Society of St. Vincent de Paul

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National Council Looking for Associate Vincentian Formation Director
National Council Looking for Associate Vincentian Formation Director 1200 628 SVDP USA

In order to better serve our growing number of Spanish-speaking Members, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, National Council of the United States, seeks an Associate Vincentian Formation Director who is a native Spanish speaker, well-grounded in Catholic faith and teaching, and a dedicated student of Vincentian spirituality and heritage.

Working closely with the National Vincentian Formation Director, the successful candidate will help to provide direction in the spiritual formation and training of the membership of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in the United States.

Objectives:
– Assists the National Vincentian Formation Director to ensure the National Council Office and its staff function in accord with National Council policy, the Rule of the Society, and as individuals who see Christ in those in need.
– Assists the National Vincentian Formation Director to ensure the Vision, Mission, Values and strategic plans of the Society in the United States are implemented professionally, on time, and within budget.
– Assists the National Vincentian Formation Director to recommend to the CEO and President plans for consideration and adoption for current and future programs or operations of the National Council and the Society as a whole.

Key Responsibilities:
– Provides Vincentian membership, with a special focus on Spanish-speaking Members, materials and resources relative to the primary focus of the Society: Vincentian Spirituality and Heritage.
– Takes initiative and collaborates in the implementation of National Strategic Plan Formation goal.
– Serves as staff for National Formation Committee and assists National Committee Chairpersons with programs, communications, and reports.
– Collaborates in the creation of Vincentian materials and training for Spiritual Advisors, with a special focus on Spanish-speaking Spiritual Advisors.
– Collaborates in the production of Spanish language materials for the National Ozanam Orientation program and the training of Ozanam Orientation Formators and Presenters.
– Collaborates with the Regional and Council Vincentian Formation Committees and plans, encouraging greater inclusiveness and support for Spanish-speaking Members and Leaders.
– Collaborates in the design and implementation of the formation programs for current and future leadership of the Society.
– Supports the National Vincentian Formation Director in creating and delivering on-line formation programs and supervising Formation resources posted on the website.
– Assists National Council with spiritual formation issues as they impact on publications, meetings, and other National activities.
– Is available when invited for presentations at days of prayer, retreats, Ozanam Orientation programs at Council, Regional, and National Meetings.
– Attends Regional, National and other meetings as directed by the Society’s leadership.
– Maintains confidentiality about any proprietary data and privileged information concerning SVdP, its staff, members, volunteers, entities and programs.
– Other assignments as determined by the National Vincentian Formation Director.

Key Competencies
– Understanding of the mission, vision, and values of the Society.
– Ability to articulate Vincentian spirituality.
– Ability to analyze, clarify and problem solve.
– Ability to take initiative.
– Ability to address various audiences.
– Ability to plan.
– Ability to teach in areas of spiritual formation.
– Awareness of National, Regional and/or local needs.
– Experiential knowledge of Vincentian spirituality.
– Spiritual formation and education experience.
– Passion for the Vincentian heritage and spirituality.
– Conceptualization of the implementation of the Strategic Plan of the Society.
– Competent in developing measurable objectives.
– Willingness to function as part of a team.
– Ability to deal responsively with internal and external customers.

Skills, Knowledge, and Experience Requirements:
– Fluent in spoken and written Spanish; preferably a native Spanish speaker.
– Ability to understand the wider context and create meaning in translation to the target language.
– Ability to read, analyze, and interpret historical, spiritual, and theological texts, and to convey their meanings in language accessible to lay people of varying educational backgrounds.
– Ability to write reports, correspondence, and procedural manuals reflecting good policies and governance.
– Is a Catholic who understands the teachings and principles of the Catholic Church.
– Knowledge of and experience with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.
– Knowledge and experience of Vincentian spirituality and heritage.
– Excellent oral and written communication skills.
– Comfortable and experienced as a public speaker.
– Education and organizational skills.
– Skills in multitasking.
– Computer skills
– Interpersonal relational skills.

