Thank You and God Bless You!
March marked one year since the start of the pandemic. Throughout this time, Vincentians have found new and clever ways to serve those in need. The work is often difficult, and the pandemic has not made it any easier for our Neighbors or us. Our National Council recently reminded us: The poor will always be with us, as surely as our own hunger will return each day… Our primary purpose is not the feeding, but the sharing, and in the end, whatever loaves and fishes we have to offer will be enough for God’s plan, if we share them for love alone. And as we comfort, we will in turn be comforted, just as the five loaves and two fish, shared by Christ’s disciples, returned to them as twelve baskets filled with food.
The Council Office sends our heartfelt gratitude for all that you share with our Neighbors. We pray that your baskets remain plentiful.
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Rapid Rehousing Update
The pilot is currently working with 14 Neighbors in Need referred by Conferences in St. Louis City and County!
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Eviction Moratorium Extended
for Some Residents
St. Louis City and County extend the eviction moratorium for some residents.
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In 2020 you helped eighty-seven Mothers experiencing unexpected pregnancies. Twenty-seven of those Moms were abortion minded. Of those Moms, twenty-five chose life for their child. God thanks you for that. We’ve learned a lot since we launched the pilot Pregnancy Care Program eighteen months ago. The work with these Moms was shared by our Conferences and through our Vincentian Life Coordinators. These Life Coordinators were invaluable to the program’s success and building our knowledge of the needs of these Moms and the Vincentians serving them.
We’ve been asked to use that knowledge to update the program and allow Conferences to embrace the ministry more fully.
Some of you have said,
- “I’ve heard of the program but don’t know much about it.”
- “We helped a Mom but wish the details were more specific.”
- “We’d like to help these Moms. How do we get involved?”
Here’s an opportunity to answer questions you might have.
We are holding a ninety-minute Zoom training session on the Pregnancy Care Program. We will offer the training sessions on four different dates.
We would like to have at least one representative from each of our 139 Conferences on the Zoom sessions.
Training session dates:
- Tuesday, May 18 6:30-8:00pm
- Thursday, May 20 10:00-11:30 a.m.
- Saturday, May 22 9:00-10:30 a.m.
- Thursday, May 27 3:00-4:30 p.m.
Please don’t hesitate to call with any questions!
Steve Rupp
314-881-6018
stever@svdpstl.org
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Earn More Credits for your Conference
When You Volunteer at our Thrift Stores!
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Good news, if you donate your volunteer hours to a Parish Conference, beginning April 1, those hours are now credited to $10 an hour (an increase from $8 an hour). This means your time volunteering in the Thrift Stores result in even more service to those in Need.
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Wednesday, June 9, 2021 from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM.
Be ready for the hot summer by reserving fans now for your Neighbors in Need.
Conferences can pick up 15 fans at $3 each.
We will have enough fans for the first 36 Conferences that reply. Don’t wait!
Contact Steve Rupp at stever@svdpstl.org or 314-881-6018. Fans can be paid for at time of pick up.
MORE EXCITING NEWS! Fans will be available for pick up on the parking lot at your Cool Valley Thrift Outlet and Processing Center! (1225 S. Florissant Rd., Cool Valley, MO 63121)
We are very excited to invite you to not only pick up your fans, but take a tour of your 55,000 square-foot facility that is serving all 10 SVdP Thrift Stores. It is VERY impressive!
Tours will be at 1:30, 2:00 and 2:30 PM. There will also be refreshments and fellowship in the new meeting rooms!
AND, you don’t even have to pick up fans to take a tour and enjoy fellowship and refreshments. Just come on by! SEE YOU JUNE 9!
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Friends of the Poor Walk/Run |
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Get your walking or running shoes on—It’s time to start preparing for the September 25 Friends of the Poor Walk/Run.
Host your own Walk at your parish, school or local park. Or, tap into one of many existing Walk sites hosted by fellow Conferences and Districts.
This event is always a beautiful, crisp, fall morning spent with your Vincentian friends, families, and fellow parishioners. You can walk, run or just sit and watch. Walks always have prayer, fellowship and the ability to help your Conference raise funds. Last year, a Conference raised $32,000--and every penny stayed in their Conference!
Now’s the time to start your plans. September will be here before you know it.
For questions or to start your own Walk, contact Steve Rupp at 314-881-6018 or stever@svdpstl.org
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What a day! On April 24, 215 Vincentians gathered on Zoom to grow our Vincentian vocation. There were many moments of inspiration, including video messages from Archbishop Rozanski and Bishop Hying, a powerful keynote from Curtis Martin, and a moving story about a Vincentian’s dedication to one family’s needs. We encourage you to watch and share the videos below. |
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Archbishop Rozanski Message to Vincentians |
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Bishop Hying Message to Vincentians |
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Dakota & Nicole, Neighbors in Need |
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Curtis Martin, Keynote Speaker |
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May Vincentian Superstars |
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Honoring and celebrating your Vincentian call to serve those in need.
Thank you to all Vincentians!
Promoting recognition of our volunteers and creating a feeling of unity with other Districts promotes “fellowship” with each other. We are not one District, we are many and that is wonderful.
Every month we will have “11 Stars” giving an “extra thank you” to our fellow Vincentians.
11 Star Vincentians for the Month of May, 2021
- Southwest - Barb Toth – St. Michael’s the Archangel
- Southeast - Jennifer Rhodus – St. Joseph’s in Farmington, Mo.
