter From Your Servant Leaders 1367 1520 SVDP USA

Dear Vincentian Friends,

Last weekend the National Football League held its annual draft of college players. It has become a major sports-media event as team managers take their turns identifying the new talent their teams need to complement their current rosters. Fans are interested in these picks and speculate on the contribution of new players for the future of their teams. Are you a talent scout? Do you work to build the Society of St. Vincent de Paul team by identifying the people in your community who might have the talent your Conference needs?

Who is your replacement? That was a frequent question my friend Mary Steppe would raise in talks when she was the vice president for the North Central Region. None of us can forecast how long we will be in a position to do our Vincentian service. Do you have a roster of talent ready to grow and strengthen our organization?

I encourage each of you, regardless of your position in the Society, to be a talent scout and recruiter. Unfortunately, some Conferences are satisfied with their current roster and don’t feel the need to actively look for new members. If there are enough members to do the work, then why look for additional people? Adding new people might rock the boat. Eventually, however, a once-thriving Conference with that sort of perspective will struggle to maintain a healthy membership.

Too often I have seen Conferences just rely on people to “sign up” at a parish talent day. That is not scouting and recruiting. Instead, try identifying people you think would make good Vincentians, and then talk with them about what the Society means to you. If we value what we do, each of us ought to be recruiting our replacements. For that purpose, nothing beats personal invitation.

The Society’s Rule tells us that our leaders “provide an encouraging atmosphere in which the talents, capacities and spiritual charism of the members are identified, developed and put to the service of the poor and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.”

Mary Steppe was good at providing that encouraging atmosphere and inviting people to take jobs. That is how you can position people to take leadership positions in the future. She pulled me into participating in the Society beyond my own Council by putting me on the National Stores Committee. When I became an Executive Director, she assigned me the task of presenting a workshop on the spirituality of St. Vincent de Paul. That first talk I gave was pretty awful, but it set me on a path that would lead me now to being on the International Council’s Historical Commission. This willingness to invite people to take on tasks big and small is necessary if we want to grow the leadership for our network of charity.

Take the opportunities available to grow the leadership of the future. A good team builds on the talent it has recruited. Provide good training, give new members responsibility and invest in their development. I encourage you to send members to your Regional Meeting, to the Invitation for Renewal leadership-formation program, and to our National Assembly. Soon, registration will open for our National Assembly in Baltimore. If you can send some of your members to that meeting, I guarantee they will come back with new ideas and the motivation to see our Society thrive.

Your efforts to build our Society may not be as high-profile as the NFL draft weekend, but I think what you do to scout and recruit our future leaders is far more important for the good of our communities.

Serviens in spe,
Ralph Middlecamp
SVdP National President

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4-28-2022 Disaster Services Update
4-28-2022 Disaster Services Update 783 735 SVDP USA

Disaster Services Corporation is responding to the recent flooding and storm damage throughout Middle Tennessee. At least 22 people were killed, including many children. Up to 17 inches of rain fell in Humphreys County in less than 24 hours, shattering the Tennessee record for one-day rainfall. In a community used to tornadoes and seeking shelter in their basements, this flooding left them completely unprepared. They were forced to seek refuge in attics, on rooftops, and in their cars.

The flooding in rural areas took out roads, bridges, and telephone phone lines. “Many of the missing and dead lived in the neighborhoods where the water rose the fastest,” said Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis, who confirmed the 22 fatalities in his county. The dead included twin babies who were swept from their father’s arms, according to surviving family members, and a foreman at county music star Loretta Lynn’s ranch.

Due to the dedication of St. Vincent de Pauls’ Conference at St. Patricks’ Church, lead by Barbara Hooper, Disaster Service Corp. and the amazing Vincentians with the “St. Louis Sluggers,” they have been able to rehab many homes.

According to local estimates there are another 200 homes on the waiting list for assistance. DSC will be posting the needs of this community and ways you can help on our website and social media this coming week.

