Society of St. Vincent de Paul

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Contemplation — Saints Among Us

Contemplation — Saints Among Us https://ssvpusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Contemplations-Image-1.jpg 940 788 SVDP USA SVDP USA //ssvpusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/svdp-usa-ssvp-int.png September 18, 2022 September 18, 2022

After the death of St. Louise de Marillac, St. Vincent de Paul gathered the Daughters of Charity together for two conferences in remembrance of their “dear mother.” He asked them to share their memories of the virtues they had observed in St. Louise, and that they would choose to imitate.

Among the virtues they recalled was Louise’s love of poverty, her insistence that “We are the servants of the poor; therefore, we must be poorer than they are.” [CCD X:572] This was of a piece with her great humility, by which she felt called to perform the most menial of labor in the house before asking one of the Daughters to do it.

When a loved one dies, we are sometimes left to sort through their belongings, some of them long forgotten in a basement or attic, some kept close at hand until the end. While these things may remind us of memories, both happy and sad, it’s the memories we treasure most; the little bit of the spirit of our dear departed that we carry within ourselves.

In a similar way, it is not the material assistance that is most important for us to give to the neighbors we serve, but the gentleness that penetrates their hearts, the kindness and patience we offer, and the love that brings us to them.

For us to grow in holiness together, we should always try to see and imitate the holy example of our fellow Vincentians, not only after they have died, but while they are among us, praying with us, and serving Christ in the person of the poor. Who is the member in your Conference who has never once seemed impatient or angry with anybody? Who is the one who nearly weeps at every home visit report she gives? Who is the first to ask about your troubles, and offer his prayers for you?

Seek first the Kingdom, Christ teaches us. Neither our lives nor our Vincentian ministry are best measured by the sum total of the belongings we accumulate. St. Louise left behind almost no material possessions, but her example of virtue and holiness still lives, ready to be shared by all members of the Vincentian Family today. Through her intercession, may we share in her spirit of poverty, her great charity, and her selfless devotion to God.

These alone are enough.

Contemplate

Which of my fellow Vincentians can I grow in spirit by imitating?

SVdP News Roundup September 10 – September 16

SVdP News Roundup September 10 – September 16 https://ssvpusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/svdp-news.jpg 1200 1200 SVDP USA SVDP USA //ssvpusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/svdp-usa-ssvp-int.png September 15, 2022 September 15, 2022

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

BALTIMORE, MD: St. Vincent de Paul of Baltimore holding fundraiser to help mission of ending homelessness
LOUISVILLE, KY: St. Vincent de Paul makes it easier for men to stay at emergency shelter
LOUISVILLE, KY: St. Vincent de Paul offers ‘Family Success Center’ and Afterschool program
MARINETTE, WI: Marinette food pantry seeing record number of visits

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09-15-2022 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders

09-15-2022 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders https://ssvpusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Barringer_Dave_lo-res.jpg 1363 1363 SVDP USA SVDP USA //ssvpusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/svdp-usa-ssvp-int.png September 14, 2022 September 15, 2022

In a recent e-Gazette Q and A column, I screwed up. A member asked about how they might change the national logo for local use. Attempting to keep things simple, I ignored (actually, I just forgot) a relevant National Resolution. This column will re-visit and clarify the rules for everyone – I hope! – as we think about how the public views the Society locally and beyond.

Some people believe that the Society of St. Vincent de Paul is just the parish or thrift store down the street, having no idea that we are a nationwide, much less global, organization. Others see us only as a major nonprofit and forget that we are a collection of usually parish-centric groups of their neighbors helping neighbors. Identifying marks, or logos, can clarify or confuse this situation when we use multiple versions of the same design. When we choose very different logos to represent the same organization, we certainly confuse the public when they venture from one city to another or from state to state.

This was recognized in 2006 when our National Council adopted National Resolution 11 at its Annual Meeting. Here is most of its wording:

The name and the Logo of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul are protected and the exclusive property of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Council of the United States.
Use of the name and the logo can only be approved by the National Executive Director, who is the designated agent for Council of United States in this matter.
The Dimensions, Shape, Color, Font Style, Copy and Placement of the logo and the name are governed by specifications determined by the National Council.
The approval and authorization to use the name and or logo can only be secured through a written request and provided by a written response. Properly established Conferences and Councils are permitted to use the Society’s name and logo consistent with this policy.

Okay, so what this means is that if your Council or Conference wants to replace the word “U.S.A.” at the bottom of the national logo with your local city, you need the written (email is fine) permission of the National CEO to do so. This is required to maintain our trademark consistency and legal rights to protect our marks against fraudulent uses by others. Believe me, after nine years of battling other groups who have used our name and images for non-Society uses, even for good purposes, I can testify just how important this protection is for all of us in the Society. Others highly value the brand of the Society in our ability to raise funds, collect and sell used goods, and to be recognized for many types of charitable works.

Note that this Resolution was created before the current tax exemption policy for the Society. Therefore, another element needs to be considered, that of the “controlling” tax exempt status of the requesting Society group. For example, if a District Council wants its own version of the national logo, and it is organized under a Diocesan Council, then it also needs the permission of the Diocesan Council to avoid local confusion. The same goes for a Conference under its higher Council/s.