Preferred Skills, Knowledge, and Experience:
– Degree in Pastoral Theology or related experience.
– 3-5 years in Lay formation experience.
– In-depth knowledge of the lives of St. Vincent de Paul, St Louise de Marillac, Blessed Frédéric Ozanam, and Blessed Rosalie Rendu.
– Currently a member of the Society or of a Vincentian Family organization.

Scope/Complexity:
– Being a Vincentian presence throughout the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.
– Provide assistance to Diocesan Councils and individual Conferences throughout the United States.
– Multiple interfacing within the Society regarding its relationship with God.
– Enhance the operational effectiveness of the National Council’s staff.
– Implement the challenge of Vincentian leadership for the formation of members.

Accountability:
– Supports the Rule (SVdP USA governance manual) and By-Laws of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.
– Adheres to policies and procedures of the Society and all pertinent legal regulations.
– Prepares and accomplishes annual performance objectives.
– Participates in annual self-evaluation and performance review.

Acknowledgement
Position descriptions are an overview of the duties, responsibilities, and requirements of the position. Employees may be required to perform other job-related assignments as requested.

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First Round of Nominees Announced for Alice Garvey Excellence in Youth Award
First Round of Nominees Announced for Alice Garvey Excellence in Youth Award 2560 1280 SVDP USA

This year, the National Youth Committee hosted a Society-wide search for young people doing amazing work in their community. Vincentians from around the country nominated youth from their Councils for the new Alice Garvey Excellence in Youth Award which will be presented at the National Assembly in Baltimore.

“As a committee, we were blown away by the number of submissions and the incredible projects these youth were doing on behalf of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul,” said John Paul Brissette, National Youth Committee Chairperson. “Each week leading up to the National Assembly, we will be shining the spotlight on the nominees and their stories. Our goal is to encourage and celebrate our youth involvement in SVdP with excerpts directly written by those who nominated them.

This week, we would like to introduce our first two nominees:

River Vogelsang — Diocesan Council of Phoenix

River Vogelsang is currently a freshman in high school. He first joined the Mini-Vinnies in fifth grade at his middle school and served as his Conference’s president for two terms. Under his leadership, his Conference doubled in size and expanded service projects and activities. They participated in food serving, ministering to the homeless, food drives, and much more. River was the featured speaker at two Phoenix Diocesan Council board leadership retreats. Last year, River represented his District Council at the National Assembly in Houston. His dedication and commitment to serving the poor has touched the hearts of many long-time Vincentians. Few people his age have so fully and ardently embraced the mission and works of the Society. In the endearing spirit of our youth, he quietly emulates the essential virtues of St. Vincent de Paul. You only need to meet River to know that he is a true Vincentian, and to believe that, because of his efforts, and those of his youthful compatriots likewise infused with Frederic’s zeal, the future of our Society will be in good hands.

Madeline McMillen — Columbia River District Council Southwest Washington

Madeline and her mother, Wendy, reached out to the Society when she was just 13. Since age 11, she had been collecting toys at Christmas to provide to non-profits for distribution. In 2018, she chose to collect toys for SVdP. In 2018, she collected 725 toys, but that number has grown each and every year. In 2021, she collected 972 toys, a record number. In the past four years, she’s collected a total of 3,319 toys to give away to 4,513 children in 1,657 families through the SVdP Christmas gift program. Madeline has a helpful heart and shows leadership, dedication and perseverance. She has brought so much joy to families during the Christmas season.

Be sure to see the e-Gazette each week leading up to the National Assembly for more nominee highlights!

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07-21-2022 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders
07-21-2022 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders 1363 1363 SVDP USA

Some days it feels like the world is upside down. Conflicting information, opposing trends and biased news accounts make it difficult to get a fair reading on what life looks like for everyday Americans. All I know for certain is that the Society of St. Vincent de Paul’s members are part of every American community, and often are called upon to help when things get rough.