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4-28-2022 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders
4-28-2022 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders 1363 1363 SVDP USA

It surprises many people to learn that the function of advertising is not to create sales, but to build or drive traffic. Sure, that Buy One, Get One offer or sales price advertisement gets you into the store, but from there you still make a purchase decision on your user experience. In marketing terms, Promotion gets you in the door, but Place, Price, and Product close the sale.

I mention this because the same principles apply to recruiting volunteers, and in our case Vincentians. That pulpit talk or yard signs or parish bulletin announcements all have their place to get people into the recruiting space, usually a Conference meeting or a phone call from a member asking one to join. Personal invitations are often the magic key to a new member, however they come to you.

We suffer sometimes from great advertising but less than great first impressions and other follow-up with prospective members. How many times have a dozen parishioners come to an introductory meeting but are never seen again? Did we fail at genuinely welcoming them, giving them something meaningful to do, listening to their questions, or even simply describing who we are and what we can offer them in our Essential Elements of Spirituality, Service, and Friendship? Don’t shoot the messenger of advertising and promotion; instead improve our product introduction and its benefits!

Product in our case is the set of local Society activities including service to the poor, spiritual formation and the friendships we build through Society membership. Place is the distribution models we use to deliver our services in neighborhoods, provided once again post-pandemic face to face, which is so unique and allows us to see the Face of Christ. The Price is the commitment to meet and to pray regularly, and to serve others as one is able. Since we often hear that Vincentians receive so much more than we give, our “price” of membership is quite reasonable!

Most of this member marketing process is local. After all, that’s where we hold our Conference meetings and where we conduct our works.  Yet the larger Councils, including the National Council, have supportive roles to play. These larger groups can “advertise’ through media on a larger scale than your neighborhood, and build relationships with people and groups in large numbers. This is especially true when we seek out greater diversity in our members, whether it be through age, ethnicity, skill sets, or other distinguishing characteristics.

As this week’s e-Gazette is published, the National Council is promoting the Society at two national Catholic events. The first is Raices Y Alas, a convening built upon the strengths of the recent V Encuentro process for Hispanic Catholics. The second is the annual gathering of Young Catholic Professionals, designed for adults up to 40 years of age. Both groups are important as recruiting opportunities for the Society, and so we will sponsor, provide scholarships, have an exhibition booth, and most importantly, send current Society members to talk up our works and our sincere invitation to join with us.

But none of this activity or expense will recruit one single new member.

No, this week’s work is an investment on behalf of our local Councils and Conferences to start the ball rolling toward local recruitment – that selfsame Product, Price, and Place discussed above. These national events may result in some specific names of people interested in joining, which will be sent to the local Council where they reside. The greater benefit, we pray, is that the events add to the Society’s favorable exposure for participants to learn more about us over time and inquire about joining on their own terms and timetables.

Such marketing investment should not be limited to a few times a year, or only through national event participation. It needs to be consistent (in other words, our branding) and continuous, too, because people are ready to listen to our message on their schedule, not ours. The truth is that we all need to be recruiting at the national, Council and Conference levels all the time, creating a pipeline for new members. Again, however, all those sales leads end up at your local door where they can be turned into members – or just turned away.

There has never been a time in our Society’s history, locally or globally, when we had enough members. Even Conferences that have hundreds of members (yes, these do exist!) should welcome more members seeking their way to greater holiness! Too many members for our parish boundaries? Twinning isn’t just about money; share your membership wealth with more needy neighborhoods. Expand your programs – often our limitations aren’t about funds, they are about people capacity. The needs will always be greater than our membership.

It’s funny how memberships evolve. Every year, we all tend to get one year older! Therefore, we have a constant need to replenish our member ranks, even if those new members are in their retirement years. What are we doing – today – to market and build our ranks of faithful servants trying to get to Heaven?

