Society of St. Vincent de Paul

A Week in Prayers April 17 – April 21

A Week in Prayers April 17 – April 21 1080 1080 SVDP USA

Monday, April 17

Lord when I see Your face
How can I help but smile?
The face of hunger, the face of joy,
The face of need, the face of love,
The face of the neighbor,
Unique and unrepeatable.
Open my eyes to see You, Lord,
Open my heart to smile.
Amen

Tuesday, April 18

Lord Jesus, Your bore Your cross for me
Up the rocky path, buckling under its weight.
Open my eyes to see the struggling neighbor
Bending low under the weight of a cross.
Give my heart the strength to share the burden
And the love to wipe the neighbor’s brow.
Lead me on the way of the cross.
Amen

Wednesday, April 19

Father in heaven,
Hear my prayer;
Hear the groanings
Of my heart.
Hear me, Lord,
In the silence.
Answer me, Lord,
In Your mercy.
Answer me, Lord,
In Your love.
Answer me, Lord,
In the silence.
Amen

Thursday, April 20

I am in Your hands, O Lord,
Carry me where You will.
Lift me up from darkness,
Give me rest when I am weary,
And when my neighbor is in need,
Lord, let me lend Your hand.
Amen

Friday, April 21

Lord Jesus,
Help me guard against the false humility
That shows empty hands to the needy
Because I believe what I have to offer
Is not enough.
Teach me instead to find abundance
In five loaves and two fish.
Help me to share
My time, my possessions, and myself
With all who hunger.
Amen

Daily Prayers are written by Tim Williams, National Vincentian Formation Director.

DSC Update — Tornado Relief Efforts

DSC Update — Tornado Relief Efforts 2560 1920 SVDP USA

Elizabeth Disco-Shearer, CEO of DSC, recently visited the tornado-ravaged areas of Rolling Fork and Silver Springs, MS and McEwen, TN, where she witnessed the ongoing recovery efforts of Vincentians in response to the devastating floods that had hit the area. She was struck by the extent of the damage in these towns, which left many dead and many homes and businesses flattened.

During her tour, Elizabeth had the opportunity to meet with local Vincentians and other community leaders, as well as the Chair of MS Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster. The tornadoes that hit Rolling Fork and Silver Springs struck communities already grappling with high levels of poverty and social disadvantage, meaning that many survivors faced additional challenges in their recovery efforts, including limited access to resources, healthcare, and social support.

In response to these challenges, Elizabeth Disco-Shearer and her team have been working closely with local Vincentians and other community leaders to provide targeted support and assistance to those who need it most. This includes providing grants, training with Conference leaders, and technical support for recovery efforts, as well as helping to connect survivors with vital resources and services to address their basic needs.

Despite the ongoing challenges faced by these communities, Elizabeth remains hopeful and committed to the long-term recovery process. By working together and providing sustained support and assistance, she believes that we can help to rebuild these communities and create a brighter future for all those affected by these devastating disasters. However, the recovery process will be a long and difficult one, requiring sustained support and commitment from everyone involved.

Elizabeth would like to express her gratitude to Council President Carrie Johnson, Carol and George Evans, Tommy Jordan, Donavan Guilbeau, and Henry Barclay for their Vincentian Servant Leadership in the field. Their dedication and hard work are an inspiration to us all, and their efforts are making a real difference in the lives of those affected by these devastating disasters.

Please pray for the Vincentians who are enduring so much tragedy in these impacted areas. To learn more about our other projects visit: www.svdpdisaster.org.

04-20-2023 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders

04-20-2023 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders 1080 1080 SVDP USA

Dear Vincentian Friends,

This Sunday we celebrate the 210th birthday of our principal founder, Blessed Frederic Ozanam. We continue to hope and pray that he may be recognized by the Church as a saint. Those of us who know him have no doubt that he is in heaven and worthy of being known as Saint Frederic Ozanam.

