Vision

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09-12-24 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders
09-12-24 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders 1200 1200 SVDP USA

Our Vincentian Reality

I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to serve as your new National CEO. I look forward to growing with you spiritually, in friendship, and in service to our neighbors in need!

I thank John Berry and the National Board of Directors for blessing me with this opportunity. I also want to recognize Dave Barringer for his 11 years of dedicated leadership to our Society.

As Vincentians, our focus on spirituality is what I find so inspiring. Each and every one of us is on a spiritual journey of our own, and we’re all at different stages. As Vincentians, we embrace the Beatitudes, just as when Christ said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” [Matthew 5:3]

We all understand that we need to have a spirit of poverty in relation to our spiritual growth. We all know that the more we grow spiritually, the more we realize that we need to grow. I remember St. Mother Teresa talking about how much she needed to grow spiritually. If St. Mother Teresa needed to grow, we all need to grow!

It can be very challenging in trying to be more Christ-like because we are so imperfect. Sometimes as we get older, we find it harder to measure growth than when we were younger.

It may be harder for us to see our growth, but our Vincentian friends and those we are blessed to serve, not only see our growth, but are inspired by it! Think about your own spiritual growth, and recognize how far you’ve come, and how much opportunity we all have to grow beyond any of our expectations.

The future is in front of our Society! Nothing is holding us back because we have the Holy Spirit behind us. Our Vision SVDP initiative allows each of us throughout the country to listen to what the Holy Spirit is telling us about what our Vincentian family can become. It’s not about me or you. It is about all of us!

Yes, we are called to see the face of Christ in those we are blessed to serve, but we are also called to be Christ’s voice in today’s world. Our Vincentian family is coming together in a remarkable way to face the future and to embrace our call to define what the future can be.

When we look at the world today, we see a reality that is hard to understand — division, hatred, conflict, and so many other negative things.

As Vincentians, we are called to leave this world behind, and to embrace our Vincentian Reality. A reality that is built on Christ’s commandment: “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.” [John 13:34]

We can only be successful in our mission, if we take on the challenge of adapting to the changing world with great vigor and enthusiasm. Let me ask you, “What problem in our country and in our world cannot be solved by loving one another?”

I am honored to embrace our Vincentian call to love one another with you. The world is counting on us to see the face of Christ, and to make Christ’s Love come to life for our neighbors in need!

Best wishes in Christ,
Michael

Michael Acaldo
Incoming National CEO

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07-25-24 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders
07-25-24 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders 1200 1200 SVDP USA

The Moments That Make Us Who We Are

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born, I dedicated you.”
– Jeremiah 1: 5

Wow! God knew that I would travel a road that would lead me to a Vincentian vocation, devoted to serving in my Conference, Council, and region.

There have been many turning points in my life that have shaped me to be who I am today. Though I may not have acknowledged these turning points when they occurred (or even knew that I needed to make a change), I know that these moments were filled with meaning and transformation. These moments exposed my vulnerabilities, my strengths and weaknesses, and my spirituality.

The Directory for Catechesis tells us, “Formation is an ongoing process that, under the guidance of the Spirit and in the living womb of the Christian community, helps the baptized person take shape, unveiling our deepest identity as children of God in profound communion with others.” (DC 131)

Vincentian formation means being shaped through the Holy Spirit, for and by our Vincentian work, into useful vessels God needs for the poor. “As Vincentians, our vocation is one in which we are called to live as Christ lived; to model our lives on the life of Jesus and making our hearts freer for prayer and service.” (The Rule)

Reflecting on my journey to my Vincentian vocation and how my heart has been formed to serve our neighbors in need takes my back to the late 1950s and a grandmother, Julia Jander Fallwell, who shared a loving and unselfish heart to serve the poor of Palestine, Texas. So, let me set the stage of one impactful moment.

My grandmother was born in 1891 and a lifelong resident of Palestine. She was a faithful member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Her presence is still in this church with the two beautiful side altars that are in memory of the Jander family. Palestine was most known as a railway transportation hub, and the train station was four blocks from my grandmother’s home on the corner of Howard and Lacey.

One Thanksgiving in the late 1950s, our large family was gathered, enjoying a traditional turkey dinner. There was a knock on the back door. My grandmother answered, turned around, walked to the dinner table, grabbed one of her best china plates and loaded it with turkey and all the trimmings. She returned to the back doorstep and handed the plate to an itinerant worker traveling the country by train who had walked from the train station. It became obvious that it was widely known that travelers could come to this generous and caring woman’s home for a hot meal. This single event has always been with me, and I often look back and thank my grandmother for her example of kindness and selflessness.

It took many years to hear and respond to His calling. God has orchestrated my life for maximum benefit. He has put me in the right places at the right time. My formation brought me to a place and time where I share with our friends in need suffering in solidarity. I have always gone back to this Thanksgiving to remind myself what I am called to do. This was my transformative moment. And, so, it has continued through to the present time.

“We need markers of development to assure us that we are making progress and that we are indeed on the same path of faith our spiritual role-models walked.”
– Corella Roberts

My grandmother would be so happy to know that Sacred Heart Catholic Church now has a St. Vincent de Paul Conference, founded in 2008 and aggregated in 2011 to serve the Palestine community. I know if she were here, she would be an active member of this Conference.