Yours in Christ,
Dave Barringer
CEO

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4-21-2022 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders
4-21-2022 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders 520 468 SVDP USA

A priest, not a C.M., gave a homily, about service to others. Father’s final comments, “Remember the less fortunate, and when you see a needy person, look to see the face of Christ in their faces. In all we do, it is important to take care of the children and the elderly. That is what our faith and our Lord wants us to do, especially the young and the old.” Father could have been talking about our Society. Our service goes beyond financial assistance, food, and clothing. We take care of our neighbors in need, as well as provide a safe environment whether in our Home Visits, dining rooms, or thrift stores.

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul lives out the belief that all individuals are created in the image and likeness of God and, thus, entitled to respect and dignity. Our mission includes protecting the rights of the weakest among us including the poor and vulnerable. In today’s world, the sexual abuse and exploitation of women and children is a problem of epidemic proportions and one that demands a response from us.  Such a response must not only include a position statement but the development of policies and programs that educate, screen, and protect the young and vulnerable from potential offenders and inappropriate interactions and situations.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ 2002 Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People has given rise to a variety of programs and companies that are available to Catholic Dioceses, parishes, organizations, and outside groups. These range from full-service programs that offer member & volunteer databases, foundational and renewal courses, and background checks to locally developed and implemented programs. Each SVdP Council is encouraged to take a look at the various programs and models to decide what best meets the requirements of our national Safeguarding policy and the needs of their area and Council.

The task of developing a Safeguarding policy should take into consideration local policies, both as determined by your Diocese as well as officially authorized legal entities that the council/conference operates within. This may be an area that you will need to discuss with your appropriate legal advisor. It is recommended that exploration of the existing Catholic Diocesan Safe Environment Training (SET) program and screening processes used in your area can significantly aid in the development of your policy. Use of existing commercial Safe Environment training programs such as Virtus, Praesidium, and Catholic Mutual and their screening processes are already in place in many of our Councils’ areas and will offer the ability for compliance as requested in this important area.

Also, your insurance provider may have resources available that may be suitable for your specific jurisdiction and already are working with you on other liability issues, so a discussion with them on this topic may reveal a program that can be used.

Councils should consider how staff, vendors, volunteers, and contractors are able to safely voice any concerns through an established procedure, ensuring reporting abuse or potential abuse in a safe and secure manner. Employees, volunteers, sub-contracted agencies, vendors, and partners must receive your appropriate training on safeguarding annually and upon the start of a new working relationship.

Establish an efficient recording of all training and put a monitoring system in place.

Demonstrate how you will meet legal obligations of local, state, and federal guidelines.

Work with the local diocese to reflect their safeguarding policy as it meets the legal requirements. Identify responsible parties for internal investigations and reporting to authorities with written process in place to follow. Conduct background checks to prevent the employment of individuals in work with children and/or adults at risk where they have been barred by the state and federal authorities.

Display the Safeguarding policy in your facilities. Promote it to the community by sharing it with everyone including all volunteers, partners, vendors, contractors, and those you serve. Organize training that demonstrates how to handle situations that may occur, so your staff and volunteers are comfortable with the process.

Yes, there are questions, and the task force is here to help and will make every effort to assist Councils, albeit every diocese or jurisdiction has their own requirements. Our priority is a safe environment to protect our neighbors we serve, as well as Vincentians, employees, and volunteers.

We thank all Vincentians and councils for their efforts to create and advance their local Safeguarding policies. We appreciate the help from the national office, and members of the task force: Shirley Smalley, District President, Phoenix, AZ, Cathy
Wilhite, Executive Director, Peoria, IL, and Mark Zirnheld, CEO/Executive Director, Buffalo, NY. As stated by Pope Francis, “The protection of minors and vulnerable persons is an integral part of the Gospel message that the Church and all its members are called to proclaim throughout the world.” We are all there to follow the Gospel and teachings of our Society.  God bless you all.

Guadalupe E. Sosa
Chair, National Safeguarding Task Force

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04-14-2022 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders
04-14-2022 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders 1367 1520 SVDP USA

Dear Vincentian Friends,

We Vincentians often say that we “see the face of Christ” in those we serve. Do we recognize the crucified people who surround us? Do we stand faithfully by them? How long and how far are we willing to accompany them?