What Frederic Ozanam means for me — or what any saint means to those of us still on earth walking what our Rule describes as a “journey into holiness” — is best described by Ozanam himself when he writes about our patron St. Vincent de Paul. Blessed Frederic tells us, “… he is a model one must strive to imitate, as he himself imitated the model of Jesus Christ. He is a life to be carried on, a heart in which one’s own heart is enkindled, an intelligence from which light should be sought; he is a model on earth and a protector in heaven. A twofold devotion is owed him, imitation and invocation.”

If a saint is to be a model on earth, Frederic Ozanam is such a person for laypeople. St. John Paul II wrote in his encyclical “Christifidelis Laici,” “There cannot be two parallel lives in your existence as lay men and women: on the one hand, the so-called spiritual life, … on the other, the so-called secular life.” The integrated life of holiness is the one Ozanam led as a professor, lawyer, husband, father, journalist, and friend of the poor. He himself wrote, “We are not blessed with two separate lives — one for seeking the truth and the other for putting it into practice.”

We are very fortunate to have so many ways to know this man so that we may better follow his example. Many of those resources are available thanks to the dedication of his widow, Amelie, who preserved his letters and worked with early biographers. (I encourage you to read the newly published biography, “Amelie Ozanam: A Heart with Much Love to Give,” which is available from our national office.) We are currently working on a multiyear project to have all of the known letters of Frederic Ozanam translated into English. The first volume, covering his early years, will be released by the end of the year.

Reading Ozanam’s letters and articles shows us a man who struggled with the challenges of a culture that frequently did not value religion or faith. The founding of the Society was one identifiable way that Frederic responded to these challenges. Reading his letters, we see the struggle woven through his life in choices about his career, in decisions regarding his marriage and family, and in the way he responded to his physical suffering.

In his last testimony Frederic leaves us this profound final challenge, “I die in the Holy, Catholic, Apostolic, and Roman Church. I have known the difficulties of belief of the present age. … If I set any value on my studies, it is that it gives me the right to entreat all whom I love to remain faithful to the religion in which I found light and peace.”

In his message to the Holy Father on the cause for canonization of Frederic Ozanam, Cardinal Pironio described Frederic as “really the man of the Church in the heart of the world and the man of the world in the heart of the Church.” I hope that through the imitation and invocation of Frederic Ozanam, much the same can be said about all of us members of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.

Serviens in spe,
Ralph Middlecamp
National Council President

SVdP News Roundup April 8 – April 14

SVdP News Roundup April 8 – April 14 1080 1080 SVDP USA

With 100,000 Vincentians across the United States and nearly 800,000 around the world, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul provides person-to-person service to those who are needy and suffering. Read some of their stories here:

INTERNATIONAL

NATIONAL

A Week in Prayers April 10 – April 14

A Week in Prayers April 10 – April 14 1080 1080 SVDP USA

Monday, April 10

Help me to see the neighbor, Lord,
Help me to see the friend.
Help me to see the face of Christ.
Make me the one You send.

Help me to serve the neighbor, Lord,
Help me to serve the friend.
Let me bear wordless witness
Through the love that I extend.

Help me to love the neighbor, Lord,
Help me to love the friend.
May we be saved together
In Your loving arms, amen.

Tuesday, April 11

For the poor and the hungry,
The thirsty, the cold,
Extend Your loving hand, O Lord.
For the lonely and mourning,
The prisoner, the sick,
Extend You loving heart, O Lord.
For all those who suffer,
For all those who weep,
Make me Your hands and heart, O Lord.
Amen

Wednesday, April 12

Deep in my heart, O Lord.
Through each day’s troubles
I trust in You, God.
Deep in my heart lies faith.

Deep in my heart, O Lord.
Though darkness may fall,
Lord, You are my light.
Deep in my heart lies hope.

Deep in my heart, O Lord.
Only there to be shared
For Your sake, my God.
Deep in my heart lies love.
Amen

Thursday, April 13

Holy Spirit, Breath of God,
Live within me, fill my soul,
Light my heart on fire.
Help me to know
The will of the Father
Help me to see
The face  of the Son
Help me to share
The Flame of Your love.
Amen

Friday, April 14

Lord, clear my eyes
With the light of Your truth.
Clear away sleep,
Wipe away tears,
Help me see through
The fog of the day’s troubles.
Help me walk with my neighbors,
Still lost in the fog,
Until you clear their eyes, too.
Amen

Daily Prayers are written by Tim Williams, National Vincentian Formation Director.

