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Conference Assists Survivors of Recent Tornado
Conference Assists Survivors of Recent Tornado 1568 882 SVDP USA

Written by: Mike Smith
Vice President, St. Elizabeth of Hungary Conference
Annunciation Catholic Church, Columbus, MS

The following is a heartwarming update regarding one Conference’s ongoing efforts to support those affected by the recent tornado in Amory, Mississippi.

In a recent meeting, our dedicated team, led by Conference Treasurer Rosemary Payne and myself, had the privilege of sitting down with Fr. Joseph, the Pastor of St. Helen’s Catholic Church in Amory, along with around ten other parishioners and community members. The primary objective of this meeting was twofold: to review the progress made in utilizing the funds generously provided to St. Helen’s by SVdP (Society of St. Vincent de Paul), and to discuss the future assistance that might be required.

Thanks to the unwavering support from SVdP, approximately $18,100 has been provided to St. Helen’s so far, enabling them to offer much-needed assistance to the affected individuals and families in the community. Additionally, 750 hygiene kits were sent to Life Springs Ministry, making a significant impact on the lives of those who received them.

During our meeting, we learned that around 75-100 families are still displaced, currently residing in hotel rooms located over 30 miles away from Amory. The lack of available apartments or permanent housing options in the area has posed significant challenges to their recovery. Fortunately, FEMA plans to provide temporary trailers to accommodate some of the displaced individuals, and Franklin Graham’s Samaritan’s Purse is generously donating several permanent trailers to the community. 

With the new school year just around the corner, we discussed the various needs of the affected families, including school clothes, supplies, linens, furniture, and more. We aim to provide comprehensive support to help them rebuild their lives and regain a sense of normalcy.

As we look ahead, our hearts are filled with hope and determination to continue supporting the resilient community of Amory. We are now exploring the possibility of requesting additional funding from SVdP Disaster Services to further bolster our assistance efforts. Your continued support and generosity play a crucial role in making these endeavors possible.

If you are interested in contributing or getting involved, please reach out to us. Together, we can make a lasting difference in the lives of those who have endured the devastating effects of the tornado.

Let us stand united in compassion and solidarity, showing the true spirit of community and support.

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DSC Collaborates to Better Assist Disaster Survivors
DSC Collaborates to Better Assist Disaster Survivors 946 860 SVDP USA

SVdP Disaster Services Corporation CEO, Elizabeth Disco-Shearer recently participated in a meeting with representatives from the Disaster Response Leadership Team with the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Organization. The focus of the meeting was “Orientation and Advocacy for Disaster Survivors.” This is a cause that is close to the hearts of both organizations. Throughout the meeting, various strategies were discuss to strengthen disaster relief efforts and amplify advocacy initiatives to ensure that disaster survivors receive the support and care that is so needed during difficult times.

Supporting disaster-affected communities is not only a charitable act, but a fundamental responsibility that requires collaborative efforts from multiple organizations and passionate individuals. DSC’s partnership with Presbyterian Disaster Assistance USA and the Presbyterian Office of Public Witness brings together a wealth of experience, knowledge, and resources, enabling DSC to be more effective in its work. Through the power of collective action and community involvement, a difference can be made in the lives of those who have faced the devastating effects of disasters.

To learn more about the mission of SVdP’s Disaster Services Corporation, visit www.svdpdisaster.org. Your support plays a crucial role in enabling us to respond promptly to disasters and advocate for better relief policies.

Let’s stand together in solidarity as we strive to build resilient communities and provide hope to disaster survivors.

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National Council Welcomes Associate Vincentian Formation Director
National Council Welcomes Associate Vincentian Formation Director 1544 1160 SVDP USA

The National Council of the United States Society of St. Vincent de Paul is excited to welcome the new Associate Vincentian Formation Director, Sr. Consuelo Tovar, DC.

In her new role, Sr. Consuelo will work closely alongside the National Formation Director to help direct the spiritual formation and training to all members and especially to Hispanic and Latino members of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in the United States.

