SVdP

  • 13 Comments
  • No Likes

05-11-2023 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders
05-11-2023 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders 900 900 SVDP USA

Dear Vincentian Friends,

Last weekend I met Sister Norma Pimentel at a regional meeting of our Society in Texas. She is a highly respected leader of relief efforts for immigrants in the Rio Grande area, and I have long admired her work. In the next few weeks, you may see Sister Norma interviewed on national news programs because the situation with refugees on the U.S. southern border will receive a lot of coverage. Talking with her put me in touch with the human stories of suffering and fear that are often ignored in the political narrative the surrounds this complex problem.

Some have called Sister Norma the Mother Teresa of the Rio Grande, but I think she is more like our Blessed Sister Rosalie Rendu. Sister Norma is trusted and beloved by those refugees she serves, and she is also trusted and respected by border patrol agents and their leaders. (She tells me the agents all have her cell phone number and regularly call her.) Like Sister Rosalie, Sister Norma is trusted by the poor and is trusted by those who have the resources to provide aid.

Sister has stories to tell that humanize the refugee situation at our southern border. She emphasizes that you need to get close to the people to understand, and she believes that it is possible to protect our borders and still respect humanity. We Vincentians understand the need to get close to the situation and listen to those who suffer. We serve people who are without shelter, without food, and without adequate healthcare, and who are also portrayed with a narrative that fails to capture the real suffering and fear experienced by people living through complex, difficult realities.

The answers to migration, homelessness, unemployment, addiction, hunger and lack of healthcare are complicated, with people of goodwill disagreeing on how to respond. Frequently, however, the political narrative is not centered on finding solutions but rather on scoring political points and demonizing people with opposing ideas. Let’s not get caught up in this as we advocate for compassionate responses to the serious problems from which we see people suffer.

Sister Rosalie and Sister Norma are role models for us in their sharing of stories that show the human faces of those they serve – so that the real people involved are not cast as mere pawns in divisive political debates. We can do that, too, but we need to take the time to have actual conversations in which we listen to those we are helping. That takes some extra time and effort, not just talking to get the information to fill out an application or voucher.  When we do that, Frederic Ozanam says, “we begin to know the elements of this formidable problem of misery; then we have the right to propose serious measures, … instead of frightening society.”

In that same speech Ozanam gave in 1848, he also tells us, “when the times are so difficult, the problems so serious, the designs of God so hidden, how could the finest citizens not be divided and not bring to their opposite opinions all the passion of their patriotism?” There will be a lot of political news in the next few weeks that affects the people we serve, and we Vincentians will not always agree amongst ourselves about what should be done. Let’s be sure we always respect each other and work to preserve the human dignity of all who suffer – because in them we have seen the face of the suffering Christ.

Serviens in spe,
Ralph Middlecamp
SVdP National President

  • No Comments
  • No Likes

One Home Visit Can Change So Many Lives
One Home Visit Can Change So Many Lives 1080 1080 SVDP USA

The hallmark of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul’s work is the Home Visit. Vincentians go and meet their neighbors in need in their homes, where they are at ease, and feel comfortable sharing their story. There, we can determine the best way to help. Be it financial assistance to keep utilities running, putting food on the table, or help making rent. Other times, the help they offer, can mean so much more.  

Vincentians Fred and Susan from the St. William Conference in Round Rock, Texas went on what they believed would be a run-of-the-mill Home Visit, but it turned out to be anything but normal. 

When they arrived at Rocio’s home, they immediately noticed that something wasn’t right. They were met by broken dishes all over the house and holes in the walls. They had stopped by to offer help with utilities, but as soon as they walked through the door, they knew there was so much more they could do. 

Fred and Susan helped Rocio with her utility bill and left. But they knew Rocio needed more help. “God was talking to us, telling us we needed to go back,” said Susan. 

Over their next few visits with Rocio and her family, they learned that she was the victim of domestic violence. Her husband was a U.S. citizen, but Rocio was undocumented, and therefore, stuck in a bad situation.  

From that moment Fred and Susan dedicated themselves to walking Rocio’s journey with her. They helped her secure her Green Card, assisted her with her finances, and even helped her rekindle her faith.  

“They have taught me everything I know,” said Rocio. “From how to be a mother and raise them and teach them and bring them up in a Catholic home. How to stay stable and how to learn how to manage your money.” 

Fred helped to repair the damage that Rocio’s now ex-husband did to their home. 

Rocio is now living a happy life with her new husband and her five children, and they have come to consider Fred and Susan family as they have walked with them every step of the way. 