04-13-2023 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders

04-13-2023 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders 900 900 SVDP USA

Back in 1985, the song “We are the World” was created using the vocal talents of more than 40 American music artists including Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Ray Charles, Billy Joel, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Willie Nelson, Michael Jackson, and Paul Simon. In other words, artists who were unlikely to team up otherwise but who came together, mostly by invitation, to sing to end hunger in Africa.

One notable tale from the evening recording session was that everyone saw a sign at the entrance, asking to “Please leave your ego at the door.” Otherwise, as producer Quincy Jones noted, the evening might have been a disaster with performers arguing over who would sing each line and even where they each should stand.

Egos do not disappear in the name of charity.

The story told not quite so much about the historic recording is that more than 50 pretty famous artists were turned down or purposely not invited, including Madonna, Joan Baez, and John Denver. Others such as Barbra Streisand and Prince declined to participate. They doubtless had egos, too, and thus had to deal with rejection and their own sense of importance and relevance.

When serving as Vincentians, we ask people to “come to the table” either to serve or to receive whatever blessings we may offer. We focus on those who arrive to give them the best interaction possible, whether it be service at a food pantry or a volunteer experience. But what about those, probably much greater in number, who are not asked or whom we turn away?

Imagine being in the tyranny of the moment, trying to make it from one week to the next with food or shelter, and no one even returns your phone call asking for help? Imagine being the reluctant volunteer who finally says Yes to God and the Society after an Invitation to Serve plea, only not to be greeted warmly at the introductory Society meeting or asked otherwise to contribute in some meaningful way.

Our responding to those who make it to our door in a Christ-like, friendly manner is maybe only half, even less than half, of our task. If one of the great services we offer to the world, one family at a time, is hope, what about those for whom we ignore or under-serve? Are we saying to them that once again, their hopes are dashed? Regardless of our intentions, do they hear that they aren’t welcome, or even worthy, to receive God’s blessings from us? The poor have egos, too.

We accept that the poor will always be with us, and that we can’t provide for every need and for every person. What can we as Society of St. Vincent de Paul members do about this?

First, we can be fair. It is unfair enough that some people receive services and others don’t, simply based on where they live and our Society’s geographic coverage. When people do get to us, we owe it to everyone to have rules about who receives what and how much. Help should not depend on the generosity of an individual Home Visit team, but rather on the agreed-upon standards of the Conference. This is part of our culture of not judging; we share in a fair manner based on our resources and ability to give.

Second, we can focus more on the aspect of respect. We can spend more effort on those whom we can’t help, or perhaps can’t help right now. We can return every call, even if we can’t offer much more than a friendly, listening conversation. Dollars aren’t our greatest gift; it’s love for our fellow neighbors, which is able to be given more freely. This is a perfect venue, by the way, for the members of your Conference who can’t provide a traditional Home Visit. They can still serve via the telephone from home to provide the dignity of a response.

Third, we can reach back. Maybe we don’t have a Vincentian volunteer experience today, but we sure need more help next week or next month. Maybe we don’t have any more funds to help with rent right now, but imagine how welcome a call later this month would be to someone not in the front of the line earlier.  We know that in almost every case, the needs are still there.  While a waiting list seems impersonal and defeating, an internal list that we act upon is a great planning and fairness tool. It can also help to solicit twinning help from other Conferences, outside donors and government resources.

An act of charity without love is just another transaction. Vincentians offer so much more through our smiles, our prayers and our respect for our neighbors.

Yours in Christ,
Dave Barringer
CEO

SVdP Appreciation Luncheon: A Celebration of Vincentian Services

SVdP Appreciation Luncheon: A Celebration of Vincentian Services 1430 953 SVDP USA

St. Vincent de Paul of Seattle | King County recently hosted its annual Vincentian Appreciation Luncheon to celebrate the dedication of each Vincentian and their contribution in Christian service to their neighbors in need. Over 250 Vincentians from different Conferences throughout Seattle and King County attended the event.