Here are just a few data points that make me scratch my head in confusion:

  • Inflation is at historic levels, stated at 9.1 percent, yet regular expenses such as food (12.2%), new vehicles (11.4%) and airfares (34.1%) are measured even higher.
  • Gasoline (up 59.9%) and other household energy costs (21.9%) are up over 12 months but again, perceived by many as even higher, usually referenced by the cost to fill their vehicle’s gas tank.
  • Jobs appear more plentiful than ever! And wages have risen, especially for lower-wage jobs. Yet almost 95 million – 30 percent – of Americans are now on Medicaid, and more than 41 million receive federal food stamps averaging $228/month.
  • Rent costs are rising quickly after many months of abatements and other COVID-related freezes. Meanwhile, housing sales were red-hot until just a few weeks ago. Homelessness in any case appears economy-proof and just as prevalent.
  • Energy costs and supply chain issues dominate the blame game for rising costs, yet corporate profits still look good! Why then is the stock market down so low? Americans worry about both today’s finances and their retirement funds – if they have them

What’s a Vincentian to do? Fortunately, we are a hardy bunch, and we focus on the individual and family. We do not judge those we serve; however, we should be informed and prepared. What do the stats above and other changing, often contradictory economic stories suggest about how our Conference should respond to help our neighbors?

First, it has always been part of our Society’s work and obligation to those we serve to advocate. Our Voice of the Poor groups and our Conferences know the real-life stories of our communities, and these are powerful advocacy perspectives to share with elected officials and others who create and manage policies. If nothing else, we should explain how almost any policy might create unintended, unanticipated consequences for the poor.

Second, all this dynamic change underscores the importance of the Home Visit. That’s right, our help still begins with a relationship and assessment of needs. Yes, we serve anyone who comes to us asking for a food box. A Home Visit, however, can lead that family to additional resources we can provide for other needs.

It also may lead to more sustainable solutions to reduce the need to return to us later. Thus third, we can advance our systemic change tools of employment assistance, job training, and education, predatory lending alternatives, financial literacy, and other local supports.

Absent forethought and planning, a Conference can continue to give food and gas cards, and pay rent and utility checks for people all day, every day. This won’t change anyone’s life for the better by putting a financial Band-Aid on the problem. We can’t spend our way out of this problem. (By the way, this might be a good lesson for others as we advocate!) We can, however, spend our precious time and dollars wisely toward lasting change.

The world may be topsy-turvy. The Society can as always be both a faith-driven voice of reason and a force for good, navigating the crazy with steady, thoughtful approaches that help one family at a time, over time. We must realize that yesterday’s tools may or may not work, or work sustainably, for today’s problems. Just as we pivoted and adapted to the pandemic, now we must do the same for the economic and political realities of today.

Let’s meet soon as a Conference with a sole special-agenda intention of stepping back to discern the community’s present needs. Let’s then re-design as needed our resources and responses in line with our Society’s mission, our faith, and our best hopes and dreams for our neighbors in need. The rest of the country may be bonkers right now. As Vincentian friends and the face of Christ for those we serve, we can rise above it all to help families make better sense of their situations and to give them our greatest gift -hope – for their futures.

Yours in Christ,
Dave Barringer
CEO

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Contemplation – Grateful Friends
Contemplation – Grateful Friends 940 788 SVDP USA

One of the four permanent principles of the church’s social doctrine is solidarity, which is a “common path of individuals and peoples towards an ever more committed unity.” [CSDC, 192] Whatever may separate us on the surface, each of us is created in God’s image, and meant to live in community. Solidarity reminds us that we are all dependent and interdependent upon each other.

As Vincentians, we often encounter those who are deprived materially, and who, because of their deprivation feel separated, forgotten by the rest of society. It isn’t only that they cannot afford “the finer things in life,” but that over time, they begin to feel those things are not really meant for people like themselves.