65 years after this one life-changing event, poverty is still with us. As with all things, over time we need to consider how we can adapt to our changing world to better serve those in need and to continue the relevancy of the Society. We now have an opportunity over the next several months to listen to all Vincentian voices on ideas how we might adapt with the introduction of Vision SVDP. Consider it a family conversation around a Thanksgiving table.

Yours in Christ,
Susan Wiland

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04-03-24 VisionSVdP Update
04-03-24 VisionSVdP Update 8335 2555 SVDP USA

Dear Fellow Vincentians,

Now that the Midyear Meeting, where we rolled out VisionSVdP, is over, I want to give you a report on how things went at the meeting and let you know about the next steps in this important ongoing national initiative.

You will be hearing much about VisionSVdP over the next two plus years; this is one of the most important and impactful things we have undertaken as a Society in the last 25 years. And it will take the commitment, dedication, and full participation of every Vincentian at every level of the Society to make sure that the work we do will enable us to adapt to a changing world and ensure that our work and our relevance in supporting His people in need and growing in our own holiness and spirituality will continue for generations to come.

The launch of VisionSVdP at the Midyear Meeting was exciting and powerful! Almost 250 people, attendees and staff, participated in five separate listening sessions. Was there some nervousness? Some confusion? Some desire for structure and specific questions to answer? Of course there was! If there was not, I would have been very concerned. This is new ground we are breaking. This is quite easy for some people and exceedingly difficult for others.

These listening sessions require that we not only listen to each other, but that we listen to the Holy Spirit speaking to us and through us. They require that we be candid and open and honest and free thinking. If we gave you a bunch of questions and asked you to answer them, what we would get is — a bunch of answers to questions we asked. What we would NOT get is the things in your heart and in your soul that matter deeply and passionately to you. We would not get the voice crying out in the wilderness with the idea that might make all the difference in the world.

So going forward, if you are looking for a lot of structured conversations in VisionSVdP you might be disappointed, because you are not going to get that — at least not in this phase. But if you come to this process with an open heart and an open mind then I think any disappointment will turn to excitement and joy as you journey together, you and your fellow Vincentians on this path to adapting to a changing world. What this synodal process will provide you is an opportunity for open dialogue; listening sessions that are freeform and unstructured with thinking that is inspired by the Holy Spirit.

So, what is next? 

Now we are going into the Regional Meeting phase. We will hold listening sessions at every Regional Meeting over the next few months. I will be at many Regional Meetings to help facilitate; but since I have not yet figured out how to be cloned, I cannot get to them all. So, Dave Barringer will be at the ones I cannot attend, and the RVPs all participated in the launch at Midyear, so they are familiar with the process. There will be a video from our National Spiritual Advisor, Archbishop Andrew, to kick off each session and help center us on the task ahead.

After the Regional Meetings we are asking all Councils, Conferences, and Special Works to hold VisionSVdP Listening Sessions, preferably before the National Assembly. And I want to make a key point here. When I say we want all Vincentians to participate in VisionSVdP, I mean all Vincentians; Full Members, Associate Members, Staff, and Volunteers. And at some point, we will also determine how we can engage with the people we serve, our neighbors in need, to get their views on the Society and how we need to adapt to a changing world to best serve them.

All the comments from all the sessions will be gathered into a national database where we can all look at it. And when I say we, I mean we — you, me, and every Vincentian — because every voice matters, today and tomorrow. In Phase II, we will all begin to ask ourselves: What does all this mean? Then we will start to determine patterns, similarities, trends, commonalities, and areas where we want to focus. But we will also be looking for that voice in the wilderness.

There will be further updates as we continue the process. Thanks for your continued participation and support.

Peace and God’s blessings,
John

John Berry
National President

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The VisionSVdP Prayer
The VisionSVdP Prayer 8335 2555 SVDP USA

The VisionSVdP Prayer

Come, Holy Spirit, open our eyes, our hearts, and our imaginations to Your inspiration as we embark on our VisionSVdP journey and seek to discern the Father’s holy will for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and how it will adapt to a changing world.

Come, Holy Spirit, transform our doubts, ignite our zeal. Help us discern new and innovative ways to bring more people into the joy of service in the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.

Come, Holy Spirit, grant us the simplicity to share honestly with each other, the humility to serve a mission greater than ourselves, and the gentleness to listen to each other without judgment.

Amen

Oración de la VisiónSVdP

Ven, Espíritu Santo, abre nuestros ojos, nuestros corazones y nuestra imaginación a Tu inspiración Divina mientras nos embarcamos en nuestro viaje hacia la VisiónSVdP y lograr discernir en la santa voluntad del Padre, en cómo se adaptará la Sociedad de San Vicente de Paúl a un mundo cambiante.

Ven, Espíritu Santo, transforma nuestras dudas, ilumina nuestro fervor.  Ayúdanos a discernir con formas nuevas e innovadoras de llevar a más personas a la alegría del servicio en la Sociedad de San Vicente de Paúl.