“They’re like the parents that are teaching me the proper ways of life,” said Rocio. “But they’re also like mentors to my children and myself.” 

“Rocio’s like a daughter to me and her husband is like a son,” said Susan. “Over the years she has come a long way.” 

While she had accomplished so much thanks to the support she’d received from SVdP, there was still something that Rocio hoped for. She yearned to become a U.S. Citizen. The SVdP Council in Austin stepped in to help.  

The Council offered Rocio a Systemic Change grant to help offset the cost of the citizenship process. And Rocio went on to pass her Citizenship test on the first try! 

“Transformation is possible. It’s not easy. It’s a challenge, and it takes a lot of commitment, but it is absolutely possible,” said Joleen Boyer, a Vincentian with the SVdP Council in Austin.  

Rocio’s life was changed when Fred and Susan arrived on her doorstep. But Fred and Susan were forever changed as well.  

“They have become my family,” said Susan. “Even if I never did anything else I my life, I’ve saved seven souls. That’s pretty good.”  

  • 3 Comments
  • No Likes

Contemplation — Just Prayer
Contemplation — Just Prayer 1080 1080 SVDP USA

“The needs were overwhelming,” the Home Visit team recalled, “And they were beyond what we could provide. So we just prayed.” Have you heard an account like this before? The emotions were high, the needs were great, there was nothing we could do, so…we just prayed.

It’s easy to feel as though we’ve let down the neighbor sometimes. We are the ones who return their calls. We are the ones who listen and understand. And we are the ones who, more often than not, are able to help with that overdue bill, or groceries, or rent, so when we can’t, or when the problem isn’t really a matter of material assistance, it can seem as if we’ve fallen short. Instead of offering our alms, we share in their suffering.

And we just pray.

Yet no matter the need, no matter the outcome of our Home Visit, we always pray. It isn’t an afterthought, or a rote exercise, or something we fall back on only when things seem hopeless! Our prayers are the most important thing we have to offer.

After all, why do we offer them for each other, or for our friends and family? Vincentians are people of “prayer and action.” [Rule, Part I, 3.3] Bl. Frédéric calls us to “do all the good we can and trust to God for the rest.” [Baunard, 81] However great or little our efforts or our material offerings, our work is never complete without prayer.

We always pray; we never just pray. The final balance between our action and our prayer is up to God alone. As St. Vincent reminds us, “God does not consider the outcome of the good work undertaken but the charity that accompanied it.” [CCD I:205]

In our prayers, we place the needs of the neighbors before God in order to assure them that they are not forgotten, that this, too, shall pass. We add our voices to theirs, knowing that God has placed us n the presence for this reason, that He, too, is present on our Home Visit, and that the hope we offer is not merely the hope of a light bill payment.

Pope Saint Gregory the Great taught that to give what is ours to the neighbor is charity; to give them what is theirs is justice. [P.R., Bk III] In this sense, at least, they are all just prayers.

Contemplate

If I approach each home visit as if I have only prayer to offer, how would I pray differently?

Recommended Reading

Praying with Vincent de Paul

  • No Comments
  • No Likes

SVdP News Roundup April 29 – May 5
SVdP News Roundup April 29 – May 5 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 May 1 — May 5
A Week in Prayers May 1 — May 5 1080 1080 SVDP USA

Monday, May 1

Open my heart, Lord Jesus,
Empty me of myself.
Take away all that worries me,
And all that troubles my mind.
Take away all of my triumphs,
And all victories of this world.
Empty me of myself, O Lord,
That You may live in me,
And I may live in You.
Amen

Tuesday, May 2

Heavenly Father,
Your love is like the dewfall,
Covering the earth like a blanket
During each night’s darkness,
And rising in the growing light
To be the very air I breathe.
On this path, O Lord,
May Your light guide me
And Your truth lead me,
As I seek to follow Your way.
Amen

Wednesday, May 3

In everything I do, O Lord,
In everything I say,
Let me be Your instrument.
Do not let my own hesitation,
Selfishness, or worry
Stand in the way of Your love
Shining forth through my smile
My manner,
And my actions.
Amen

Thursday, May 4

Lord, help me to bear wordless witness;
To proclaim Your truth by living my faith.
May my neighbor come to know You
Through my acts of mercy and love,
In the name of Your son Jesus Christ.
Amen

Friday, May 5

O my Jesus, forgive me.
In Your mercy, make me whole.
Measure out Your mercy,
As I have measured mine,
Knowing, as I do, that it is You
I serve in the neighbor.
Amen

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

Dedicated Vincentians Assist Those Affected by Recent Tornadoes
Dedicated Vincentians Assist Those Affected by Recent Tornadoes 1024 768 SVDP USA

SVdP Disaster Services Corporation is proud to announce that Vincentians Tom and Kathy Williams, both highly-trained DSC representatives, have successfully completed their deployment in Mississippi, where they spent six days tirelessly working to support disaster survivors in Rolling Fork and Silver City after the devastating tornadoes that hit in March 2023.