Sr. Consuelo has been a member of the Vincentian Family as a Daughter of Charity for over 55 years. She comes to the National Office after 30 years of community organizing in the Southwest Region of the Industrial Areas Foundation of Texas and New Mexico. She is familiar with the landscape and needs of the poor and vulnerable throughout the southwest and the border of Mexico and Texas. Her organizing work focused on the formation and training of institutional leaders to help congregational leaders and nonprofits build their capacity to address the issues affecting the quality of life in their communities.

Over the years, she has been in the ministry of mission integration, leadership formation, and advocating for charity and justice with and for our brothers and sisters in need.

Sister’s Vincentian formation as a Daughter of Charity and her experience in organizing easily transferred into the work of Mission Integration and Advocacy at Ascension DePaul Services in San Antonio. “I understood my role as Mission Integration Director to be that of helping create the framework in which spiritual growth and integration of the mission occurs for all of us,” said Sr. Consuelo. “And more importantly, so that our Vincentian service reflects our work for and with the poor and vulnerable”

It was in San Antonio too, that Sister Consuelo had the opportunity to serve with the South Texas Council of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul as El Carmen’s Conference Spiritual Advisor, Council Board member, and Chair of the Voice of the Poor Committee. “I am so grateful for those early experiences with the Society, and it has truly prepared me for this new opportunity to serve as Associate Director of Vincentian Formation. I look forward to working alongside fellow Vincentians who love and desire to deepen our Vincentian charism and mission.”

If you would like to contact Sr. Consuelo, she can be reached at (314) 576-3993 ext. 228 or by email at ctovar@svdpusa.org.

Spanish Translation

El Consejo Nacional de la Sociedad de San Vicente de Paúl de los Estados Unidos se complace en dar la bienvenida a la nueva Directora Asociada de Formación Vicenciana, Sor Consuelo Tovar, DC.

En su nuevo cargo, la Hermana Consuelo trabajará en estrecha colaboración con el Director Nacional de Formación para ayudar a dirigir la formación espiritual y la capacitación a todos los miembros y especialmente a los miembros hispanos y latinos de la Sociedad de San Vicente de Paúl en los Estados Unidos.

Sor Consuelo ha sido miembro de la Familia Vicenciana como Hija de la Caridad por más de 55 años. Ella llega a la Oficina Nacional después de 30 años de organización comunitaria en la Región Suroeste de la Fundación de Áreas Industriales de Texas y Nuevo México. Ella está familiarizada con el paisaje y las necesidades de los pobres y vulnerables en todo el suroeste y la frontera de México y Texas. Su trabajo organizativo se centró en la formación y capacitación de líderes institucionales para ayudar a los líderes congregacionales y organizaciones sin fines de lucro a desarrollar su capacidad para abordar los problemas que afectan la calidad de vida en sus comunidades.

A lo largo de los años, ha estado en el ministerio de integración misionera, formación de liderazgo y abogando por la caridad y la justicia con y para nuestros hermanos y hermanas necesitados.

La formación vicenciana de la hermana como Hija de la Caridad y su experiencia en la organización se transfirieron fácilmente al trabajo de Integración y Defensa de la Misión en Ascension DePaul Services en San Antonio. “Entendí que mi papel como Directora de Integración de la Misión era el de ayudar a crear el marco en el que el crecimiento espiritual y la integración de la misión ocurre para todos nosotros”, dijo la Hermana Consuelo. “Y lo que es más importante, para que nuestro servicio vicenciano refleje nuestro trabajo por y con los pobres y vulnerables”

Fue en San Antonio también, que la Hermana Consuelo tuvo la oportunidad de servir con el Consejo del Sur de Texas de la Sociedad de San Vicente de Paúl como Asesora Espiritual de la Conferencia de El Carmen, miembro de la Junta del Consejo y Presidenta del Comité de la Voz de los Pobres. “Estoy muy agradecido por esas primeras experiencias con la Sociedad, y realmente me ha preparado para esta nueva oportunidad de servir como Director Asociado de la Formación Vicenciana. Espero trabajar junto a otros vicencianos que aman y desean profundizar nuestro carisma y misión Vicentina”.

Si desea comunicarse con la Hermana Consuelo, puede comunicarse con ella al (314) 576-3993 ext. 228 o por correo electrónico a ctovar@svdpusa.org.