Ven, Espíritu Santo, concédenos la sencillez de compartir honestamente los unos con los otros; la humildad para servir a una misión más grande que nosotros mismos; y la gracia de escucharnos unos a otros sin juzgarnos.

Amén

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03-07-25 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders
03-07-25 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders 1200 1200 SVDP USA

This is the last in a series of three Servant Leader columns before next week’s Midyear Meeting that address VisionSVdP.  Today I’d like to explain a little more about how the process will work over the next year, and talk a bit about how you can get involved.

We will formally ‘kick off’ VisionSVdP at the Midyear Meeting in St. Louis with five Listening Sessions. All Midyear attendees will be randomly assigned to one of five groups and will meet for approximately 1 ½ hours. This will occur following a session by me on the process, and after a Keynote Address by the National Council President of Australia, who will speak about the process there, and a Spiritual Retreat by Archbishop Andrew Bellisario, CM, our National Episcopal Advisor.

At the Listening Sessions, Midyear attendees will have a free-flowing discussion about the Society. They will all begin with the same question: What does the Rule, Part 1, 1.6: “Adaptation to a Changing World” mean to you?

From there, they will discuss anything and everything that they want to. Someone at each table will capture everyone’s comments — because every voice matters. Two moderators per room (typically Regional VPs) will then attempt to capture the essence of the discussions; when the entire group reconvenes, we’ll have a conversation about the process. The goal is not to highlight any comments as more important than any other, but to debrief how people felt. Were their voices heard? Did they learn anything? Did anything ‘click’ from the conversation?

This process will repeat itself at the Regional meetings.

So, you ask: What about me? I’m not going to Midyear or the Regional Meeting. How do I get involved??

GOOD QUESTION!  You get involved because we want every Conference and every Council and every Special Work to do this as well. AND WE WILL HELP YOU!

Now, let’s be very open and very, very honest here. We will face many naysayers and people who just want to keep on doing things the way we always have, either because it’s easier, or because they fear change. Then we’ll have the inevitable organizational inertia that will never find the time to schedule the sessions — we’re too busy, we’re too important doing other “real Vincentian work,” etc, etc. They will all resist doing these sessions. WE CANNOT LET THAT HAPPEN.

Engage with the VisionSVdP process at your Conference and in your Council and Region. Become a Champion for the effort! Contact your Regional VP, contact your Council President, contact me. Make sure the process gets to you and is carried out. Because your voice matters.

After all these sessions are held in 2024 (including at the National Assembly in Phoenix), we will start a National Conversation process in 2025 about what we have heard and what it means for how we adapt and change.

Peace and God’s blessings,
John

John Berry
National President

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02-29-24 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders
02-29-24 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders 8335 2555 SVDP USA

Last week I announced the kickoff of VisionSVdP in an email to all Vincentians. Today, I’d like to spend a little more time discussing the reasons we’re launching this very important initiative at this time.

Let’s start by looking at why VisionSVdP is so important for us from the standpoint of all the great and positive things going on across the Society — things like these. (And there are a whole lot more!)

  • While we have seen declines in Conference membership as a whole (more on that later), we’ve also seen new Conferences being created, new membership growth in places, and even new Councils being formed. We need to talk about how and why that’s happening so we can capture the best practices; figure out how to support and scale those gains across the country; and help reverse the decline in membership we’re seeing in many places.
  • During COVID, many Councils and Conferences found an incredible surge of innovation and creativity in programs and services. New ways of serving people in need have been implemented and are now part of a better, more effective, and more far-reaching support system for our neighbors in need. We need to talk about those programs and help others implement them locally.
  • Councils and Conferences across the country have developed programs that are providing free medications to people with low income, moving people from the streets to homes, feeding thousands of people a day (yes, a day!) through kitchens, providing food via food pantries, doing so much more. We need to talk about how they’re doing these things, while other Councils and Conferences are struggling to answer the phone calls. What is making the difference?

And we also need to talk about the negative things. Here are just a few to think about.

  • Since 2016, we have lost almost 1,000 Conferences and nearly 10,000 members. Why? What can we do about it? Is it our structure? Do our meeting schedules make it impossible for working people, young families, and students to attend? Is it something else? Is it a combination of things?  We need to talk about how we make the Society a more welcoming and supportive community for people to serve, grow in spiritually, and grow in friendship and community.
  • The reality — and part of the answer to the question above — is that our Vincentians are getting ‘burned out.’ They are overworked, not fed spiritually, and burdened with necessary (yet still challenging) paperwork and reporting. We need to talk about all of these things. We must determine new ways to make being a Vincentian a joyful experience.
  • Face it, people generally run away when we ask them to consider Leadership roles in the Society. We need to talk about why. And then we need to talk about how we are going to fix it.
  • Our efforts to increase diversity have not kept pace with the growth in the diversity of the Church. While we have moderately increased the number of Hispanic, Latino, and African-American Vincentians, the percentage increases have not tracked with the increases in the Church.

So — that’s a bit of a deeper dive into why we’re launching VisionSVdP.

We need you to be part of it. For one simple reason.

BECAUSE EVERY VOICE MATTERS

Peace and God’s blessings,
John

John Berry
National President

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