During Holy Week, the Gospel accounts of Christ’s suffering and death are told with a great amount of detail that allows us to see the diverse responses of Jesus’ friends, enemies and followers. I wonder how we would have responded to the events that took place. Maybe we should look at how willing we are to expend the effort and take the risks necessary to stay with Him in the person of the suffering people we meet as Vincentians.

Some of us, like Saint Peter, may deny that we recognize those suffering injustice or poverty. Even though we have met them and been in their homes, we are often unwilling to identify with them or to advocate for their well-being as they suffer. We may not be like Judas and actually betray someone for money, but there are people in our communities who are willing to profit from misery and poverty. Are we willing to challenge those who prey on our neighbors in need?

I may be most like the disciples who would not stay awake and pray with the distressed and frightened Christ before he was taken prisoner. It is not that I am tired, but I often ignore the gravity of the events taking place and rest in the comfort of the status quo. I ignore Christ’s invitation to be alert and pray.

From the cross Christ prayed, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” This is a prayer found on the lips of many in this world. It is the prayer of those now suffering in war, of the refugees at all borders, including our own, of those who are homeless, of those who are ill, and of all living in our midst who suffer poverty in its many forms.

For us, standing at the foot of the cross may be making a home visit, eating a meal with a homeless family, or visiting a prisoner. We will not hear the cry of the poor unless we are willing to step out of our comfort zone. We may not be able to take the cup of suffering from them, but we are invited by Jesus to pay attention, to pray and to accompany them so that they may have hope and know they are not forgotten. As St. Louise de Marillac told the Daughters of Charity, “The love of Christ crucified compels us.”

In these times of suffering, wars and illness, we need to believe in the promise of the risen Christ. We serve in hope. May you and all you love have a blessed Easter.

Serviens in spe,
Ralph Middlecamp
SVdP National President

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04-07-2022 A Letter From Our Servant Leader
04-07-2022 A Letter From Our Servant Leader 1363 1363 SVDP USA

The establishment of the U.S. Census by our nation’s founders was a genius move. While originally designed to help apportion members of the National Congress, later Census tallies helped us all to know more about our growing country’s population, its shifts from one region to another, its ethnicities, and its economics over time. A lot can happen in the ten years between the full Census counts!

We are now at a time when such a Census of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul’s membership is vital to understanding our capacity to serve. We have all heard about decaying Church membership – our “member prospect universe” – and the anxieties over whether or not some of the U.S. Catholic membership can rebound or is lost forever. A national pandemic that shut down Mass attendance along with so many other faith-based activities certainly did not help.

Within the Society, we are proud that during the pandemic, we kept going. It was for us a simple matter: people were still poor, so we kept serving them. We adjusted with virtual Home Visits and Conference meetings where we could, though we missed seeing the Face of Christ in person. What, though, has been the lasting impact on our membership numbers? Recruiting was more difficult when we could not meet with anyone interested in joining us, and many of the informal service opportunities that attract future Vincentians were suspended for weeks or months at a time.

Conversations among some of the Society’s English-speaking National Councils uncovered a disturbing recognition that up to 70 percent of their membership has not returned to serve. Some died, some moved away and others changed their contact information, and this happens all the time. The disturbing big change was that the habit of Vincentian service was so severely disrupted that some members “dropped out” either to express their faith in different ways, to retire from active Society services, or to fade away from the Society and perhaps from the Church itself.

For years now we have maintained a membership of approximately 100,000 Society members in the United States, serving in nearly 4,500 Conferences and other locations. For the first time, I’m not very confident that these numbers are accurate. You likewise should not assume that your local numbers, names, and contact data are the same as they were just three years ago.

