The latest news for you

August 28, 2020

Serving Central Texas

Vincentian Community News

"Christian charity is not simple philanthropy but, on the one hand, it is looking at others through the eyes of Jesus Himself and, on the other hand, seeing Jesus in the face of the poor."

-Pope Francis

22nd Sunday of Ordinary Time

Gospel Reading: (Matthew 16:21-27)

Jesus said to his disciples: “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life? For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory, and then he will repay all according to his conduct.”

Vincentian Reflection:

Lose life and find life. Cross and glory. This is the paschal mystery in a nutshell. Sometimes our response to living the paschal mystery is enthusiastic because things are going well and we don’t realize the demands. Then, when the going gets rough, we bog down. The challenge is to let go so God can lead us. We need to surrender ourselves. The paschal mystery isn’t just a concept; it is a turning of the heart toward God’s love working in us, but not without its demands. Even sharing in Jesus’ divine glory means that we must share in his sufferings and death.

(Living Liturgy, p. 228)

Vincentian Meditation:

Service to God’s people demands a price. Christians must put aside their own prejudices, comfortable circumstances, and favorite ideas in order to do the will of God. This sort of discipline calls Christians to die to themselves in order to follow Christ. St. Vincent called this discipline mortification. Mortification, or dying to self, has sometimes become confused with self-hate, repression…or co-dependency. However, dying to self is a core value in the Christian Testament. St. Vincent believed that mortification had to be a conscious choice. With the grace of God, people could be willing to make the hard sacrifices that love demands. With God’s help, they could detach themselves from—or die—to all that was not Christ so that they could put on Jesus Christ.

(McKenna, Praying with Vincent, p.83, 85)

In what ways have you been called to mortification—“to deny yourself, and take up your cross”?

COVID-19 RISE Funding Program

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul's RISE Funding Program is underway! The funds are to provide immediate services to Austin/Travis County residents impacted by COVID-19.

Individuals are required to call the phone number that corresponds with the first letter of their last name. Our case managers and volunteers are working hard to assist each neighbor through the intake process.

Meeting with the Bishop of Austin

Joleen Boyer, in keeping with her obligations as President of the Diocesan Council of Austin - to keep the diocesan bishop, church officials, and pastors aware of the Society's activities and issues, met with Bishop Joe Vasquez of Austin and senior diocesan officials, Wednesday at the Pastoral Center. The meeting was a matter of courtesy to maintain their support.

2020 Vincentian Annual Gathering

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul Annual Vincentian Family Gathering will take place Wednesday, September 30, 2020 at 6pm at St. Mary Cathedral in Austin. Not only are we celebrating the feast day of St. Vincent de Paul, but we are also celebrating 175 years of the Society in the United States.

The principal celebrant and homilist for the Mass will be Bishop Joe Vasquez. Following the Mass, we will install Janie Alonzo as the new president of the Diocesan Council Board of Directors. In addition, we will have our annual Commitment Ceremony.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, only board members and their spouses are allowed to attend. However, the Mass will be livestream from the Cathedral.

We hope you will make plans to join us for this special event.

SSVDP Response to Hurricane Laura

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul Diocesan Council of Austin is a member of Central Texas VOAD (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster). With about 4000 evacuees in Austin, VOAD is working with its partnering agencies, including the Society, to ensure the needs of Hurricane Laura evacuees are met.

This morning, the Society gave Dan Knauft of VOAD, 50 $20 H-E-B gift cards to distribute to evacuees who need help with gas for their vehicles. The Society remains on standby to assist anyway we can.

St. John the Evangelist Conference

Partners with Luling ISD

St. John the Evangelist Conference in Luling has partnered with the Luling ISD to provide Chromebooks and internet access for Luling ISD students. Seen in the picture above are Luling ISD Superintendent Erin Warren who is joined by Conference members, Irene Moore, Donna Martinez and Gerianne Canny.

In a letter to the Conference, Superintendent Erin Warren stated:

"As you are aware, our financial assistance list grows each day as more families complete the registration process and make plans for the upcoming school year. Your generosity will enable the district to provide technology resources to our students in need, 30 of which (as of this moment in time) are enrolled at Shanklin Elementary. Please again extend the district's thanks to the members of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Community support during these challenging and uncertain times is very much appreciated! "

St. John the Evangelist Conference requested and received funds from the St. David's Foundation Grant, which was awarded to the Diocesan Council this year to assist neighbors impacted by COVID-19 in the Southeastern area of the Council.

St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store

Become a Thrift Store Volunteer!

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.

Interested in volunteering?

You can sign up by clicking on this link.

Connect with us:

Life, Charity, and Justice Gathering

The Secretariat of Life, Charity, and Justice of the Diocese of Austin will host a gathering that will bring together parish leaders and volunteers whose faith inspires them to respond to current challenges relating to evangelization in contemporary society, lay leadership, poverty, injustice, and the promotion of human life and dignity.

Join us on Saturday, Aug. 29 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. online. All are welcome! For more information and to register, click on this link.

The 2020 National Assembly, "Where it All Began," will be held online September 3 - 5, 2020. The Virtual Meeting will include programs and workshops for you to experience. There is no fee to participate in the National Assembly, but you do have to register.

For more information and to register, click on this link. To see the agenda, click here.

COVID-19 Pandemic

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.

National Gazette Questions and Answers

Q: Can Conference officers consist of the President-elect, Secretary, and Treasurer only, if no member accepts the Vice President appointment?

A: Conference officers (an elected President who appoints a Vice President(s), Secretary, and Treasurer) have no specific authority other than representation of the Conference and requirement to fulfill specific tasks. All decisions are made by the Active Members of the Conference as a whole. According to the bylaws there must be at least one Vice President, hence a member should step forward to serve as VP for a complete slate of officers. The Conference as well as the Council needs to know who will serve in the Presidential capacity should the elected President be unable to serve for any reason.

Preguntas y Respuestas de la

Oficina Nacional

P: ¿Pueden los oficiales de la Conferencia consistir únicamente en el Presidente electo, Secretario y Tesorero, si ningún miembro acepta el nombramiento de Vicepresidente?

R: Los oficiales de la Conferencia (un Presidente electo que nombra un Vicepresidente(s), un Secretario y un Tesorero) no tienen autoridad específica más que la representación de la Conferencia y el requisito de cumplir tareas específicas. Todas las decisiones son tomadas por los Miembros Activos de la Conferencia en su conjunto. Según los estatutos, debe haber al menos un Vicepresidente, por lo tanto, un miembro debe dar un paso adelante para servir como Vicepresidente de una lista completa de oficiales. La Conferencia y el Consejo deben saber quién servirá en la capacidad presidencial en caso de que el Presidente electo no pueda servir por algún motivo.

Call 1.888.317.SVDP

visit www.ssvdp.org

Proud Sponsor!

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.