- Festus - Jackie Beutel, St. John Parish, Imperial, Mo.
- Gravois – Mary Faith Green – St. Raphael, St. Louis, Mo.
- West - Norma Roth – Our Lady of Lourdes – Washington, Mo.
- South Central - Noreen Conte – St. Alban Roe – Wildwood, Mo.
- North - Barbara Russell – Most Holy Trinity - Our Lady of Perpetual Help - St. Louis, Mo.
- Mid Central – Donna Binek–St. Richards Conference – St. Louis, Mo,
- South - Kenn Ackerman – St. John Paul II – St. Louis, Mo.
- North Central - Nick Phister – St. Rita – St. Louis, Mo.
- Northwest - Judy Bailey – St. Joseph in Cottleville, Mo.
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As the pandemic was shutting down businesses and impacting the livelihoods of countless St. Louisans, a local vision care provider wanted to help. Fortunately, one of the employees of this company had once been a Neighbor in Need, and she connected this vision care provider with St. Vincent de Paul.
Thanks to their partnership, a local Vincentian has been able to help two people a month get eye exams and glasses free of charge.
Since many of these Neighbors in Need don’t have cars, this Vincentian also drives them to their appointments, as well as the second visit for any necessary adjustments.
One Neighbor who was recently helped had been blind in one eye from a young age. A father of three young children, this Neighbor couldn’t afford eye care – but next week, with the help of SVdP, he has an appointment to pick up a new pair of glasses.
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Dear Vincentians,
Easter Week was a doozie. It seemed my to-do list grew each day. I was feeling overwhelmed. Easter Joy?
Caroline, a gift officer at DePaul University called. Over the previous weeks we prepared for a Zoom with a donor. After the Zoom Caroline sent me the written proposal she prepared based on the call. Reading it I realized it lacked “sizzle.” My father had taught me to “sell the sizzle, not the steak.” In fact, at his funeral in 1984, one of the people he had trained in sales introduced herself to me. She said, “Your father made me the success I am today. He taught me to “sell the sizzle. . .” It was a lovely moment on a sad day.
Caroline’s voice was filled with excitement. I walked away from my desk to reframe my thinking and be present to her. She told me the donor committed to another 5-year gift doubling the amount she had given previously. Caroline was over the moon. I remembered her having asked me, “How can I ask the donor for this much?” But ask she had!
Caroline started to thank me for my “addition of sizzle” which she thought made the difference. I told her of my father and the woman at his funeral. I predict Caroline will follow a similar path. It was a moment of grace, of connection to my father. It was the in-breaking of gratitude and joy.
Fr. Mark Pranaitis, C.M.
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You Don't Want to Miss the North District's
8th Annual Golf Tournament!
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Join us at the Florissant Golf Club for what promises to be a great day on the links, enjoy an early round with 18-holes of golf & lots of familiar faces. Space is limited, we ONLY HAVE SPACE FOR 36 TEAMS - MAX. We want the golf to move along at an enjoyable pace and make sure to get all the teams back to the Clubhouse for food and drinks, prizes and awards.
Friday, June 18
Four-person Scramble:
Registration & Individual Breakfast
Bloody Mary Bar - 8:00a.m – 8:45a.m
Shotgun start: 9:00am
$105.00 per golfer includes:
o Green Fee's Golf Cart, beer on & off the course
o Mulligans, Skins game entry and Greenie's
o Breakfast Grab n Go Items & Bloody Mary's
o Food Included
o Participation Gift for each golfer
o Prize Money & Awards to winners
To register or for more information contact
Pat @ 314.372.1780
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* * * Make Checks Payable to SVDP - North District * * *
Mail to: SVDP * Attn: Pat Bettis
1807 Kilmory Dr. * Florissant, MO 63031
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Church Bulletin Announcements: April - June |
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Click below to get church bulletin announcement suggestions for April - June 2021. Please work with your Parish's bulletin creator/coordinator to submit the copy. Placement in your Parish bulletin will help get visibility and support for your SVdP Conference. Of course, you can always customize these to meet your specific Conference needs. |
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Monthly Mass - Invitation |
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ServWare Facilitator Tom Matoushek talks about the impact of ServWare, especially during a challenging year.
To contact Tom Matoushek, ServWare Facilitator:
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Finding Peace Praying the Rosary |
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May is the month traditionally dedicated to Mary, the Holy Mother of God, and
we are invited and encouraged to honor her by praying the Rosary.
The repetition of the Rosary is meant to lead one into restful and contemplative prayer related to each mystery. The gentle repetition of the words helps us to enter into the silence of our hearts where Christ's spirit dwells.
Click the image below to view a message from John Foppe
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Reminder... Rosary Tonight! |
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Join us --
SVdP St. Louis
Rosary Wednesday
8 p.m. tonight!
via Zoom.
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Meeting ID: 989 8066 7271 Passcode: vincent
or dial in: (312) 626-6799
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Please Pray for The Sick:
Harold Case
Sacred Heart, Crystal City
Christine Naeger
St. Vincent de Paul - Perryville
Joan Nohova
St. Martin de Porres
Sandy Van Mill
St. Charles Borromeo
Dottie Voss
Seven Holy Founders
Please Pray for The Deceased:
Theresa Eckerle
St. Martin of Tours
or (314) 881-6018
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The Society of St. Vincent de Paul
St. Louis | [svdpstlouis.org]
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