Society of St. Vincent de Paul

  • 1 Comment
  • 1 Like

Contemplation — The Image of God
Contemplation — The Image of God 1080 1080 SVDP USA

The first of the four permanent principles of our Catholic social doctrine is the dignity of the human person. [CSDC, 160] What does that mean for us as Christians and as Vincentians? The word dignity comes from the Latin dignus, meaning “worthy.” In the normal interactions of life, we may not naturally apply this idea to everybody we know. We tend to apply terms like “dignitaries” or “worthies” mainly to a special few who have proved themselves in some way.

Yet our belief in the dignity of the human person – of every human person – derives from our belief that we are made in God’s image, each of us and all of us: “God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” He didn’t create only one of us, or only some of us, in His image. We all are worthy.

We can remember this more easily when we think of our family members and close friends. They needn’t prove their merit in any way for us to know, deep in our hearts, that they are worthy. We believe this not because of anything they have done to earn our esteem, but simply because we love them.

Vincentians are called to see the face of Christ in our neighbors; we are called to serve them for love alone. Our love is the reason we never adopt the attitude that the assistance we offer is our possession, or that the neighbor has “to prove that they deserve it.” [Manual, 23] We are serving the God whom we love, and just like our family and friends – even more so – we already know that He is worthy.

This is why Christ offered the Greatest Commandment to us in two parts. They are alike, He said, and the “whole law” depends on them: to love God with all of our heart, soul, and mind, and to love the neighbor as ourselves. Our love for the neighbor cannot be separated from our love for God because the neighbor – each neighbor, every neighbor – is the very image of the God who created us.

In poverty and in wealth we have a tendency to measure our worth by the things we possess, or by the things we lack. We can begin to believe we are more worthy because we have a nice job, home, or car, or we can begin to believe we are less worthy because we are unemployed, addicted, or homeless. Neither is true, but both can separate us from God. The bread we bring to the hungry belongs to them already, because God did not create anybody so that they should starve, but it is in the bringing, not the bread, that we reassure the ones we love that they are indeed loved, and that they are worthy. It is how we “[help] them to feel and recover their own dignity”. [Rule, Part I, 1.8]

In a similar way, God’s gratuitous presence and love assures us that we are worthy, too. At the heart of our vocation is love. At the heart of our love is God.

Contemplate

Do I approach every home visit as if it is worth my time and effort?

Recommended Reading

Mystic of Charity (especially “Home Visits in the Vincentian Tradition”)

  • No Comments
  • No Likes

SVdP News Roundup August 12 – August 18
SVdP News Roundup August 12 – August 18 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

  • 1 Comment
  • No Likes

A Week in Prayers August 14 – August 18
A Week in Prayers August 14 – August 18 1080 1080 SVDP USA

Monday, August 14

Awaken me, Lord, from my slumber.
Lead me from night into day.
You are the Word of everlasting life,
Through Whom all my sins are repaid.
Amen

Tuesday, August 15

Mary Immaculate, pray for me,
That the Father may grant me patience.
Mother of God, pray for me,
That the Holy Spirit may grant me peace.
Queen of Angels, pray for me,
That Your Son Jesus Christ
May enter my heart, and I His,
Eternally.
Amen

Wednesday, August 16

Heavenly Father,
I set aside preoccupations,
I set aside myself,
To go and serve the neighbor.
This I do for You.
I set aside this worship,
But leave God only for God,
So my actions become my prayer.
This I do for You.
Amen

Thursday, August 17

Lord Jesus, awaken me from slumber,
Open my eyes and heart,
Lead me from darkness to light.
You are my strength in weakness,
My joy in sorrow,
And my life beyond life.
Amen

Friday, August 18

Lord in Heaven,
Lord on Earth,
Lord in my living heart,
In Your image
And by Your will
I live and move and am.
Amen

Daily Prayers are written by Tim Williams, National Vincentian Formation Director.
  • 2 Comments
  • No Likes

Youth from Around the World Gather in Lisbon for World Youth Day 2023
Youth from Around the World Gather in Lisbon for World Youth Day 2023 640 480 SVDP USA

Once every three years, youth and young adult Catholics from around the world come together to celebrate World Youth Day, a worldwide encounter with the Pope. WYD is open to all young people who want to take part in a festive encounter centered on Jesus Christ together with their peers. It is an opportunity to personally experience the universality of the Catholic Church, and to share with the whole world the hope of many young people who are committing their lives to Christ and His Church.