At the same time, there is nothing easier for people of means to say, in all sincerity, that money doesn’t matter to them, or to find their lives empty despite material comforts. Whatever our station, it is easy for us to allow our circumstances to separate us from others, and thus from God’s plan.

It was one of Bl. Rosalie Rendu’s great insights that the “poor rich…are more to be pitied than we think; they have griefs and trials that the poor know nothing about. If the poor knew what those poor rich often have to suffer, they would not envy them as they do.” [O’Meara, 33]

The “poor rich”, many of whom Rosalie found “would be so glad to help the poor, if they knew how to go about it”, became, through “the luxury of her sympathy”, friends to the poor. [Ibid, 35]

It was said that in Bl. Rosalie’s parlor, awaiting her wise counsel, the rich and poor sat side by side on the straw chairs, with no rank or status separating them. To each she offered her love, and from each she asked for help.

Indeed, as Pope Saint John Paul II teaches, our exercise of solidarity “is valid when its members recognize one another as persons”, the strong and the weak, the rich and the poor together, each of us and all of us pursuing the good of the other. [Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, 39]

In living and fostering the moral virtue of solidarity, Bl. Rosalie became known as “the Good Mother of All”. More than 50,000 Parisians turned out for her funeral procession in 1856, and the people of Paris donated a tombstone which stands as a tribute to “the Good Mother” and a monument to solidarity from her “grateful friends, the poor and the rich”.

Contemplate

How can I be a more “grateful friend” in all my social interactions?

Recommended Reading

A Heart of Fire: Apostolic Reflection with Rosalie Rendu

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Daily Prayers July 11 – July 15
Daily Prayers July 11 – July 15 940 788 SVDP USA

Monday, July 11:

Lord Jesus,
With steps at times uncertain,
I seek to follow Your way.
My mind and heart united,
I seek to know Your truth.
May the love that never fails
Let me share in Your eternal life.
Amen

Tuesday, July 12:

Lord Jesus, in Your name
I ask forgiveness
Lord Jesus, through Your word
I am renewed.
Lord Jesus, for Your sake
I love my neighbor
Lord Jesus, risen Christ,
May I rise, too.
Amen

Wednesday, July 13:

Though I love You, Lord
With the strength of my arms
And the sweat of my brow,
Mine are not feats of strength
But works of love
In Your name,
By Your power,
And for Your glory.
Amen

Thursday, July 14:

Lord Jesus, give me rest
From the burdens that I bear
From work and weariness
From the aches of a long journey
From worries and sorrows
Place Your hands upon me
And with Your words of life
Lord, give me comfort,
Lord, give me rest
Amen

Friday, July 15:

Lord in Heaven, maker of earth,
God of power and might,
Who saw and knew and loved me,
Before You said “let there be light.”
O Lord, I rejoice in creation,
The sun and the land and the sea,
Created and never abandoned,
The mountains, the sparrow, and me.
Amen

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

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News Roundup July 9 – July 15
News Roundup July 9 – July 15 1200 1200 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

Help us share the good news of the good work being done in your local Conference or Council! Email us at info@svdpusa.org with the subject line Good News.

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07-14-2022 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders
07-14-2022 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders 1368 1387 SVDP USA

This isn’t a stores column, but let’s use a store as an example. When reviewing a Thrift Store, I always request that the manager and I close our eyes and we suddenly appear in the middle of the store. What do we see, and what is the store trying to tell us?

In a recent overseas stores tour, the request led me to see a lot of signage about sustainability. That’s a fairly new term for what stores used to call “reuse, renew, and recycle” to which all Thrift Stores can contribute. While such sustainability is a great stores benefit and certainly a very Catholic objective, it is not why we operate our stores. Rather it is one of many good business practices we undertake in the course of our work.

Thus a second and most important question, for all our works: Why don’t we tell more people about our actual mission in what we do to meet it?

Our mission is to bring people to holiness, done through the serving of the poor, assisted with the operations and revenues of, in this example, the store. Our members often complain that no one knows enough about the Society. However, we continue to tell them only what we do. What we often fail to tell them is who we are.