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Friends of the Poor Grant Awards Announced for Mideast and Midwest Regions
Friends of the Poor Grant Awards Announced for Mideast and Midwest Regions 500 500 SVDP USA

We received 52 grant applications totaling $260,000.00. Grant awards for this round total $75,000.

Through a simple application process, SVdP Conferences and District Councils can apply for up to $5,000 from the National Council’s Friends of the Poor® Fund. The Friends of the Poor® funds available to grant is normally limited to the amount raised and/or approved by the National Council budget process. Individual grant award amounts may vary from the application amount but will not exceed $5,000.

Grants are targeted to specific areas of need, above and beyond available Conference resources: assistance for rent/housing, utilities, food, clothing, medical, transportation, and baby/children needs. No systemic change projects.

The next round of FOP Grants will open on August 15 for the West and South Central Regions. 

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07-27-2023 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders
07-27-2023 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders 1080 1080 SVDP USA

In 1986, when I joined the Society of St. Vincent de Paul as a teenager at the age of 15, I never imagined that one day I would be elected International President General. Never. My desire was to respond to the call of Our Lord Jesus Christ, who preached: “What you do to the least of my brethren, you do to me.”

My intentions were focused solely on helping those most in need, seeking to build a fairer and less unequal world. I have never had political ambitions or other particular motivations for positions, responsibilities, or offices. I am not a careerist. All this happened naturally in my Vincentian life, simply by listening to the voice of God and the designs of the Holy Spirit.

When the electoral process began in 2015 and my name started to be bandied about by the National Councils, I thought to myself: how will this be possible, being very young (45 at the time), with children still young, and professionally active? But my wife Andrea softened my heart: “if it is God’s will, everything will happen.” And God acted, enabling and preparing me for this challenge. I dedicated my election to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal and walked with her every day of my mandate.

In these seven years I have had the privilege of leading a real “army of self-sacrificing people,” present in more than 150 countries, dedicated and committed to the practice of charity. I have been the spokesman for all of them, and I have tried to dignify the task entrusted to me. An immense honor, full of responsibilities, for which I have counted on the unconditional support of diligent collaborators who have helped me to serve as President General, to whom I offer my heartfelt thanks: the International Board, the members of the Structure, the staff of the Paris headquarters, the National Presidents, the Superior Councils and the countries of the “Concordat.”

I have visited 50 countries, poor, rich or developing, with the same love and enthusiasm. I have flown the SSVP flag everywhere. I carried the image of the seven founders wherever I went. The further I went; the better I was received. I treated everyone with respect, dignity and equality. I remember countless unforgettable moments from different times, on all continents. I cried, I was moved, I learned, I suffered, I shared, I smiled, and I hugged. Hours and hours in queues in airports, taxis, roads, and railways, on the way to somewhere. Away from home, in hotels, the only thing that gave me the energy to keep going was the support of my family. During the pandemic, I had to undergo dozens of Covid tests to be able to travel, and even without the vaccine, in October 2020, I took the documents of a second possible miracle attributed to our beloved Ozanam to the Vatican.

The innovations we have introduced in the General Council, in various sectors, clearly show that the primary goal of our collective work was to prepare the SSVP for the future. For example, the new headquarters in Paris, the advances in communication, the benefits derived from institutional relations, disseminating the legacy of the seven founders, increased solidarity actions, the expansion to new countries, the imminent canonization of Antoine-Frédéric Ozanam, the role of youth and women, improvements in training, the Circular Letters, and the advances in governance and international management. There is no doubt that the positive outcome of this mandate is due to all these successful initiatives.

I was once asked how I would like to be remembered in the future. This kind of question always makes me very uncomfortable, but I can give a modest answer: if I am remembered as a humane, frank and empathetic President General, I will be very flattered. These are very important qualities for all of us who do volunteerism and occupy leadership roles. The “singing president,” “the writing president,” “the flag president,” or even “the smiling president,” are very kind and gentle comments that I also hear when I visit countries, but what really pleases me most is to know that Vincentians consider me to be approachable and accessible.

For the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, I pray that God will always keep it united, that its members will be faithful followers of the Rule and defend the principles emanating from the seven founders, without disputes or divisions, supporting the Holy Church and the Vincentian Family, striving with dynamism and creativity to better serve those who suffer. If we do not stray from these values and premises, we will be on the right path to personal sanctification and the evangelization of the poor. If, on the contrary, we allow secularization to invade our procedures, our rules and our thoughts, we will quickly perish.

