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Frédéric's
E-Gazette
An e-newsletter from the National Council of the U.S. Society of St. Vincent de Paul® November 19, 2015 |
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Table of Contents:
To go directly to a certain article, simply click on the title
What's New in this Issue?
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Disclaimer: (NOTE: The links in some of the articles are intended to take you to websites for a specific story, page, function or program approved for your use by the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. The Society does not accept responsibility for, or grant approval of, peripheral advertising or stories that may reside on those websites.)
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From Your Servant Leader:
November 19, 2015
College campuses have long been centers of righteous indignation. In one case, fortunately, it was also the birthplace of a worldwide movement of charity.
In recent weeks we have seen the rise of student protests against perceived racial and social injustices. There are new wrinkles to the protests and their promotion through student organization and social media, but they continue a centuries-old tradition of young people seeing a problem and then making their voices heard. We tend to think it started maybe with the Vietnam era or South African apartheid, but history shows us that groups of young people in the fishbowl environment of a college campus anywhere in the world have seemingly always been engaged in pointing out a society's worst aspects.
The irony is unmistakable. College students are fortunate young people who are lucky enough to have been born in a country or who have arrived there where education is valued and available, and they have the resources whether from family wealth or scholarships and loans to attend and succeed in life, yet they complain about the lack of fairness of it all. Twenty percent of families around the world don't have any adequate sanitation and probably complain about unfairness too, but no one hears them.
Yours in Christ,
Dave
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Q: I know what the Rule states regarding membership. Full members are Catholics with full voting rights. Are there exceptions to the Rule regarding full members not being Catholic and having voting rights? So, no matter how active these members are, they are associates, correct? I just want a confirmation. It doesn't seem Christian to have members who attend all the meetings and participate fully in all the Council and Conference events and yet not acknowledge them as full members. And, I'm not saying let them be officers ... I'm just saying full members, since they participate in all the activities.
A: To be an active (full) member, you have to be Catholic. And, only active (full) members have a vote (when votes are taken). Remember, the Rule states that consensus is the normal mode for decision making and formal votes should only take place when necessary.
Q: Are contributing members no longer a classification in the SVdP Quarterly and Annual Reports? This classification should be disregarded and not included in total Vincentians. The preparation is redundant if not included in total Vincentians???
A: The "contributing members" classification is still valid, we just don't ask for the number of contributing members on the annual report.
The problem we have come across is that some Conferences have simply included their entire parish as contributing members and that is not valid. It is too easy to simply include all parishioners as contributing members. When you have any members (active, associate, contributing), you know specifically who they are. The Society is not trying to report big numbers. We are trying to report accurate information.
NEW FEATURE!!
An index of the Vincentian Q&A's has been created to better assist with finding answers to questions submitted to the National Council by subject topic and date of E-Gazette publication. The index topics are arranged alphabetically by keyword for quick reference and easy research. Here is the link:
Submit your questions to:
Pam Hudson
National Director of Governance & Membership Services
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SVdP on EWTN News Nightly - Nov. 20
SVdP National CEO Dave Barringer will appear on EWTN News Nightly on Friday, Nov. 20. Dave discusses the U.S. Society's 170th anniversary on Nov. 20, unique aspects of the Society and what it does.
EWTN News Nightly airs at 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. Eastern (5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Central, 4/7 Mountain and 3/6 Pacific).
Click here to find the EWTN station in your zip code:
To watch live, click on:
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Friends of the Poor® Walk/Run - Dispersing Funds!
With the 8th Annual Friends of the Poor® Walk/Run wrapped up, the National Council will be dispersing more than $395,000 to local Conferences and Councils across the United States that raised money through the FOP® Walk/Run website. The funds are expected to be sent out by the end of November - just in time for helping those in need for Christmas!
