Vincentian Community News
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"Continue to view the affairs and doings of the neighbor in a spirit of charity; should his actions have a hundred sides, always look at the best."
-St. Vincent de Paul
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6th Sunday of Ordinary Time
February 14, 2021
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Gospel Reading: (Mark 1: 40-45)
A leper came to Jesus and kneeling down begged him and said, “If you wish, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched him, and said to him, “I will do it. Be made clean.” The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean. He said to him, “See that you tell no one anything…” But the man went away and began to publicize the whole matter. He spread the report abroad so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly. He remained outside in deserted places, and people kept coming to him from everywhere.
Vincentian Reflection:
Jesus was “moved with pity”, and so he chose to heal the leper. And in spite of Jesus’ command to “tell no one anything,” Jesus knew that the leper would not be able to keep the good news of his healing quiet. And, yes, the leper does “publicize the whole matter.” Indeed, the leper proclaims the gospel. Perhaps Jesus healed the leper because he recognized one who would be a disciple and spread the good news. Jesus wished that the leper be made clean, he had the power to heal. But more important, his heart was filled with mercy. And Jesus was announced to all by this leper who became a disciple. Jesus’ commission to us is to tell everyone the good news-do we tell no one?
(Living Liturgy, p.58)
Vincentian Meditation:
“It’s not for everyone. It’s not for anyone. But being a member of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul—being a Vincentian—is for some. It is a special calling by God. A member of the Society puts his or her faith into action. The Vincentian vocation is the intimate desire to participate personally and directly in helping the needy by person-to-person contact and by the gift of one’s heart and friendship, doing so within the communal spirit of a Conference of lay persons each inspired by the same vocation. The Vincentian vocation may be expressed in many ways and with different shades of meaning. Practical translation of faith into action, meditating upon it and adapting it to our changing world is the very life of every Vincentian, the very life of the Society.
(US Manual of the SVDP, p.54)
How can we spread the “good news” of being a Vincentian?
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World Marriage Day
February 14, 2021
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Sunday, we celebrate World Marriage Day!
On this World Marriage Day, we thank our heavenly Father for the gift and blessing of marriage and the family. As we strive to live our particular vocations and respond to the Lord’s grace in our lives, let’s also consider how we might dedicate renewed prayer and attention to marriage and the family. (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops)
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The St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store recently donated hundreds of school supplies to four schools; Pflugerville High, Pflugerville Middle, McBee Elementary, and Walnut Creek Elementary. The donated items included folders, notebooks, pencils, crayons, markers, and more. Stores Director Rick Bologna, Executive Director Roz Gutierrez and other staff members, were on hand to load up the vehicles with boxes and boxes of school supplies.
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Representatives from each school were grateful and appreciative of the donation, expressing that the school supplies will help the students, faculty, and staff. “For some of them (students), we’re supplying them with some of the school supplies they can’t get right now, “ said Kim Winn, Pflugerville High teachers. “maybe the parents aren’t working or parents hours have been limited, so this is such a blessing.”
Philip Clayton, Principal of Pflugerville Middle said, “What it means to our students and our staff is just being able to access additional resources right now. We are very grateful.”
“Getting the donation from St. Vincent de Paul means a lot to the community and the school,” said Edna Iffla, McBee Elementary Registrar. “Teachers are always buying school supplies for the kids and knowing that the teachers and schools have a low budget, we are very thankful.”
Parent Support Specialist from Walnut Creek Elementary, Hilda Hernandez said the donation is “great during this time that all of our parents are going through such a hardship, so this will make it easy on them.”
The St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store is grateful to give back to the community and support our schools.
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Roz Gutierrez, Executive Director; Kim Winn, Pflugerville High Teacher; Autumn Hendrickson, Pflugerville High Lead Avid Teacher; Philip Clayton, Pflugerville Middle Principal; Rick Bologna, Stores Director
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Edna Iffla, McBee Elementary Registrar; Nancy Pineda, McBee Elementary Administrative Assistance; Roz Gutierrez, Executive Director; Rick Bologna, Stores Director
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Rick Bologna, Stores Director; Hilda Hernandez, Walnut Creek Elementary Parent Support Specialist.
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The National Council Office has announced that the 2021 Midyear Business Meeting will be held virtually March 3 - 6, 2021. This is out of an abundance of caution for everyone's health.
This year’s agenda will include a Spiritual Retreat, Workshops, Board of Directors and Business Meetings, Disaster Services Training, as well as a special event presentation and Virtual Vendor Showcase.
The annual Midyear Meeting is a Governance and training event designed for National Council Members (the Presidents of the Diocesan Council or “top” District Council per Diocese), Executive Directors and other current or prospective Council leaders. However the Midyear, especially a virtual one, is open to all interested Vincentians!