We aren’t structured to perform a national Society Census; we are a grassroots organization at our core. I ask you to please be intentional in seeking out everyone you believe are your members, see if they are still willing to serve, and if you have all the membership data you need to operate your Councils and Conferences. We can’t assume this data any longer; we need to verify it to see where we truly are and then plan, likely much more vigorously, for member and Conference growth. While we pray that we have not lost 70 percent of our members, we should not be surprised that some loss has occurred at least temporarily.

A Society member census can be performed not just to count, but to re-engage our members. Consider the counting as a series of wellness checks on where our members are, and also what they need to come back into Vincentian service and regular meetings. Let’s work together to re-count, re-engage, and re-inspire our members toward their own spirituality through Society membership and service to others. And by the way, if you encounter potential new members along the way, invite them in!

We will only know where we are nationally with our membership numbers after we start to know more locally. In your counting process, please take the time to send the information up the line toward your local Council and the National Council with updated database input, improved Annual Report completion, and subscriptions to this e-Gazette. All this has benefit for your members to stay informed and to stay connected with all levels of the Society nationally.

With today’s inflationary pressures, which always affect the poorest the most harshly, we are needed in our neighborhoods more than ever. We don’t intend to be “small but mighty” to do our works. We prefer the “many hands make light work” approach! No matter our membership size, can’t we always welcome, or welcome back, someone else who desires to be closer to God?

Yours in Christ,
Dave Barringer
CEO

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03-10-2022 A Letter from Our Servant Leaders
03-10-2022 A Letter from Our Servant Leaders 1920 2400 SVDP USA

The Gospel for the first Sunday of Lent is always the temptation of Christ in the wilderness. Immediately after His Baptism, the Holy Spirit leads the Lord into the desert, where He fasts and prays, preparing Himself for His upcoming mission of salvation. It is in that radical solitude where Satan tempts Jesus to turn aside from the Father’s will and to misuse His divine powers for His own comfort and glory. If the devil can already lead the Son of God astray at this early juncture, he will have scored a significant victory against the loving plan of the Father. Jesus rebukes Satan, refusing to even entertain the temptations, remaining true to His fundamental identity and purpose.

This experience of Christ in the desert teaches us that whenever power is not channeled in the service of love, it becomes selfish, inward-looking and even demonic. The tremendous gifts of knowledge, love, faith, time, energy, money and relationships that we have received are not meant simply for our private enjoyment or comfort. The Lord consecrates us to be servants of the Gospel, to proclaim the victory of the resurrection and to serve the needs of our brothers and sisters. Lent is a beautiful time for us to seek a deeper conversion through the ancient practices of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. These spiritual actions open us up to deeper relationships with God, each other and our truest self.

Being a Vincentian allows us to put into practice on a regular basis the lessons which Jesus teaches us from His time in the desert. Our greatness does not lie in the trophies which this world offers us. Power, wealth, possessions, popularity, and comfort will all slip away from us, but what we do and who we become in the Lord and for the poor and suffering will endure forever. Treasure put at the service of love blesses the Church and the world. Time given to the poor will endure in the heart of God forever. Energy spent in the proclamation of Jesus’ saving Gospel produces eternal fruit.

How blessed we are to be in the Saint Vincent de Paul Society! We are a band of disciples, gathered in the vision of Saint Vincent and Saint Louise, formed by the thought of Blessed Frederic Ozanam, led by the Holy Spirit to put the Gospel into saving action. Every time we choose to love another person, especially those in most need of our time and attention, God powerfully uses us to unleash the glory of the Paschal Mystery, the wonder of Jesus’ death and resurrection.

We may feel tempted at times to give up hope, when our charitable efforts seem to bear no fruit or are not appreciated, or when our work for justice and social transformation seems painfully slow. We bear in mind the Parable of the Sower, who lavishly casts seed even on the rough and barren ground, wanting to give every possibility for vibrant life and renewed hope. Remember that no sacrificial gift, act of charity or merciful word goes unnoticed by the Lord. It is for Him and the Kingdom of God that we set out in the service of God’s poor and suffering.  Thank you for your radiant witness to the power and love of the risen Christ, the One who turned away from comfort and glory to wash the feet of the disciples, to give Himself to us in the humility of the Eucharist and to die on the cross for our sins. We give witness to and extend all that He has done. Have a blessed Lent!