For eight years now, walkers and runners have gathered in this nationwide event to raise awareness of the challenges faced by those who are living in poverty, and to raise funds for those in need of emergency assistance in their community. If you are not already hosting a Friends of the Poor® Walk/Run, now is the time to start thinking about your 2016 involvement. There are many benefits to hosting this event, including:
- Low-cost opportunity to raise funds for your Conference/Council
- There are no national fees to participate
- Spreads awareness about the Society of St. Vincent de Paul
- National Council will supply templates and support
- Fun way to create new donors/supporters
Any Conference or Council can participate, so start making plans to host your 2016 Friends of the Poor® Walk/Run today!
Save the Date: Saturday September 24, 2016
For more information, you can contact Nathan Martin, National Director of Fundraising Programs, by calling 314-576-3993 x218 or by emailing [email protected].
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Twinning Update
Due to the upcoming holidays, International Twinning distributions will be wired on December 15, 2015. All donations received on or before December 12, 2015 will be sent to receiving countries so they can be distributed in time for holiday projects.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Wendy Jones at
[email protected]
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Please Support the Domestic Disaster Fund
Provide a Safety Net for Families recovering from Natural Disasters
As we give thanks, next week please remember all the disaster survivors across this nation that will have no home where they can celebrate Thanksgiving.
Some Statistics from 2015 U.S. Natural Disasters:
- California lost 9,276,416 acres to wildfires in 2015.
- Rainfall across parts of South Carolina reached 500-year event levels, with areas near Columbia experiencing a 1-in-1000 year event.
- During the time period of May-November 2015, 37 people died in Texas as a result of epic flooding.
- Illinois had 75 tornadoes in 2015
Vincentians are helping families with Long Term Recovery in all of these states and others.
This Thanksgiving, please support the Domestic Disaster Relief Fund.
For questions or more information about SVdP DSD, contact:
Liz Disco-Shearer
SVdPUSA Disaster Services Division
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SVdP and the Circle of Protection
Raising the Issue of Hunger & Poverty for 2016 Presidential Campaign
Last year, SVdP signed on to the Circle of Protection (COP) letters asking presidential candidates to focus on ending hunger and poverty.
The COP is a coalition is composed of more than 65 heads of denominations, relief and development agencies, and other Christian organizations.
The letter requested that candidates produce a three minute video describing what they would do as president to "offer help and opportunity to the hungry and those in need in the U.S. and around the world."
Since April, the letter has been sent to each man and woman that has declared their candidacy. To date, 10 candidates have submitted their videos. These videos have prompted crucial discussion about poverty among presidential candidates.
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Why in the World Should I become a Vincentian Leader?
Part 3 - Using Time Wisely Through Delegation
Vincentians have a general misunderstanding of what taking on leadership positions within the Society truly means, especially when it comes to assuming the office of president of a Conference or Council.Members might not appreciate the benefits of assuming the role of a Conference or Council leader.
With this in mind, we sought input from a number of Council presidents around the country who were selected randomly. This paper is based in large part on their feedback and experiences. Believe it or not, leaders told us there were personal benefits to be gained from serving as a Conference and Council president and, of course, there are benefits to the Society which translates into being better able to serve those in need. Please read on.
Using Time Wisely Through Delegation
Among the concerns expressed to us for why members are reluctant to step into leadership by running for Conference or Council president is that it is too time consuming. As presidents and as leaders we depend on others and as members we follow our Rule that tells us family and business needs come first. As a first among equals and as a servant leader, presidents help others to grow into leadership roles by appointing officers so it becomes a team effort. By spreading the work load around through officers such as vice presidents, secretaries and treasurers and, by making use of committees, the work load can be shared and others become vital parts of the leadership team.
Presidents do not need to attend all committee meetings. They appoint committee chairs who will accurately report back to them and to the membership. Committees provide the opportunity to identify capable candidates to move into future leadership roles thus ensuring succession of good leaders.
Leadership in the Society is based on an understanding of our Vincentian vocation and our spirituality. Its success is based on servant leadership and an ability to listen and promote group decisions. The servant-leader is servant first. It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve and a conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. The best test is: do those served grow as people: do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants? And, what is the effect on the least privileged in society: will they benefit or, at least, not be further deprived?
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Society of St. Vincent de Paul
Group Insurance Plan Q&A 11-19-2015
What if we have a store in the Council that has its own insurance policy?