During the luncheon, nine Vincentians were recognized for their selfless commitment to the mission by receiving the “Good Samaritan Award.” They were recognized for the irreplaceable impact of their time and energy to the communities they served.

The event began with a beautiful invocation by the Council’s new Spiritual Advisor and active Vincentian, Sister Georgia Yianakulis, S.N.J.M.

During the event, Council President Adelfa Moreno gave a warm welcome address. She urged everyone to work together, be open to change, and welcome new ways of addressing challenges. She said, “We are stronger when we work together, and I am convinced, that our mission and spirituality, is good news for the Church!”

The Keynote Speaker was Robert Mackin, a longtime Vincentian. He mentioned the story of St. Vincent de Paul’s founding and encouraged all attendees to read the SVdP King County Council’s Impact Report. The report showcases much of the great work accomplished by Vincentian volunteer members and Council staff who work together amidst many of today’s challenges. He highlighted that Vincentians were able to help 33,362 neighbors through 50 plus neighborhood last year alone.

St. Vincent de Paul of Seattle King County’s Executive Director, Mirya Muñoz-Roach, in her response thanked all attendees, “I want to thank each of you for the partnership in service – ensuring that our mission is strong – capable of bringing hope to every neighborhood where our ministry is fully alive!”

The event provided a great opportunity for launching a new campaign, one that invites and welcomes new members to the Network of Friends! As part of this campaign to recruit and welcome new members, the values and virtues of Friendship and Joy were highlighted.

Mrs. Munoz-Roach recognized Mr. Jim Gauntt, former Council President for his example as a joy filled Vincentian and for his many years of service and leadership at SVdP of King County. In short, she encouraged all present to let “Joy be your most valuable recruitment tool!”

As part of the recruitment campaign was the official launching of the new short video “Listening is Loving” ( SVdP: Listening is Loving – YouTube ) which introduces the Vincentian Spirit of Friendship in action.

“Listening is Loving,” refers to how Vincentians serve neighbors in hope by showing love through thoughtful and reflective listening; and by doing so, we all grow spiritually!

Contemplation — The Fact Remains

Contemplation — The Fact Remains 1080 1080 SVDP USA

There are some popular sayings we sometimes repeat such as “Facts don’t care about your feelings” or “Facts are facts, whether you like them or not.” Both sayings are quite clever! They also are true, as far as they go, but both really mean the same thing: Shut up and do what I say.

A fact does not care about anybody’s feelings, but that’s only because a fact is not a person. In the same way, rocks don’t care about your pain. But we don’t just throw them at people’s heads to make that point. Facts don’t care about your feelings, but we should. This doesn’t mean we must abandon truth in favor of sympathy – quite the contrary!

Blessed Frédéric took great consolation in knowing that “while defending the truth with all my might, I never offended anyone.”  In our polarized time, this seems like a remarkable thing to say, and it turns out that our times are far less contentious and polarized than Frédéric’s.

Facts don’t care about your feelings. Rocks don’t care about your pain. Yet it can be so easy sometimes, during encounters with the neighbor, to become too focused on the facts. You have been evicted, and a shelter is the best place for you to go right now. That’s a fact. Many of the problems you face are the consequences of your own bad decisions. That’s a fact. Your debts are insurmountable. You need a plan for next month. Money won’t fix your problem. Fact, fact, fact.

It also is a fact, whether we remember it or not, that the neighbor’s problems can feel overwhelming. Some of them may garner nobody’s sympathy. The facts can make people feel very isolated, forgotten, helpless, and small, because facts, like rocks, don’t care about your feelings or your pain.

We do our neighbors no good by simply repeating to them the facts of their situations. The poor, our Getting Ahead training emphasizes, are experts in their own situation. They have already been hit in the head by their rocks. Like the Good Samaritan, we are not there primarily to focus on the facts; the passersby knew the facts. We are there to pour oil on the wound, to speak in a soothing tone, to offer a smile or a tear, to pause from our own lives and problems and truly share the neighbor’s.