Any change to the national logo, whether it be temporary wording for a special event, or a color for a special day, or additional design elements that touch the existing design, changes the trademarked work and damages our ability to protect our rights are discouraged. All of us have a shared responsibility to maintain and protect the design as it is, and to change it only with specific permission as described above. I promise to help you navigate any questions you may have on logo permissions. We also have branding and logo specifics to help you under the “Resources” tab of the Members page of our national website. Click here to access now.

We will delete the Q and A entry from our archive. I am reminded that one of my roles is “Keeper of the Logo” which sounds like a Marvel movie character. Gee, I wonder who will play me in the next Avengers film?

Yours in Christ,
Dave Barringer
CEO

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September is National Preparedness Month

September is National Preparedness Month https://ssvpusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/svDP.png 940 788 SVDP USA SVDP USA //ssvpusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/svdp-usa-ssvp-int.png September 14, 2022 September 14, 2022

National Preparedness Month Information From Disaster Services Corporation

Recently, it was reported that 246 people lost their lives from the ice storms that hit Texas last year. The United States census bureau also released that at least 1,400 people lost their lives last year due to the fact they were not prepared for extreme cold weather. Not all winter storms are created equal; but when you are properly prepared, it can mean the difference between life and death.

Blizzards and other extreme cold weather events can last from a few hours or a few weeks. It can cause frozen roadways, dangerously high winds, and raise the risk of frostbite and hypothermia.

Like hurricanes, freezing storms can cause widespread power outages, cutting off your access to heat, and increasing the likelihood that your children, elderly loved ones, and pets will get sick from the cold.

That’s why preparing for extreme winter weather is so important. The following is a list of preventive measures you can take to “winterize” your home.

Stock your home with enough food, water, and supplies to last for days without power. Essential supplies include batteries, flashlights, radios, portable cell phone chargers, medication, pet food and supplies, and any necessary items for family members with health conditions.
Insulate doors and windows with caulk or weather stripping.
Make sure your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors are working properly, and keep backup batteries on hand.
Insulate walls, attic, and any water lines that run through exterior walls to keep them from freezing.
Consider adding exterior storm shutters to your windows for extra protection from flying debris.
When temperatures are at or below freezing for an extended period of time, keep faucets on a constant drip to prevent pipes from freezing and potentially bursting.
Make sure you know where the main water valve is in your home in case a pipe bursts due to the cold. And schedule a family meeting to brief them on how to shut it off.
Make sure your roof is free of leaks. The better shape your roof is in, the less the cold can get in.
Cut down any tree branches that may break off and damage your house.
Plan on using your fireplace to stay warm? Schedule yearly chimney and flue inspections to ensure it’s safe to use.
Have a set of blankets and clothing stored in a water-resistant bag that can be easily accessed in an emergency.

No one ever expects their life to be turned upside-down by a natural disaster, but preparing ahead of time can make a stressful situation a bit easier! #BePrepared

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Contemplation — Working for God’s Sake

Contemplation — Working for God’s Sake https://ssvpusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Contemplations-Image-1.jpg 940 788 SVDP USA SVDP USA //ssvpusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/svdp-usa-ssvp-int.png September 12, 2022 September 12, 2022

Studying the words of our Vincentian predecessors helps to remind us of the challenges we share, and the spirituality, traditions, and friendship that bind us to them and to the poor. For example, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, some members of the Society in the United States began to adopt a term for home visitors: the friendly visitor, a term that captures what our Rule now calls establishing “relationships based on trust and friendship” with the neighbor. [Rule, Part I, 1.9]

The Proceedings of the National Conference of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, held in Boston in June of 1911, contains numerous accounts of the importance of this personal and spiritual connection which remains at the heart of our Vincentian vocation.

In a talk about our works of love, Fr. Hugh Monaghan of Baltimore explained the importance of each member committing at least an hour a week to the work of visiting families, bringing gentleness, patience, and perseverance to those visits, so that the family may “realize that there is someone interested in them, someone who does care when things go wrong, someone who makes their joys and sorrows his own.” [Proceedings, p.77]

What greater gift could we bring than to reassure our neighbor not only that while we are there, they are the most important people in the world to us, but that when we leave, their troubles are also our own? If it takes one month, or six, or even ten years to make a difference in a neighbor’s life through our friendship, Fr. Hugh said, we will have “accomplished a work of charity greater, by far, than could be represented by any amount of money.” [Ibid, p.77]

It was in this spirit of friendship and mercy, also, that James Dougherty of New York explained our obligation to get to know the neighbor ourselves, not to rely upon, or contribute to shared databases (“card catalogs”) to determine a neighbor’s worthiness for assistance. Pointing out that our mandate to perform works of corporal mercy does not include any “conditions as to the character of the needy,” Daugherty went on to explain that many in need would “rather die than expose their condition,” which obliges us, in respect of their dignity, not to share their names and stories. [Ibid, p.119]

We cannot understand Christ’s reminder that the poor always will be with us apart from his admonition that our treatment of the poor will be judged as if done to Christ Himself. How we serve the poor is not a measure of our efficiency, but a measure of our love and of our faith.

Today, as in 1911, “we are apt to allow ourselves to get into a rut and forget the spiritual side of the work,” but to be friendly visitors is to “bear the fact constantly in mind that we are working for God’s sake. Do this and note the effects in our work among the poor.” [Proceedings, P. 118]