If the store comes under the Council's corporation, no conference in the Council can qualify for the Group Insurance policy.
What if the store is a separate corporation?
If the store is separately incorporated and is not part of the Council Corporation, the Council and all Conferences may be eligible for inclusion in the Group policy.
What if we meet all of the above and have a large number of Conferences, should we join the Group plan?
Philadelphia Insurance Companies will write policies for individual Councils. It may be less expensive to insure directly with them. Only by requesting a separate quote from them will you know which is most economical. It probably will be better to go direct if you have over 25 to 30 Conferences in the Council.
To read more about SVdP's Group Insurance Plan click the links below:
Contact Sherry Brown for an application or if you have additional questions:
[email protected]
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Vincentian Formation
170th Anniversary
(1845-2015)
National Council of the United States Society of St. Vincent de Paul
On
November 20, 1845, a group of nineteen Catholic laymen and a priest met in the school room attached to the Cathedral Church in St. Louis to establish a Conference of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. The Officers of the Society were elected and a collection was taken up with seventeen dollars and seventy cents collected to help serve the poor. Thus, in the Providence of God, the Society was born in the United States. The Council General in Paris aggregated the St. Louis Conference to the Society on February 2, 1846.
During 2015, to capture the grace of our Foundation, all of the Conferences in the United States were invited to pray, reflect and share on Serving in Hope-Module VI: Our Vincentian Conference. On September 20, 2015 the St. Louis Council celebrated this historical event with a Mass at the Old Cathedral in St. Louis.
Our friends at FAMVIN have a great article about some things to do in honor of the 170th anniversary - click here to read it!
To order Materials:
Formation Guide #1060-English: $2.50 each (one for each member)
DVD #1062-English: $10.00 (one for each Conference)
Formation Guide #1064-Spanish: $2.50 each (one for each member)
DVD #1066-Spanish: $10.00 (one for each Conference)
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Vincentian Reflections
The Rule, (Part III, Statute 7) states that a spiritual reading or meditation, together with a time for sharing, is an essential part of our Conference Meetings.
The Vincentian Reflections, offered to Conferences and Councils, are based on the Sunday Gospel of the Liturgical calendar, together with Vincentian feast days. The two fundamental sources of the teachings of Vincent de Paul are the Gospel and Life, and he wanted his followers to put the whole of the Gospel into the whole of their lives. By taking the first 10-15 minutes of a meeting to pray, reflect and share together we will discover a deeper understanding our Vincentian vocation.
The Vincentian Reflections are available online at www.svdpusa.org: go to SVdP Members, scroll down to the third item Reflections and Announcements and click on "Find Them." The 4th Quarter of 2015 ends the Cycle B of the Church's Year and the beginning of Cycle C (Advent to Christmas). The Vincentian Reflections for 2016 will be posted by December 2015.
SVdP Bulletin Announcements
The Bulletin Announcements, also based on the Gospel of each Sunday, are suggested for your parish weekly bulletin. The action statement can easily be adapted to fit your local needs. These Bulletin Announcements are a very effective way for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul to encourage all the members in the parish: To have ears to hear the "cries of the poor," eyes to "seek and find the forgotten, the suffering or the deprived," and to have hearts that "bring God's love to the poor" through their generosity and donations.
The Bulletin Announcements are available online with the Vincentian Reflections. (see above)
The
Vincentian Reflections and Bulletin Announcements
can also be purchased from the National
Office:
Catalog: #1001 $ 18.50 each
To Order:
(Click on SVdP Members, scroll down and click on Order Materials)
Or
For more information about Formation, contact:
Sr. Kieran Kneaves
National Formation Director
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The Saints of November
By the Most Rev. Kevin W. Vann, Bishop of Orange
November is the month in which heaven and earth seem a little bit closer, and as I mentioned last week, that the boundaries between heaven and earth are rather fluid, perhaps much more so than we can imagine. The Church's Liturgical calendar has many saints' feast days this month-heroes, heroines and martyrs of every time and place, many of whom were concerned with the poor: Saint Martin of Tours and Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, for example. As the month will soon greet late fall and winter and, perhaps this year, the rain we pray for, there will be challenges for those who are homeless, outcast and poor, even here in California. With that in mind, I am thinking of one particular Daughter of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, Sister Rosalie Rendu, who was beatified in Rome on this day by Saint John Paul II on Nov. 9, 2003. She, together with Blessed Frederic Ozanam, founded the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.