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Connecting Lent, Valentine's Day and
Systemic Change
By John Freund, CM, Systemic Change
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A tall order. At first glance, it may seem like quite a stretch to connect Ash Wednesday, Valentine’s Day, and Systemic Change. But hear me out. Actually, it is not that hard.
A brief word about the origins and customs of Valentine’s Day
But first, a word about the possible origin of the celebration of Valentine’s Day.
According to legend, in order “to remind these (soldiers) of their vows and God’s love, Saint Valentine is said to have cut hearts from parchment,” giving them to these soldiers and persecuted Christians, a possible origin of the widespread use of hearts on St. Valentine’s Day.
The connections in a nutshell …
Lent is about removing the scales from our eyes so we can be more aware of the love God has for us and Easter joy.
Valentine’s Day is a day focused on celebrating awareness of loving and being loved, not unlike celebrating Baptism and Eucharist.
Systemic Change can be viewed as Valentine’s Day and Lent on steroids– removing the obstacles that prevent people from experiencing belonging and positively fostering the awareness of being fully alive.
It all rests on learning to see more deeply… changing lenses. Read more..
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Save the Date! The New Member Orientation meeting will take place on Saturday, February 27, 2021 from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the present need to isolate and social distance, it is not possible to hold our regular Ozanam Orientation sessions.
The National Office has provided us with a presentation that can be used for new members until we can all meet together again in Ozanam Orientation. This is an alternative (not a replacement for) Ozanam Orientation. New Members are still expected to attend Ozanam Orientation whenever in-person meetings resume. Until then, this will satisfy the need for new Conference members to attend Ozanam Orientation before going on home visits.
Register in advance by clicking this link.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
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Save the Date: Amplify Austin
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St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store
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The St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store is closed today and Saturday due to winter weather conditions. Normal business hours will resume on Thursday, February 18, 2021 at 10:00am. Please stay safe!
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Become a Thrift Store Volunteer!
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You can make a difference in the community by volunteering at the St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store. The Thrift Store is in need of volunteers to assist with many tasks including: sorters, organizers, and pricers. To keep everyone safe and healthy, volunteers are required to wear masks and practice social distancing.
It easy to sign up! Just click on the link below.
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Interested in volunteering?
You can sign up by clicking on this link.
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COVID-19 cases are spiking across the U.S. and Central Texas. Health officials have moved Austin-Travis County into stage 5. You are reminded to continue wearing your masks and practice social distancing to slow the spread of the virus.
Health officials are asking everyone to avoid high-risk activities and to be cautious with all medium-risk activities to help prevent the spread of virus. You can read the COVID-19 Holiday Safety Guidance here.
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National Gazette Questions and Answers
Q: If something is not explicitly stated in The Rule, are we to assume we can use our good judgment to resolve the question?
A: Part II of The Rule, Article 7.4, states: Any matter that is not specifically governed by any parts of the Rule and Statutes shall be governed by tradition and, in the final instance, by the decision issued by the Board of the Council General. We have the "Rule." We also have the Manual, by-laws, National Council Resolutions, and local standards approved by Conferences and Councils to govern and/or guide us. Sometimes following simple logic and common sense may not correspond with Vincentian spirit. If the topic is not covered by the standards shown above, seek advice from Council, regional and national sources.
Preguntas y Respuestas de la
Oficina Nacional
P: Si algo no se establece explícitamente en La Regla, ¿debemos asumir que podemos usar nuestro buen juicio para resolver la pregunta?
R: Parte II de la Regla, Articulo 7.4, dice: Cualquier asunto que no está específicamente gobernado por cualquier Parte de la Regla o Estatutos debe ser gobernada por Tradición y, en último caso, por la decisión llegada por la Junta del Concilio General. Tenemos la Regla. También contamos con el Manual, los estatutos, las Resoluciones del Consejo Nacional y los estándares locales aprobados por Conferencias y Consejos para gobernarnos y/o guiarnos. A veces, seguir la lógica simple y el sentido común puede no corresponder con el espíritu Vicentino. Si el tema no está cubierto por los estándares que se muestran arriba, busque asesoramiento de fuentes del consejo, regionales y nacionales.
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Call 1.888.317.SVDP
visit www.ssvdp.org
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Partner Programs
An easy and free way to support the work of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul is to join our partner programs. Sign up for one or both of the programs, and our partner agencies will donate a portion of their proceeds from your purchases to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. You can find more information by clicking this link.
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Council Office:
Monday - Friday
9:00am - 5:00pm
Client Services:
Tuesday - Friday
9:00am - 12:00pm
Food Pantry:
Saturday
9:00am - 12:00pm
St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store
Thursday - Saturday
10:00am - 5:00pm
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Contact Us:
Rick Bologna, Stores Director, rick.bologna@ssvdp.org
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