Sincerely,
Bishop Donald J. Hying
National Episcopal Advisor

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Disaster Services Update – March 10, 2022
Disaster Services Update – March 10, 2022 2000 1501 SVDP USA

The following update was provided by Dick Reimbold, DSC Mideast Regional Disaster Representative.

Disaster Services Corporation - Society of St. Vincent de Paul USA (DSC SVDP-USA), hosted a Parish Recovery Assistance Center at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Carlisle, Kentucky this past week.   

In the Summer of 2021, the residents of Carlisle, experienced a record-breaking flooding event throughout their county.  Per Governor Andy Beshear, the flooding impacted over 80 homes and at least 29 businesses as well as the city’s wastewater treatment plant, fire station, and city garage. The estimated damage to infrastructure, along with the cost of debris removal, totals more than $3.8 million.    

One resident shared,  “I have lived in Carlisle my entire life, for 45 years, and within 43 minutes the flood waters rose and caused me to lose everything in my home, my cars, my pictures, my keepsakes, and my memories.” Another family, a single mother with three children, not only lost her belongings, but her vehicle. Due to the lack of transportation, including public transportation, she lost her job and had to take a job at the local family dollar, which doesn’t cover her monthly expenses.   

However,  for DSC to be able to witness by our presence, not only to the survivors, but to volunteers who had no knowledge of the Society, and its works was a beautiful experience. Less than ten percent of churches in the Diocese of Lexington have a St. Vincent de Paul Conference. The pastor of the church had no knowledge of the Society; but again, being able to witness by our presence, ignited him and several parishioners to start the groundwork to open a Conference and join the Vincentian family.   

The other fruits the trip bore were being able to meet and collaborate with Jim Garrett, the volunteer and donations manager with the state of Kentucky VOAD, Meg Campos, the Executive Director of Catholic Charities for the Diocese of Lexington, a representative from HOPE, Animals Assisted Crisis Response, and Rhonda Curran Koft from the Carlisle Chamber of commerce and leader of the long-term recovery group.   

We were able to assist and provide intake for over 20 plus families, conduct several Home Visits, and meet with the local Judge, who is the executive of the county, Steve Hamilton, to coordinate partners to help with remediating homes, demolition, and other manual type of assistance.   

Lastly, one of the residents shared one of the most pressing issues for the residents of Carlisle, not just the loss of homes for the survivors whose homes were flooded, but the loss of their local grocery store. The residents have to drive about 30 minutes away to buy groceries and that is problematic for some of the 2,000 residents of Carlisle. 

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SVdP National Council Welcomes New Director of Philanthropy
SVdP National Council Welcomes New Director of Philanthropy 238 240 SVDP USA

The National Council of the United States Society of St. Vincent de Paul is excited to welcome Donald Dowdell as its new Director of Philanthropy. Don will work alongside Dennis Kempf to increase the Society’s visibility and fundraising success on a national level

Don will work alongside Dennis Kempf to increase the Society’s visibility and fundraising success on a national level.

Don has served in a variety of roles throughout over two decades working in Development. He has worked for the following prestigious consulting firms Jerold Panas, Linzy & Partners; Changing Our World, Inc.; Cornerstone Fundraising, and Trinity Consulting.

His knowledge and experience includes years of development leadership in overseeing major campaigns and development strategies for hospitals, churches, schools, retirement institutions, nursing facilities, performing arts centers, museums, and social service organizations throughout the United States.

More than half of Don’s clients have been in the Catholic Community, from parish campaigns to diocesan efforts and religious orders. Fundraising efforts have been for capital campaigns, general operations, endowments, catholic schools, stewardship programs, increased offertory, ministry needs, support of religious vocations, retirement, and health care needs of the clergy, and support of laity initiatives and their growing role in the Catholic community.