The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul is first dedicated to the pursuit of the sanctification of its members and, flowing from that, service and care for the poor. To the founding members of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Sister Rosalie said: "God has already given you spiritual wisdom, or you would not be sacrificing your precious free time to his poor. Because you see Christ in his poor, I know you will approach each one you visit with humility, as his servant. Always remember, messieurs, that if we had lived through the hardships that they have had to meet - if our childhood had been one of constant want -perhaps we, too, would have given way to envy and hatred as, I must admit, have many of the poor in this quarter. Be kind, and love, for love is your first gift you give to the poor. They will appreciate your kindness and your love more than all else you can bring them."
St. Vincent de Paul himself echoed that sentiment in his time, and in our own time Pope Francis has said that "the poor have much to teach us."
In this month of saints and of Thanksgiving, we have many blessings from God to be thankful for, and we are called to share those blessings with the "least among us" in ways great and small. One way of sharing those blessings is the relationships that we can establish with those whom we serve and seek to help: to learn their names, even as we seek to reach out financially and materially. One time in Fort Worth, as I was walking in the downtown area known as "Sundance Square," one person who came up to me said, "Father , I am not looking for a handout, but thank you for speaking to me and calling my name." I learned a lesson that evening, for sure!
On this day of the beatification of Blessed Rosalie Rendu, DC, I want to thank personally all of the members of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul here in our diocese. And, as the fall and winter months are soon upon us, I would ask all who read these words to consider becoming part of the ministry of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul: to serve the poor and to grow in holiness. We are looking for new members and contemporary ways to serve the needs of the poor who are among us daily. I would ask that anyone interested in the society to please contact Peter L. Andres, the President of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Council of Orange County at [email protected].
Blessed Days of the Saints and Thanksgiving to all.
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Vincentian Heritage Vol. 32, No. 2
is Available to Download
The DePaul University Vincentian Studies Institute is pleased to announce the publication of our newest open-source e-book edition of "Vincentian Heritage" (Volume 32, Number 2).
This edition includes the following articles:
- "Vincent de Paul: What Moved Him? And What Moved Him Toward Those Who Are Poor?" by Thomas McKenna, C.M.
- "The Ecological Spirituality of Elizabeth Ann Seton" by Sung-Hae Kim, S.C.
- "Eight American Daughters of Charity and the Chinese People's Liberation Army in Jiangxi Province 1928-1930" by Lawrence F. Asma, C.M.
- "The Epiphany of Yvaral's St. Vincent Portrait" by Bro. Mark Elder, C.M.
- "Antique Polychromy Applied to Modern Art and Hittorff's Saint Vincent de Paul in Paris, the Architectural Showpiece of the Renouveau Catholique" by Michael Kiene, Ph.D.
- "The Future of the Vincentian Charism in the United States: Challenges, Trends, and Opportunities" by Scott Kelley, Ph.D., and Jessica Werner, Ph.D.
To download the complete book for iPad, Kindle, or PC, please click on the following link:
http://offices.depaul.edu/mission-and-values/vsi/publications/journal/Pages/default.aspx
Individual .pdfs for each article will be available for download here:
http://via.library.depaul.edu/vhj/
We thank you for being a subscriber to Vincentian Heritage, and for your continued interest and support of our publications.
Also, just a reminder that the gift shop at the National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Anne Seton in Emmitsburg, Maryland, is now the exclusive vendor for V.S.I. publications and other heritage materials.