Everyone I have invited to international service (without exception) has been important to the work of the General Council. I would like to thank them all. However, I would like to give special recognition to four people who have always been very close to me and who, with their human qualities, Vincentian knowledge and spiritual condition, have guided me in the direction of virtue, protecting me in delicate moments and indicating the best path to follow. I am referring to Joseph Pandian (Vice-President General), Marie-Françoise Salesiani-Payet (Secretary General), Larry Tuomey (Treasurer General), and Father Andres Motto (Congregation of the Mission). Without their fraternal advice, I would not have grown spiritually as much as I did.

I want to express a deep gratitude to my family (Andrea, Gustavo and Bianca) because they managed to cope with my absence, which certainly deprived me of beautiful moments that I missed out on, and which can never be recovered. And yet God compensated me by blessing me with countless miracles and happy moments in my private, professional, academic, and Vincentian life.

To all those who prayed for me, I can assure you that I felt your spiritual intercession, especially during the difficulties of the pandemic. From now on, I will return those prayers, praying twice as much for you. This moment of farewell is a bit confusing for me, because I have mixed feelings of joy (for all that we have achieved) and nostalgia (for leaving this service to which I have dedicated so much of myself, with excitement and love).

This is not a farewell speech, but a “see you soon” speech. I intend to devote myself more to the Conference in which I participate, to my beloved family, to my doctorate in political science, to my health, and to my political and regulatory work in Brazil. And I will remain at the disposal of the new President General, who will be elected today, for any mission. In view of all the experiences I have had in the ministry as President General, I intend to write a book about my seven years of service. In this way, I believe our example can inspire other Vincentian leaders, now and in the future. THANK YOU VERY MUCH for your affection, loyalty and kindness!

Praise be to our Lord Jesus Christ!
Partner Renato Lima de Oliveira
16th International President General

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Contemplation — The Mysterious Voice from Within
Contemplation — The Mysterious Voice from Within 1080 1080 SVDP USA

Of our five Vincentian Virtues, the one that first comes to mind in considering the life and works of our founder, Blessed Frédéric Ozanam, is humility, which our Rule teaches us is “accepting the truth about our frailties, gifts, talents, and charism, yet knowing that all that God gives us is for others and that we can achieve nothing of eternal value without His grace.” [Rule, Part I, 2.5.1]

As a young man, he clearly recognized the blessings with which he had been bestowed, saying that “There does not exist perhaps in the vineyard of the Eternal Father, a single vine to which He has given so much care and attention.” Recognizing his own many gifts, he also recognized his obligation to share them for the benefit of others, to answer the call of “the mysterious voice from within.” And yet, while he “recognized God’s gift” he believed himself “incapable of willing or of acting.” [Baunard, 98-99]

At the Sorbonne, Frédéric certainly made great use of his formidable intellectual gifts. He quickly earned a reputation for his bold defenses of the faith in the face of attacks from students and professors alike. He was a skillful debater, unafraid in offering arguments that at times caused even his professors to rethink their own arguments.

And yet, when challenged in the Conference of History to show the good of the Church, Frédéric did not leap to impassioned argument. One of his chief goals in that debating club had been to win over the unbelieving students to the faith, and yet, when directly asked “what are you doing … to prove the truth of your faith?” he had no ready answer. [Baunard, 64] Surely such a brilliant debater could have launched a devastating argument; in modern parlance, he could have “owned” the Saint Simonians.

Instead, he and his friends left in silence. They could see not that their arguments had been defeated, but that words alone were not sufficient. Indeed, words had so far seemed counterproductive. Rather than rely upon their own intellect to show the good of the faith, they saw instead that they had to humbly follow upon the example of Jesus, and use their gifts to serve His poor.

It was the same thing taught by St. Vincent de Paul, who had two hundred years earlier advised one of his missioners to be “more humble and devout toward God, and more charitable toward your neighbor so that they may see the beauty and holiness of our religion and be moved to return to it.” [CCD VIII:209]

Our gifts are sufficient if we use them as God wills, for the benefit of others and the glory of His name, “without thinking of any reward or advantage for [ourselves].” [Rule, Part I, 2.2] The Society’s very founding was an act of humility. How can we do otherwise?