DSC sends trained volunteers to disaster sites across the country to support Councils in recovery efforts. During their time in Mississippi, Tom and Kathy helped a total of 99 households, providing referrals to legal services, crisis cleanup, medical care, and state insurance boards. They also assisted with FEMA relief applications, ensuring that those impacted by the disaster could receive the aid they needed to recover.

As volunteers, they had the privilege of meeting with community leaders and supporting the local SVdP Council’s disaster recovery efforts in the community. Throughout their deployment, Tom and Kathy witnessed the strength and resilience of the community. They expressed how grateful they were to be trusted with the survivors’ stories, and they will forever hold them in their hearts.

Tom and Kathy’s deployment made an important difference in the lives of these disaster survivors. DSC is proud of the work that Tom and Kathy accomplished, who are grateful for the opportunity to serve those in need.

Tom and Kathy feel blessed by their experience in Mississippi. Although the deployment may be over, the community is undoubtedly in good hands with local Vincentians and Pastor Britt Williamson. The work started by Kathy and Tom is being continued by Diane Clark, Vincentian and SE Regional Disaster Chair, and Jessica Duran, Vincentian and full-time Disaster Case Manager, who is taking time off from her regular duties to travel to Mississippi and provide further assistance to disaster survivors in their journey towards recovery.

Please visit www.svdpdisaster.org to learn more about how you can support our mission.

  • 18 Comments
  • 1 Like

05-04-2023 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders
05-04-2023 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders 900 900 SVDP USA

Good Shepherd….Good Plumber

“The Lord is my plumber. That is not what you expected me to say, right?”

Fr. Thomas, well known for his short Homilies, had his flock captivated. He went on to explain that since he had not seen any shepherds out and about, it goes without saying that we need to find another person more relatable to our times.

Good nurse. Good farmer. Good teacher. Good boss. Good mechanic. Good janitor. Good garbage man.

During His ministry, Jesus used parables as a teaching tool. In this Sunday’s Gospel reading He reminds us, “I am the gate for the sheep.”

What tools are available to us today, as we face the challenges of a shrinking church? Drawing most members from our retired population, we appear to have come out of the pandemic leaner than we would have year after year in “normal” times.

With the closures and merges of churches across the country, most of us have been displaced in one format or another. For some, the demographics of our communities have changed. I know for me, after 23 years in one parish, the thought of change traumatized me.

But if I was honest, the parish my heart yearned for was only in my memory.

Then one asks, if I am not growing with my community, do I need to look for a different gate?

Recently I moved to a new parish: Mary, Mother of God. Going in, I knew they had recently completed their “Renew My Church” process. Renew My Church is the movement employed by the Archdiocese to address the challenges being faced in Chicago as Mass attendance dwindles.

I came from what is considered a diverse parish. I have visited many diverse parishes, but never have I felt as a powerful welcoming force as I have at Mary, Mother of God Parish.

On Easter Sunday, Fr. Robert Cook wished us all a Happy Easter in 11 languages (English, French for Francophone Africans, Vietnamese, Lao, Tagalog, Spanish, Yoruba, Edo, Igbo, Tigrinya [Eritreans], and Polish). Looking at the reactions on the faces of those in the pews next to me, I could see how this was received with a warm embrace of togetherness.

Beyond languages spoken by those present that day, Mass is celebrated weekly in English, Spanish, and Viet/Lao. Monthly Masses: Eritreans (Ge’ez Rite) and Burmese. The pastoral council has representation not only from all the groups, but also from the churches that were part of the mergers and other churches that were closed.

Seeing a diverse group of people continue to attend Mass together week after week is extremely encouraging. The pastor has been extremely intentional in fostering a sense of belonging for everyone who walks into the church, including our brothers and sisters experiencing homelessness, who often come for a cup of coffee after Mass.

One would think all of that was enough to tell me I had found my home parish. When a group of us reached out to Fr. Bob about reactivating the Society of St Vincent de Paul, little did we know what a perfect fit this would be.