For more information, please visit their website at:
For more information about VinFam News, contact:
Sr. Kieran Kneaves
National Formation Director
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Feast of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception
December 8
Frederic Ozanam insisted that the Society of St. Vincent de Paul take Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception as its patroness. The first members of the Society chose December 8 as their special Marian feast. To this day, Vincentians implore Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, their patroness, to intercede for their Councils and Conferences, and their lives and ministry.
The feast of the Immaculate Conception is one of the Festival Days that, by celebrating the Eucharist together, members of the Society may gain a plenary indulgence.
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Guidelines for Indulgences offered to Members
of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul
When Pope Gregory XVI approved the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in 1845 he, and later also Blessed Pius IX, enriched the Society with Indulgences. Members of the Society may gain a plenary indulgence on the day of their admission to the Society, and when participating in a Festival Meeting, provided they make their Confession, receive Communion, pray for the intentions of the Pope and promise to observe faithfully the Rule of the Society. According to the Doctrine of Indulgences, issued by Pope Paul VI on January 1, 1976, "An indulgence is the remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sin already forgiven as far as their guilt is concerned." (Manual, p.10)
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul in the United States has three types of membership: active (full) members, associate members and contributing members (Rule, Part III: Statute 3). Bishop John Quinn, National Episcopal Advisor for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in the United States, confirms that only active and associate members are eligible for these indulgences. (October 2015) To obtain the plenary indulgence, members must fulfill the conditions of confession, communion, prayer for the intentions of the Pope and the promise to observe faithfully the Rule of the Society.
According to the original Rule and the Society's tradition, Vincentians celebrate festival meetings and Conference Masses. The Rule, Part III: Statute 9 clarifies: "Conferences and Councils celebrate liturgical ceremonies, particularly Vincentian ceremonies throughout the year, endeavoring to maintain a spirit of friendship among the members. The Council of the United States has designated six days for religious observances. On these occasions the members of Conferences and Councils demonstrate the spiritual nature of the Society by attending the Eucharist together:
- Ozanam Sunday (the last Sunday of April)
- The feast day of Blessed Frederic Ozanam (September 9)
- The feast day of St. Vincent de Paul (September 27)
- The Immaculate Conception, Patroness of the Society (December 8)
- A Conference Mass celebrated at least once a year for all members, including spouses and children. During this Mass, it is most appropriate to commission new members into the Conference, pray for those we have visited, pray for our benefactors, pray for the poor, pray for deceased members, and for continued good work.
- Another feast day of local custom, e.g. the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe (December 12)."
For more information about Formation and Spirituality, contact:
Sr. Kieran Kneaves
National Formation Director
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Extension Update
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Conferences & Councils...
Here's a Certificate of Appreciation for Your
Years of Vincentian Services
We would like to present all Conferences and Councils who are celebrating a milestone in increments of five years and thereafter with a "Certificate of Appreciation."
Requirements to receive certificates are:
Conferences must be Aggregated
Councils must be Instituted
Most recent annual report filed
Supports the National Solidarity Contribution Program
Requests must be submitted in writing, emails are encouraged. Please include the Conference or Council aggregation or institution date.
Also confirm that current annual reports have been filed and that the Conference or Council has contributed to the current fiscal year solidarity.
For more information contact:
Julie Swanger
Membership Services Administrative Associate
314-576-3993 ext. 221
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Extension Materials Highlight
What makes the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Different?
This document describes what sets the Society of St. Vincent de Paul apart from other social service organizations. This can be a very helpful document to use when meeting with a pastor about starting a Conference.
*This document and other Extension and Revitalization documents can be found by visiting
www.svdpusa.org< Click the SVdP Membership Tab< Click Documents< Select Councils/Conferences on the drop down menu < Select Extension/Revitalization
For more information, contact:
Julie Swanger
Membership Services Administrative Associate
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Tell us about your extension success!