This year’s World Youth Day was held in Lisbon, Portugal.

“WYD 2023 with Pope Francis truly showed how universal the Catholic Church is. People from around the world, speaking different languages, different nationalities, and cultures came to WYD with one commonality — God being our Father,” said John Paul Brissette, a member of the National Youth Committee. “Just being in the city with millions of young Catholics praying, praising, and signing was a sight and a feeling I will never forget. Although we may be speaking different languages, we are all saying the same thing.”

“My favorite part of the World Youth Day experience was being able to visit the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima in Fatima, Portugal,” said Luna Mata, Development and Communications Coordinator for SVdP Dallas. “Visiting the place where our Blessed Mother stood and taught us so much was incredibly humbling and beautiful.”

In collaboration with World Youth Day, the International Society of St. Vincent de Paul took the opportunity to gather its young people together in celebration of the Vincentian Charism. This gathering was called The International Vincentian Youth Meeting (ICYM) and the theme was “I am neither from here nor from there, but from wherever God wants me to be.” The theme was inspired by a sentence from St. Vincent de Paul to the Daughters of Charity in 1634. 

As part of these celebrations, the U.S. Council sponsored a number of Youth and Young Adults to travel to Portugal and participate in these special events.

“Before we attended World Youth Day, we had the privilege of attending the Vincentian Family Gathering where we had the opportunity to share our Vincentian Charism with other Vincentians from around the world,” said John Paul. “We discussed common struggles Vincentians face and tried to work toward solutions together. The weekend was filled with friendship, services, and spirituality.”

“We followed in Mary’s footsteps with ‘haste’ throughout World Youth Day, so ending with this spiritual blessing and joy from our Mother was incredible,” said Luna.

We are so blessed that the SVdP U.S. National Council was able to be a part of this experience. It was a transformative experience for all the young people who participated. They returned with renewed zeal for their Catholic faith and those that attended on behalf of SVdP have a renewed dedication to the Vincentian mission. God bless all who participated!

The next World Youth Day will be held in Seoul, South Korea in 2027.

  • No Comments
  • No Likes

Disaster Services Update — Empowering Hope: Rebuilding Lives Beyond Hurricane Ida’s Wake
Disaster Services Update — Empowering Hope: Rebuilding Lives Beyond Hurricane Ida’s Wake 615 218 SVDP USA

When Hurricane Ida slammed the East Coast in 2021, Passaic County, New Jersey bore the brunt of the storm.

In the wake of devastation, the heart of Passaic County was witness to both the impact of destruction and the incredible power of community coming together.

This is a story of resilience, strength, and the transformative impact of generosity – a story that speaks to the mission of Disaster Services Corporation, a subsidiary of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.

Imagine a single parent courageously navigating life with four precious children. When Hurricane Ida’s fury struck, their world was turned upside down. The family was forced to leave their home and  seek refuge in a shelter in nearby Bergen County. But amidst the chaos, their determination and love for each other remained unshaken.

In collaboration with The Salvation Army and Compass 82, DSC was able to give this family more than $13,000 to help them find permanent housing, stability, and hope.

The family’s resilience and hope captured the attention of Disaster Services Corporation. And thanks to compassionate donors like you, a chain reaction of support helped give this family a path to recovery.

When you donate to Disaster Services Corporation, you become an integral part of stories like this. You help us restore hope and rebuild lives. Together, we help families overcome the challenges that disasters can bring.

Thanks to your support, stories of disaster recovery can become stories of resilience and hope. Together, we can give families the strength to rebuild, the courage to overcome, and the hope to thrive.

For more information about DSC please visit: www.svdpdisaster.org.

  • 3 Comments
  • No Likes

08-17-2023 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders
08-17-2023 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders 1080 1080 SVDP USA

In a few weeks, hundreds of Vincentians from across the country will arrive in St. Louis for the National Assembly under the theme of “Where It All Began.” Thanks to the pandemic, our original 175th anniversary celebration will be two years later than scheduled.  Let’s take a look not only at where it all began, but also when it all began back in 1845 St. Louis.

St. Louis was a major city in 1845 thanks to its location on the banks of the Mississippi River and its uses for commerce, fur trading, and both military and civilian exploration of all points West. From its 1840 population of 16,469 the city would grow to 77,860 by 1850, becoming the eighth largest American city. The St. Louis Diocese covered a third of the country but with only 75 priests and 33 churches. By 1849, St. Louis would become the second archdiocese, after Baltimore, within the organized states of the Union. It was the only major Catholic presence west of the Mississippi.