Our virtue of simplicity calls us to speak not merely truth, but the Truth; the One Fact that stands above all others; the Fact that counts the hairs on our heads; the Fact that wipes away all tears; the Fact that transcends all worldly suffering.

Let he who is without challenges, has made no bad decisions, and has never needed help cast the first rock, and let us instead try to build Christ’s church upon it.

We serve in hope, and that’s a fact.

Contemplate

In light of the facts, how can I best convey hope?

Recommended Reading

‘Tis a Gift to be Simple

Week in Prayers April 3 – April 7

Week in Prayers April 3 – April 7 1080 1080 SVDP USA

Monday, April 3

Lord, grant me the virtue of simplicity
In my life and in my words.
Animated by love of the Holy Spirit,
With full faith in the Truth of Your Word,
May my honesty reveal You to all.
And may I never be separated from You
By my own pretense or falsehood.
Amen

Tuesday, April 4

Lord Jesus, in my heart of hearts,
Deep within my soul,
In every fiber of my being,
Help me to follow Your way.
Amen

Wednesday, April 5

When I stand tall with undeserved pride,
Help me, Lord Jesus, to kneel.
When I am brought low by the things of this world,
Help me, Lord Jesus, to stand.
When I’m at a loss for the right words to say,
Lord Jesus, hear my prayer.
Amen

Thursday, April 6 (Holy Thursday)

Lord Jesus,
In Your infinitely creative love
You share Your true presence
In bread and wine.
May it remind me that through
The anointing of my Baptism,
I also am sent
To bring glad tidings to the lowly,
To heal the brokenhearted,
To comfort those that mourn,
Not to be served, but to serve.
Amen

Friday, April 7 (Good Friday)

Lord Jesus, lead, and I will follow,
Taking up my cross daily,
And bearing its weight gladly,
No matter how difficult.
For the pathway is narrow
That leads to the Kingdom
But it is marked
By the sign of the cross.
Amen

Saturday, April 8 (Holy Saturday)

Lord Jesus,
Fully divine and fully human,
You fully revealed my nature
And my calling
Through Your life on earth.
You fully paid the price for my sins
By Your suffering
And death on the cross.
Lead me into Life, Lord Jesus.
Amen

Sunday, April 9 (Easter Sunday)

Roll away the stone, Lord Jesus,
So that I may follow Your way!
Roll away the stone, Lord Jesus,
Your truth is as bright as the day!
Roll away the stone, Lord Jesus,
Like the weight of all sorrows and strife!
Roll away the stone, Lord Jesus,
Lead me from death into life!
Amen

Daily Prayers are written by Tim Williams, National Vincentian Formation Director.

Testimony for Vincentian Solidarity from the USA to Lebanon

Testimony for Vincentian Solidarity from the USA to Lebanon 960 1280 SVDP USA

Hearts are enlightened … darkness is behind us!

Since October 2019, Lebanon has been experiencing an unprecedented series of crises: economic collapse and monetary meltdown, political deadlock, Beirut explosion, on top of the worldwide sanitary pandemic.

In the last 4 years, the Lebanese Pound went from 1,500 to 109,000 to the dollar (USD). Lebanon registers the 3rd highest inflation rate in the world after Venezuela and Sudan.

As a result of the accumulating crises, electricity rationing worsened sharply with cuts for more than 20 hours per day, plunging all Lebanese homes into darkness.

The Saint Pierre home, like all other elderly homes, suffered from the severe power outages, making their lives more difficult and hampering the rights of the elderly to an adequate standard of living, protected by human treaties. Darkness rubbed off on all the residents and gnawed away at their hearts. This accentuated the stress that tormented them and became their shadow.

Your prompt response to our cry of despair was a heavenly sign: photovoltaic panels installation at the Saint Pierre spared the elderly from the darkness and harshness of their daily lives.

You have literally and figuratively, shed light in the darkness the residents were experiencing.

For that, Society of Saint Vincent de Paul Lebanon expresses its infinite gratitude towards your generosity.

Your empathetic gesture is a service to God’s Charity and Love.

“Kind words may be short and easy to say, but their echo is truly endless.” – Mother Teresa

Sign Up for Our Newsletter

    Skip to content