Extension is a big part of Goal #3 of the Society. We want to recognize the good work with extension going on in the Society. If you or someone you know has started a new Conference or Council, we want to know about it! Contact Michelle Boyer at
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Upcoming Events
Along with Councils, the National Council is working on extension. The Society will be involved with the following events in the next few months:
National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) - November 19-21, 2015
Catholic Social Ministry Gathering (CSMG) - January 23-26, 2016
From presentations to display tables, SVdP will have a noticeable presence at these events. The Society will be represented in front of the U.S. Bishops, influential youth, young adults and their leaders as well as key players in the Church's advocacy and social ministries. These events offer a great opportunity to interact directly with people of influence who can work with us to grow the Society and help more people grow spiritually through service to people in need.
Diversity/Multicultural
Embracing Unconditionally the Differences among Us
Join us in 2016 for Free Webinars!
Stay tuned for dates and times
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Vincentian National Re-entry Program Update
The Vincentian National Re-entry Program is a partnership between the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) and the National Council of the U.S. Society of St. Vincent de Paul and its Councils and Conferences. As a strategic grant project from the CCHD, this is a national project with five target states: Florida, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Ohio and Wisconsin. Together, we are bringing Vincentians and returning citizens together to re-center the public discussion on criminal justice back on families and back on people.
To learn more or share how your Council or Conference is working on re-entry or jail / prison ministry, please contact:
Paul Graham
National Re-entry Program Coordinator
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Development Department News
The Ozanam P.R. Corporation
The Ahern Family has owned Ozanam P. R. for over 75 years.
The Ozanam P.R. Corporation is a social purpose company. The purpose of the company is to help fellow Vincentians serve the least of the Kingdom of God.
They provide a wide variety of promotional materials for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, such as: shirts, vests, hats, awards, home visit cards, a large variety of custom meeting merchandise, label pins, religious items, SVdP banners/table cloths, balloons, ink pens, magnets, volunteer gifts and a wide variety of SVdP clothing items. For this holiday season they are offering a special Christmas Nativity Program kit.
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Charity Gift Card Giving
The National Council of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul has been approved as a TisBest Charity Partner. TisBest Philanthropy is a top-rated 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and creator of the charity gift card.
Charity gift cards work just like traditional gift cards, except the recipient "spends" their card by directing the funds to one or more of the 300 local and national charity partners on the TisBest website (www.tisbest.org).
Charity gift cards are completely customizable, making them a wonderful gift for family, friends, or staff. Each gift card recipient has the power to choose how they want to make the world a better place through their charity gift card!
TisBest will also let your recipients know you recommend the mission and work of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.
For more information, please call Karli Larson at 206-501-3005 or email [email protected]
For more information on Development, contact:
Steve Martinez
314-576-3993 ext. 213
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"Getting Ahead in a Just Gettin' by World"
Facilitator Training DATE CHANGE!!!
The "Getting Ahead in a Just Gettin' by World" program is a critical foundation for the
Society's mentoring program for individuals on the challenging journey out of poverty.
Our next quarterly webinar will now be held on November 24, 5:00-8:30 p.m., Central time.
Prerequisites for this training include having viewed the Systemic Change Overview
presentation and the 7-DVD set of Bridges Out of Poverty...read the books, "Bridges Out
of Poverty" and "Bridges to Sustainable Communities" and having copies of the Getting
Ahead Facilitator Notes and Getting Ahead Investigator workbooks used in the
webinar (and in the program itself).
These two-part webinars are free of charge.
To order the four prerequisite Bridges Out of Poverty books from aha Process, Inc! go to
Additional pre-reading and information on how to connect to the webinar will be
provided one week in advance of the first session.
For more information on National Poverty Programs, c
ontact:
Dr. Lance McCarthy
National Director of Poverty Programs
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SVdP Special Works Network
-It is a place to tell your story
-It is an opportunity to ask questions
-It's not just for special works
-It is a place to get answers!
For more information contact Irene Frechette at
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Register Now for the 2016 Catholic Social Ministry Gathering!
Called to Live Mercy in Our Common Home
January 23-26, 2016, Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington, DC
Don't miss this transformative annual gathering for leaders in Catholic social ministry and advocacy!
Connect with current and emerging leaders sharing new energy and ideas. Dynamic and thought-provoking plenary presentations, briefings, and workshops will focus on how we as a Church can respond mercifully to pressing domestic and international social concerns. Then, lend your voice to our advocacy for the common good with members of Congress.