It is natural to confuse activity with intentions. Our communities see our food pantries, pharmacies, and other programs, and so assume that these are the Society’s mission. Even worse, for privacy reasons we purposely don’t show the public our core Home Visit service, so they have no evidence that this is any aspect of our Society’s mission. At best they know we “help the poor,” and because that’s often enough to stimulate donations and good will from most people, we leave well enough alone.

This might all be fine if our mission was to attract volunteers and funds to help our neighbors in need. That’s dangerous thinking because many good people don’t need a faith basis to be charitable. As pro football coach, Bill Parcells once said, you are what your (win-loss) record says you are. What does our Society program, signage and advertising “record” say we are? Could we easily be confused with another social services organization, another used goods store, or a parish ministry?

Marketing people look for the “unique offering” that distinguishes you from the competition, and hopefully provides an advantage in attaining organizational goals.  A unique offering of the Society in a few words is that we offer our members the chance to see the face of Christ. That’s one heck of an offering, right?

We are not embarrassed by our Catholic faith, nor by our members being driven by it to serve the poor. We can be much more intentional about this in our materials messaging, signage, and especially in our language. When asked what the Society does, the proper response might be different for a parishioner than someone else, and that’s fine. Whether the response is, “We help our members grow in holiness through serving the poor,” or “We are Catholics and others who put our faith into action by serving the poor,” at least both point to the same north star of our mission. Yes, we accomplish lots of other good outcomes! We provide sustainable solutions for clothing and household goods. We make efficient use of medications and food supplies to help the most needy. We pay rent and utility bills. We teach neighbors how to be more self-sufficient. We advocate. We do all this and so much more, which, again, is fantastic.

Let’s not confuse what we do, though, with who we are. Others, perhaps many others in our community, can do what we do. No one else is who we are, the members of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. We are not simply good people doing good works, we are disciples.  And we pray that others will join us and share in our vocation.

I invite you to close your eyes during your Vincentian service, and then re-open them. With this fresh view, what do you see?  Do others see it too?

Yours in Christ (see, isn’t that easy?),
Dave Barringer
CEO

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News Roundup July 2 – July 8
News Roundup July 2 – July 8 1200 1200 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

Help us share the good news of the good work being done in your local Conference or Council! Email us at info@svdpusa.org with the subject line Good News.

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Contemplation — Seeking Help From the Neighbor
Contemplation — Seeking Help From the Neighbor 940 788 SVDP USA

The parable of the Good Samaritan is a Vincentian favorite. In Christ’s command to “go and do likewise”, we hear the call to our lay vocation: to tend to the helpless, the hungry, the sick, and the lonely with acts of both corporal and spiritual mercy.

For Frédéric, the robber’s victim represented all the “humanity of our days” which had been robbed not only of its possessions, but of its “treasure of faith and love” by the “cutthroats and robbers of thought”. [Letter 90, to Curnier, 1835] In Frédéric’s retelling, the priest and Levite had not passed by, indifferent to suffering. Shaped by his own experiences with widespread rejection of the church, the priest and Levite had instead been rejected by the traveler, who did not recognize them as helpers.

Because of this, the task of tending to the wounds of “the great sick one” was left to us, “weak Samaritans” whose task was not only to tend to the necessities of the body, but to offer “words of consolation and peace” so that he might return to the church. In this interpretation, Frédéric echoed the commentary of St. Augustine, who had taught that the innkeeper represented the church. [Quaestiones Evangeliorum, II]

We can hear this idea repeated in Frédéric’s later essay on “Help Which Honors”, in which he explains that to give material help only, without our love and friendship, is humiliating. Instead, we honor those in need by offering those things that we may need ourselves – a handshake, consolation, kind words. “Help then becomes honorable,” he said, “because it may become mutual.” [O’Meara, 229]

When you consider it this way, it would seem that when we “weak Samaritans” crouch down at the side of the road to offer our help, we also are seeking help from the victim, in whom we see the suffering Christ. [Rule, Part I, 1.8] Our service to the neighbor, given freely and generously, is a means to the end of our own growth in holiness. We grow closer to Christ by serving Him.