The parish has an outreach ministry, Canterbury House, “which feeds the soul, and relates to feeding the body through the soup kitchen and food pantry. It is a Eucharist community in service to the parish through prayer, outreach, fellowship, and Catholic social thought.”

This is where we as Vincentians have found a new home. We find ourselves part of a group that opens its doors every Monday from 1 – 5 pm, and invites people living outside to come in as our neighbors. It’s a reverse Home Visit — but so enriching.

I have learned more about accepting the other during these Monday afternoon visits. Been overcome by the beauty of friendships being created. Seeing them embrace Canterbury House as a place where they are not shunned, but rather, are family. The beautiful experience is the brainchild of James Murphy, who is the full-time live-in community member of Canterbury House.

At Mary, Mother of God I have found a community full of Good Plumbers.

  • 1 Comment
  • No Likes

Contemplation — Cheerful Givers
Contemplation — Cheerful Givers 1080 1080 SVDP USA

“God loves a cheerful giver,” the Apostle reminds us, and so, we might observe, does every person made in His image. Who wants a guest at their birthday party to grudgingly hand over a gift, sighing under the weight of all the stress of shopping for it? Thankfully, there are few such guests. Instead, the great anticipation of the recipient’s joy at seeing the gift often makes us impatient to see it opened.

The beauty of gifts given freely to friends is that they are given completely unconditionally; we don’t consider for a moment whether a friend deserves a birthday present, or whether they will repay it. Our goal is only to find the perfect gift. When we receive gifts, we can hardly help but be happy.

If by chance, the shirt is the wrong size or color, or we’ve already read that book, we always know that it’s the thought that counts; it’s the friendship and love that accompanies the gift that we really celebrate. In the same way, St. Vincent teaches, “God does not consider the outcome of the good work undertaken but the charity that accompanied it.” [CCD I:205] It is not the gift, but the giving that matters.

We bring gifts to each neighbor we visit, and giving them unconditionally, and never “taking the attitude that …recipients have to prove that they deserve it.” [Manual, Ch 2] Those gifts might include help with a bill, or food, or rent, or “any form of help that alleviates suffering or deprivation and promotes human dignity and personal integrity in all their dimensions.” [Rule, Part I, 1.3]

Most importantly, though, we “never forget that giving love, talents and time is more important than giving money.” [Rule, Part I, 3.14] What makes a birthday gift so special is the thought and care and love that goes into finding it, wrapping it, and giving it. What makes our gift of time and self to the neighbor so special is thought and care and love that goes into answering their calls, visiting them cheerfully, and always helping in the best way that we can.

When we knock on the neighbor’s door it should be with the same joyful anticipation with which we arrive at a party, with gift in hand. Every home visit is an opportunity to remind the neighbor that God has not abandoned them; to bring them the gift of love – the love of God.

Home visits should never be approached as a chore. They are a special grace from God, given to us so that we might see Him, serve Him, and make ourselves the instruments of His boundless love. It is more blessed to give than to receive.

Contemplate

“Why,” St. Louise asked, “are our souls not in a continuous state of joy and happiness?” [SWLM, A.14B]

Recommended Reading

Mystic of Charity

  • No Comments
  • No Likes

SVdP News Roundup April 22 – April 28
SVdP News Roundup April 22 – April 28 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 April 24 – April 28
A Week in Prayers April 24 – April 28 1080 1080 SVDP USA

Monday, April 24

Heavenly Father, hear my prayer,
Offered to You in faith.
Holy Spirit, live within me,
Strengthen me with hope.
Show me, Jesus, the Way and Truth,
Fill my heart with love.
Amen

Tuesday, April 25

Dear Lord Jesus,
Risen and scarred,
Light of eternal life.
Show me Your hands, O Lord.
Not so that I may believe,
But so that I remember
This, too, shall pass.
Amen

Wednesday, April 26

Lord in heaven
In Your name,
I will seek to serve.
Jesus Savior,
For Your sake,
I will give myself.
Holy Spirit,
With Your love,
I will light hearts on fire.
Amen

Thursday, April 27

Watch over me in this valley, Lord,
And I will have no fear.
Though trials and troubles surround me,
I know that You are near.

Await me on the mountain, Lord,
And call me from above.
Your fire within me, I will climb,
To join with You in love.
Amen

Friday, April 28

Fill me, Lord,
With the love that is ever-giving,
That multiplies as it is given,
The love that can only be a gift,
The gift that can only be gratuitous,
Patient, kind, and true.
Fill me, Lord, to overflowing.
Send Your love through me.
Amen

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