Act now to be part of our special initiatives developing diverse leaders and young leaders in Catholic social ministry.
Join the discussion and be part of the solution!
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CSMG Young Leaders Initiative
The 2015 Catholic Social Ministry Gathering was pleased to welcome 100 participants from 30 colleges and universities, who joined hundreds of national Catholic social ministry and advocacy leaders at the Catholic Social Ministry Gathering, an annual event sponsored by 16 national Catholic organizations.
You and your campus can be part of the action at CSMG 2016, January 23-26 in Washington, DC!
* Meet national Catholic social ministry and advocacy leaders.
* Build knowledge of current Catholic social ministry priorities and initiatives.
* Develop advocacy skills to empower students to call for positive change.
* Voice concerns with legislators on issues of human life and dignity in the United States and internationally.
* Discover new ways to grow in faith, studies, and future work through Catholic social ministry and advocacy.
The deadline for receipt of participation forms is November 21, 2015. We look forward to seeing you at CSMG 2016!
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StoryBooth Videos are available on YouTube!
This year's National Assembly featured a brand new attraction called "StoryBooth."
It was a private space in the lobby of the Rhode Island Convention Center where Vincentians could contribute to a video archive by telling their stories.
Both Thursday and Friday during the Assembly, Vincentians were given different questions to answer in StoryBooth.
The answers were then combined into a short video which was shown the following day.
To see some of the StoryBooth submissions from this year's National Assembly, click the links below. More videos to follow!
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Haiti Scholarship Program
One Student at a Time
One of the projects the Society has taken on in Haiti since the January 2010 earthquake has been to provide scholarships for Haitian students. In Haiti, there is no public school system that provides free education to students. To receive even a basic level education requires a tuition payment or other financial contribution. The Society invites you to participate in a program aimed at providing an education for 1,000 Haitian students.
Education can break the cycle of poverty, but the cost makes it a luxury most Haitian families cannot afford.
A donation of $200 per student per year will contribute toward:
- At least one meal per day at school
- School books for one year
- Staff coordinator for the Haiti programs
- Partnership with the Haiti Diaspora
The donation is for one year. As a donor you can provide annually until the program ends.
Please make checks payable to National Council of National Society of St. Vincent de Paul.
Please reference Haiti in your payment.
If there are any questions and or concerns please contact:
Dr. Lance McCarthy
National Director of Poverty Programs
314-576-3993 ext. 215
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Click the link below to view the "Spirituality of Advocacy" presentation.
It is posted
in the VOP workshop presentations section:
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WILL YOUR COUNCIL HOST A FUTURE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY?
Vincentians of these Councils will!
2016 - Columbus
2017 - Tampa
2018 - ?
2019 - ?
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SVdP in the News
Youth Group in Philanthropy:
St. Edward High School's St. Vincent de Paul Conference
CLEVELAND, OH: As part of its rich history, St. Edward High School has traditionally offered students a chance to participate in philanthropic efforts through its service club. And for the last two years, that outreach has become more specific and purposeful than ever, with the formation of the St. Edward's St. Vincent de Paul Conference.
"The group was founded to do person-to-person service in the community," says Rick Kubrak, director of service and outreach at St. Ed's. "We know there is a big need, especially in Cleveland."
So, when St. Ed's alum and executive director of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul John Litten approached the group to partner up, students jumped at the opportunity.
Read More
MORE NATIONAL SVdP NEWS
These are just a few of the media
stories you can read in this week's
edition of SVdP in the News.
Calendar of Events
2015 Annual Reports
Hardcopy forms are available now at:
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ATTENTION COUNCIL PRESIDENTS & EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS:
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If you or another member of your Conference is not receiving the E-Gazette email,
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Is your Conference or Council doing something that you think should appear in the E-Gazette? I want to know about it!
Send your good news to me!
Michelle Boyer Communications and Administrative Associate Email: [email protected] (314) 576-3993 ext. 201
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