In his personal life Don was active with music and youth ministries, taught religious education at his parish for elementary and middle-school students, a cantor at his parish, and was a founding member of Creative Ministries, a group that used music and theater to reach out to the community in a different way to relay the Good News.

Don shares his love of the outdoors and nature with his children and grandkids.

Welcome Don!

If you would like to contact Don, you can email him at ddowdell@svdpusa.org or call him at (314) 576-3993 ext. 227.

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A Letter From Our Servant Leaders – 2-17-2022
A Letter From Our Servant Leaders – 2-17-2022 1368 1387 SVDP USA

As Vincentians we follow Christ’s example whenever possible in matters of our faith and love of the poor, each other and God. Why then do we resist another example He provides, of presence?

Would our Catholic faith be different if there was improved technology in Christ’s time? Without mass publishing, phones, and emails, Christ and later the Apostles used their feet. Christ was in person to recruit each Apostle, not relying on a temple poster. He spoke to the masses on the Mount rather than sending out a newsletter or Instagram post. And (Bible spoiler alert!) He came back from the dead and appeared in person to his Apostles. He didn’t send a text or a YouTube video. Even within those earlier times, He didn’t send an angel or messenger on His behalf. Some things you just gotta do in person.

I’d like to think that all this didn’t happen as described only because modern technology didn’t exist. Remember, God once provided simultaneous translation so that everyone heard the Word in their own language – without wires and earpieces! If He so desired, I’m sure he could have had us invent technology earlier and provide cellphones or whatever. No, I think He has always appreciated the singular value of being there in person.

It’s been nearly two years now since it seemed that everything shut down. Business, restaurant, and school closures. No in-person meetings.  Weeks of absolute quarantine. Not even what we assumed would always be with us, the Sunday Mass. In our Vincentian work, no Home Visits and no Conference meetings, the core strategies of our mission together.  It’s as if COVID was a virus that not only killed people, but also our institutions.

We slowly return now to normal, but with new tools, new systems, and perhaps, for good or bad, new strategies and habits. We have gotten used to doing our work and living our lives increasingly through the phone and the Internet. But just because we can doesn’t always mean we should.

Some people have immunology issues or are simply afraid of contracting the virus, and we need to recognize their situations and adapt as we can. For most of us though, it’s time to return to Christ’s example and get back out there, safely but in person. Technology was a necessary and welcome, saving fix to our challenges. In many ways it is best that we now view that fix as temporary.

From our beginnings, Conference meetings have been in person. Granted, we barely had phones when we started! But while tech has changed since 1833, the benefits of members experiencing our three Essential Elements of Spirituality, Friendship, and Service have outweighed the meeting technology conveniences.

The Home Visit has long set us apart from the many social service agencies and even other good Catholic groups seeking to serve the poor. We, and the person being served, see the Face of Christ only in person.

Our Council, regional, and national meetings are coming back on line as well. I hear from so many that they have missed their friends and the opportunity to share with each other, enhanced when in person relative to emails and phone calls. Breaking bread together is more than a meal; it’s a treasured relationship. I expect next month’s Midyear meeting hallways to be full of good cheer!

Sure, we have tools that can make our tasks faster, less expensive, and more efficient. Serving the poor, though, has never been an efficient undertaking. Increasing our spirituality, our core mission, has never had a shortcut!

As we follow Christ, let’s look to his engagement strategies. He never “mailed it in” to a gathering or a sermon. He sent disciples, often with no more than the clothes on their backs, to strange towns where they knew not a soul to spread the Word in person. At the very core of our faith, He presented Himself to be tortured and crucified. Only through these examples of personal presence could He then return and save all of us.

We have been forced to take cover, physically and often spiritually, for two years. The least we can do now in Christ’s name is to attend our meetings in person, ask friends and family to join and support us with personal invitations, and visit with neighbors in need where they live. Let’s return intentionally to Christ, not only in our prayers but through our lives of renewed presence.

Yours in Christ,
Dave Barringer
CEO

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