Vincentian Community News
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Feast of St. Vincent de Paul
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"It is not enough for me to love God if my neighbor does not love Him. I must love my neighbor as the image of God and the object of his love."
-St. Vincent de Paul
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Gospel Reading: (Matthew 5: 1-9)
When Jesus saw the crowds he went up on the mountainside…his disciples gathered round him, and he began to teach them: “How blest ate the poor in spirit: the reign of God is theirs. Blest too are the sorrowing; they shall be consoled. Blest are the lowly; they shall inherit the land. Blest are they who hunger and thirst for holiness; they shall have their fill. Blest are they who show mercy; mercy shall be theirs. Blest are the single-hearted, for they shall see God. Blest too the peacemakers; they shall be called children of God…”
Vincentian Reflection:
St.Vincent de Paul’s gift for integrating service with a profound life of prayer is one of his greatest attractions to contemporary Christians. Vincent’s mix of praying and doing has appealed to tens of thousands of believers over the last three centuries. He is still a valued spiritual companion for people who:
- struggle to integrate prayer and meditation with service to their needy neighbor;
- become exhausted by their activity instead of being nourished by it;
- have seen God in the eyes of poor, sick, homeless, despairing people.
Vincent will be a good companion to anyone who seeks balance between action and contemplation, organizing good works and relying on divine providence, intelligent activity and trusting surrender. (McKenna, Praying with Vincent, p. 13-14)
Vincentian Meditation:
Frederic wrote about his patron, Saint Vincent de Paul: “A patron …is a model one must strive to imitate, as he himself imitated the model of Jesus Christ. He is a life to be carried on, a heart in which one’s own heart is enkindled, an intelligence from which light should be sought; he is a model on earth and a protector in heaven. A two-fold devotion is owed him, imitation and invocation…”(Ramson, Praying with Frederic, p. 38-39)
How has Vincent’s heart enkindled your own heart?
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2020 Vincentian Annual Gathering
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2019 Vincentian Family Gathering
Holy Cross Parish
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The Society of St. Vincent de Paul Diocesan Council of Austin will commemorate the 175th Anniversary of the Society’s establishment in the United States with Bishop Joe S. Vásquez of Austin. Bishop Vásquez will celebrate Mass at St. Mary Cathedral on Wednesday, September 30, 2020 at 6 p.m. The Mass will be livestream and you can view it from the Cathedral’s website or facebook page.
Bishop Vasquez issued a statement regarding the anniversary and a portion reads, "I congratulate the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Diocesan Council of Austin on the 175th anniversary of the Society’s establishment in the U.S. Through 40 conferences, the Society continues to provide person-to-person services to the most vulnerable throughout Central Texas. Please pray for the work of the Vincentian family as they help our neighbors in need. I am grateful for the vital work they do."
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vincentians have continued to serve our neighbors by doing home visits via phone or Zoom. Thank you for being on the front lines everyday and serving our neighbors in need.
Lets us lift each other up in prayer as we continue to do the work of Blessed Frederic Ozanam and St. Vincent de Paul.
If you plan to attend the Mass, please register by clicking on this link.
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COVID-19 RISE Funding Program Update
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The Society of St. Vincent de Paul's RISE Funding Program will end on September 30, 2020. We are no longer accepting new applicants, however, the neighbors who called before September 23, 2020 will remain on our waiting list and will be contacted.
We want to thank all the Vincentians who assisted the Council with this program. We appreciate you volunteering your time to assist the RISE Case Managers.
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St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store
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The St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store is now open three days a week; Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 10:00am - 4:00pm. With new donations coming in weekly, you never know what treasures you will find.
For the health and safety of everyone in the store, shoppers are required to wear a face covering that covers the mouth and nose. Our staff and volunteers are also required to wear face coverings. Shoppers are also asked to practice social distancing while enjoying their shopping experience.
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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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During this COVID-19 pandemic, health, state, and local officials are urging people to take the necessary steps to stay safe. To slow the spread of the virus, wear your face covering and practice social distancing.
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September 30, 2020
Vincentian Family Gathering Mass
175th Anniversary Celebration
St. Mary Cathedral (& Livestream)
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October 31, 2020
Q4 Presidents Meeting
10:00am - 12:00pm
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National Gazette Questions and Answers
Q: Some of our Conference members give their personal phone numbers by not blocking their numbers when making calls. As a result, our friends in need call them for advice, etc. The Conference members do not always report the calls received or the advice given. Our guidelines say that our friends in need should not have our personal phone numbers. Also, we decided that messages could not be left on the SVdP phone. We can only be reached on Mondays 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Is this practice okay? What, if any, are the ramifications of this practice? What do you think of this practice?
A: The National Council does not encourage nor endorse the practice of members giving out their personal phone number. Phone numbers can be abused, and those whom we serve should only call a designated SVdP contact number for assistance.
The consequence of the practice you indicate is that our friends in need have nowhere to turn to, if the Conference can only be reached at the hours indicated. The recommendation is to have a separate phone line where messages can be left and checked more frequently by members in order to serve our friends in need.
Preguntas y Respuestas de la
Oficina Nacional
P: Algunos de los miembros de nuestra Conferencia dan sus números de teléfono personales al no bloquearlos cuando hacen llamadas. Pues, nuestros amigos con necesidades los llaman para pedirles consejo, etc. Los miembros de la Conferencia no siempre informan las llamadas recibidas o los consejos dados. Nuestras pautas dicen que nuestros amigos con necesidades no deben tener nuestros números de teléfono personales. Además, decidimos que no se podían dejar mensajes en el teléfono SVDP. Solo se nos puede contactar los lunes de 9:00 am a 11:00 am. ¿Está bien esta práctica? ¿Cuáles, si las hay, son las ramificaciones de esta práctica? ¿Qué opinas de esta práctica?
R: El Consejo Nacional no fomenta ni respalda la práctica de que los miembros proporcionen su número de teléfono personal. Se puede abusar de los números, y aquellos a quienes servimos solo deben llamar a un número de contacto designado de SVdP para obtener ayuda.
La consecuencia de la práctica que indica es que nuestros amigos con necesidades no tienen a dónde acudir, si la Conferencia sólo puede ser contactada a las horas indicadas. La recomendación es tener una línea telefónica separada donde los miembros puedan revisar los mensajes con más frecuencia para atender a nuestros amigos con necesidades.
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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
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