Contemplate

What personal ambition or desire is the “mysterious voice from within” calling me to set aside?

Recommended Reading

Apostle in a Top Hat

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SVdP News Roundup July 15 – July 21
SVdP News Roundup July 15 – July 21 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

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

Monday, July 17

Hear my prayers, Lord,
Not for myself,
But for all those in need
Of Your grace.
My friends and my foes,
The rich and the poor,
In each of whom
I see Your face.
Amen

Tuesday, July 18

Light of the world
Dawn of the day
Hope of the kingdom to come
Remain in my heart
Shine out through my love
Let me be Your beacon, O Lord
Amen

Wednesday, July 19

Oh Father, my Father, my Lord, and my God!
You have made me, You have known me.
Here I am.
You have called me, You have loved me.
Here I am.
I seek to do Your will.
Here I am.
Amen

Thursday, July 20

My God, I give You my heart;
A heart Your love can fill,
A heart that does Your will,
A heart that time will still
On earth.
And though it beat no more,
May it open heaven’s doors,
This heart, already Yours.
Amen

Friday, July 21

Lord Jesus, my Savior,
Through You I have seen
The model for my own humanity.
With You I will go
And knock on the door of the poor.
In You is life everlasting,
Broken, poured out, and shared.
Amen

Daily Prayers are written by Tim Williams, National Vincentian Formation Director.
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Contemplation — Our Most Earnest Study
Contemplation — Our Most Earnest Study 1080 1080 SVDP USA

As Christians, we are called to perfection, which we seek to attain through formation. We are formed in mind, body, and spirit in a lifelong process of attaining the fullness of our humanity, revealed to us in the incarnation of Jesus Christ. In the Society, we recognize four different dimensions of formation: human, spiritual, intellectual, and ministerial. These four overlap with each other, of course, but the one that can be easiest to neglect is our intellectual formation.

Intellectual formation encompasses training and skills development, such as poverty research and servant leadership training, but at its core, intellectual formation has to do with our efforts to understand our faith traditions and our church’s teachings. We do this through reading our Rule, Holy Scripture, and the writings of our own saints and founders, just as they did before us, but above all to focus on the life and words of Jesus as our model for a life of holiness.

Indeed, one of the books held dear by Vincent, Louise, and Frédéric was The Imitation of Christ written by Thomas à Kempis in the 1420s. St. Vincent recommended the use of this book in personal retreats, suggesting taking short readings from it and “stopping to reflect a short time on each sentence.” [CCD I:373] In offering spiritual direction to one of the priests of the mission, he advised him especially to “read Chapter XV of the third book of the Imitation of Christ. You will see there that not every desire, however good, is always from the Holy Spirit and that you are far from the indifference or resignation that it teaches.” [CCD VI:146] Much of this letter, and other writings of Vincent, reflects the thoughts of Kempis.

For her part, St. Louise considered the Imitation, along with St. Francis de Sales’ Introduction to the Devout Life and their Rule to be “the books necessary for the Daughters of Charity” which should be read monthly. [SWLM, L.383]

And in the early days of the Society, the Imitation remained a central text for study and reflection in conference meetings, and for personal reflection. As he noted once, he “had taken the precaution of reading a certain chapter in the Imitation” in order to guard against putting too much stock in compliments, even from greatly respected people; to remind him of his humility. [Baunard, 87] In 1838, the conference began reading, “in place of the Imitation, the Life of St. Vincent de Paul, so as to better imbue ourselves with his examples and traditions.” [Letter 175, to Lallier, 1838]

Today we have, in addition to Vincent, the life and words of Bl. Frédéric to read and to imitate, but even 600 years after they were written, the words of Thomas à Kempis have as much to offer us as they had for Vincent, Louise, and Frédéric. “Let it be our most earnest study,” wrote Kempis, “to dwell upon the life of Jesus Christ.” [Imitation, I, I, 1]

Contemplate

What great Christian books can I incorporate into my intellectual formation?

Recommended Reading

The Imitation of Christ

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SVdP News Roundup July 8 – July 14
SVdP News Roundup July 8 – July 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

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