St. Louis was considered the gateway to the West from the time of its 1804 launching of the Lewis and Clark expedition until at least the great railroad expansion after the U.S. Civil War. Steamboats and wagon trains regularly started from St. Louis, and much wealth was generated from fitting these expeditions from St. Louis merchants and wagon builders. The city would continue to grow, especially around the time of the 1904 World’s Fair and later decades. For Vincentian purposes, the “Old Cathedral” (the only cathedral in the city at that time) was completed in 1834 in a bustling mixed-use downtown of commerce, shipping, and residences. Today the Old Cathedral sits in a national park at the base of the famous Arch, built in the late 1950’s-early 1960’s. The entire five blocks from the cathedral to the river was razed of old warehouses for the arch’s construction, but the Old Cathedral was gracefully spared.

When the Society of St. Vincent de Paul held its first meeting on November 20, 1845 at the Old Cathedral, life was quite different than we might realize from today’s city and United States.

Nationally, John Tyler’s Presidency gave way to the election of James K. Polk. There were only 26 states in the Union; Florida was added in March of 1845, followed by the former Republic of Texas in December. The Texas addition sparked the Mexican-American War that year, over some disputed territory. The U.S. Naval Academy began in Annapolis in 1845. Newspapers in 1845 included the first usage of the term “Manifest Destiny” and the first accounts of a new game called baseball.

Published pieces that year included the autobiography “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave” and the first printing of “The Raven” by Edgar Allen Poe.

When our first members met, they met by candlelight or perhaps gas, as light bulbs would not be invented until 1880. They arrived by horseback or carriage, since the earliest cars didn’t come around until 1871. They may have had just a short meeting, since there were no indoor bathrooms back then (late 1840’s)!

In considering our Society’s beginnings, let’s remember that we are older than Goodwill Industries (1902), The American Red Cross (1881), and the Smithsonian Institution (1846). We pre-date basketball (1891) and tennis (1859), the Transcontinental Railroad (1869), the California Gold Rush (1848), and the women’s suffrage movement (1848). The Society of St. Vincent de Paul was not only established before the U.S. Civil War (1861-65), but during the war we even held our first National Assembly! (September 1864 in New York City).

We are only the 7th country to have a Society presence since our Paris founding in 1833. Irish Catholics had been welcomed years prior to the rich Missouri farmlands, and a gracious reputation preceded more Irish migration in the 1840’s. The great Irish Potato Famine occurred in our formative year, so there was intercontinental travel, by steamship, of clergy and laypersons who would help form the initial St. Louis Conference. The Ireland SVdP’s copy of The Rule was brought to St. Louis and guided our beginnings. To be established in 10 countries in just 12 years (Germany, Mexico and Scotland were also formed in 1845) from Emmanual Bailly’s and Blessed Frederic’s first meeting is surely an act of God.

As you consider joining us for National Assembly in a few weeks, or if you are coming at another time to St. Louis, please visit the Old Cathedral. Imagine what it was like, where and when, our St. Louis founders decided to use a Rule from abroad and get organized using their funds and Catholic faith to serve the city’s poor. If you need further inspiration, a statue of St. Vincent de Paul stands at the front of the cathedral. He is, after all, a patron saint of the city.

Yours in Christ,
Dave Barringer
CEO

  • No Comments
  • No Likes

SVdP News Roundup August 5 – August 11
SVdP News Roundup August 5 – August 11 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

  • No Comments
  • No Likes

A Week in Prayers August 7 – August 11
A Week in Prayers August 7 – August 11 1080 1080 SVDP USA

Monday, August 7

Each day, Lord, and every night,
Your presence and Your love
Are the warmth within my heart.
Help me nurse into flame
This ember of faith.
Help me to spread it
Heart to heart, soul to soul,
To all Your children
Throughout the earth.
Amen

Tuesday, August 8

O Lord, make me Your instrument,
Make me the one You send;
One servant’s work divided
Among all the sheep You tend.
Yet all may know completely
Your grace from up above;
From a single loaf, a single fish,
A single act of love.
Amen

Wednesday, August 9

Heavenly Father,
I enter this day with gratitude,
In the light of the hope
Of eternal union with You.
Help me to share Your light
Through my actions
And my manner today.
Amen