After all, the question Christ was answering with the parable was about what we must do to inherit eternal life. How could we do anything but to “go and do likewise”?

Contemplate

Do I feel gratitude to the neighbor for drawing me closer to Christ?

Recommended Reading

15 Days of Prayer with Bl. Frédéric Ozanam

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07-07-22 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders
07-07-22 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders 1367 1520 SVDP USA

Dear Vincentian Friends,

During the past several months, it has been my pleasure to attend three regional meetings of the Society and the meeting of the International Executive Committee in Paris. It was wonderful to be with Vincentian friends I have not seen in many years, and to meet new people taking leadership roles in our Society. Sure, we did get many people to participate in the Zoom conferences held during the past two years, but there is nothing like being together, sharing meals, and interacting with workshop presenters and other participants.

In a couple of months, we will have an opportunity to get together in Baltimore for the National Assembly themed “Come to the Water.” Please do come; I hope to see many of you there Aug. 30 through Sept. 3. It will make you a better Vincentian. When I attended my first National Assembly many years ago in Milwaukee, I saw for the first time the bigger picture of this international network of charity. I came home with many great ideas and renewed enthusiasm for our mission. Most importantly, I came home knowing like-minded Vincentians from all across the United States.

The Baltimore Council is working to host a wonderful meeting. We have developed a great program with excellent keynote speakers and dozens of topical workshops that will be led by knowledgeable presenters. I especially want to encourage our East Coast members to take the opportunity to attend. We move this meeting around the country to provide more people easy access to this experience. That is why I attended that first meeting. It was an easy drive for me, and I have not missed many since then.
This meeting will be special because it will be the first time Renato Lima de Oliveira, the President General of the International Council, will be attending our National Assembly. He is an enthusiastic ambassador for the Society everywhere he travels. He will share with us a perspective on what it takes to be a worldwide network of charity. Renato will be with us for the entire meeting; so, you will have many opportunities to meet and talk with him.

Another opportunity you will have at this National Assembly will be to meet and speak with the next president of the National Council of the United States. We don’t know who that will be yet, but all four nominees will be at the meeting. You can talk with them at Thursday’s Host City event or listen to their campaign speeches at the Saturday business meeting. At that Saturday meeting, the National Council Members will vote to reduce the number of candidates to two.

An important part of any National Assembly is our spiritual enrichment. We will celebrate the Eucharist on Friday with our National Episcopal Advisor, Bishop Donald Hying, and on Saturday with Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore. This year, our Friday morning of reflection will be led by Dan Schutte, who has written many of my favorite liturgical songs. Dan was one of the original St. Louis Jesuits and has continued that ministry by composing music and leading retreats.

If you are one of the more than 800 graduates of the Invitation for Renewal program, there will be a special event celebrating the program’s 20th anniversary. Come to rekindle friendships, continue to grow your leadership skills, and renew your Vincentian heart. Those who have not attended may receive some encouragement to do so after learning about the impact Invitation for Renewal has had on so many of our current Vincentian leaders.

A scripture quotation that Frédéric Ozanam and our other founders frequently repeated is, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in their midst.” This Gospel passage certainly captures our Vincentian reliance on Christ journeying with us. In Baltimore, however, let’s shoot for “where 700 or 800 are gathered.” We have a great program in place, but what will make our National Assembly truly great is having you there. I think you will have a great time, but please do not regard this gathering as Vincentian tourism. When you get back home, what you will have discovered in Baltimore, you’ll need to share with fellow members, and what you will have learned there, you’ll need to put into practice. So, what’s your next step? Plan to sign up today, and be sure to get the early-registration discount!

Serviens in spe,

Ralph Middlecamp
National Council President

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