Thursday, August 10

Praise to You, Lord Jesus!
My heart is filled with joy!
You are with me on the journey,
You await me at its end.
Through You, I am not weary.
With You, I am not alone.
In You, I shall live.
Amen

Friday, August 11

Each day, O Lord, I seek You,
In the neighbor, in the poor.
Each day, O Lord, I serve You,
In my actions, in my words.
Each day, O Lord, I give my life,
A little at a time,
With faith to move mountains,
With hope undiminished,
With love enough to share.
Amen

Daily Prayers are written by Tim Williams, National Vincentian Formation Director.
  • 1 Comment
  • No Likes

08-10-2023 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders
08-10-2023 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders 1080 1080 SVDP USA

Dear Vincentian Friends,

In a few weeks many Vincentians will gather for the 2023 Assembly of the National Council of the United States. Our National Assembly theme will be “Where It All Began,” because we will gather in St. Louis within sight of the Old Cathedral, where the first Conference of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in the United States met in 1845. It is not too late to plan to attend. Coming to a National Assembly will draw you deeper into this vocation as a member of the Society. That is what happened to me when I attended my first national meeting.

At our Assembly we gather to look backward and remember our roots, but — more importantly — we look forward, as well. We will celebrate our 178-year history here in the United States, and we will also celebrate the past six years of working with our current leadership team. More significantly, we will plan for the future as we install a new National Council President and officers.

We have prepared a well-rounded program that will strengthen your Vincentian spirituality, friendship, and service. An excellent team of presenters will provide more than 40 workshops to advance our knowledge and understanding of the Society and its mission. Our Friday Morning of Reflection will again be led by Bishop Donald Hying, who has blessed us as our National Episcopal Advisor for the past six years. Our keynote speakers and daily celebrations of the Eucharist will nourish us on our journey together toward holiness.

Meetings such as this are important gatherings for our membership. It is easy to just coast, doing the same work, with the same resources and people. In St. Louis you will be exposed new ideas, presented by some of the best speakers in our Society. Coming back with just one or two good ideas can renew you and your Conference. We will be better helpers to those we serve if we are continually improving our knowledge and growing spiritually.

My term as your National Council President ends on September 30; so this will be my last National Council Assembly as your president. We have had excellent committees and task forces working in the background for the past six years. I am grateful to all who have served on these groups and to their leadership. I look forward to the opportunities we will have at this meeting to witness the fruits of what they have done. That work will be passed on to new leaders with new ideas and energy.

It has been a pleasure working with our national leadership team for the past six years. There is much that we have been able to accomplish together. What I have valued most is the Vincentian friendship I have found everywhere I have traveled. I look forward to continuing these friendships as we pass the responsibility of servant leadership to a new team.

John Berry has been a friend for many years, and I know we are in good hands with him as our next National Council President. I ask you to join me in praying for John and his team of officers as we continue our journey as Vincentians in the United States of America.

I hope to see many of you in St. Louis.

Serviens in spe,
Ralph Middlecamp
SVdP National President

  • No Comments
  • No Likes

A Week in Prayers July 31 – August 4
A Week in Prayers July 31 – August 4 1080 1080 SVDP USA

Monday, July 31

Tend to this seed, O Jesus,
That You have planted in my heart.
Water and nourish it,
Turning always as it grows
Toward the light of Your divine love.
Fill my heart completely, Lord,
So that the seed of sanctity
May fall upon all hearts,
Inviting them into Your garden.
Amen

Tuesday, August 1

Heavenly Father,
Grant me faith to persevere
Discerning Your will
Through fog of doubt
Doing Your work
Up steepest climbs
Seeking Your Kingdom
Tirelessly
Amen

Wednesday, August 2

Father, draw me closer to Your Kingdom.
Lord, implant Your will within my heart.
O God, be still the stormy seas around me,
As I strive, for love alone, to do my part.
Amen

Thursday, August 3

Lord, You are rest when I am weary,
Comfort in distress,
Peace in times of turbulence,
And direction when I am lost.
And when I am at peace,
Unburdened by worry or distress,
Still You are my beacon,
My direction,
And my hope.
Amen

Friday, August 4

On every step, Lord Jesus,
You are near.
I am never on my own in times of sorrow.
I am never all alone in times of strife.
At every time, Lord Jesus,
You are here.
My heart is never empty,
My burden’s not too much.
You are the light that guides me.
You are my hope.
Amen

Daily Prayers are written by Tim Williams, National Vincentian Formation Director.
Enter your
text here