So Said Saint Vincent
“I pray that God Himself will be the strength
of the weak and the virtue of the strong and
the prayer of those who are unable to pray.”
— St. Vincent de Paul
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VinSights
Vincentian Insights from the Province
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Fr. John Freund, CM
Claiming the Gift of Vincent’s Charism
We all know and appreciate St. Vincent’s passion for the poor. His foundations came out of his passion for the poor. But Vincent was also a genius in organizing and networking. He crossed all barriers of class and caste, whether secular or ecclesial. He inspired many to walk in his footsteps. Read or listen to the post HERE.
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Fr. Tom McKenna, CM
Taking In
(Nehemiah 8; I Corinthians 12; Luke 4: 18-21)
In the book of Nehemiah, we observe the Jewish people “taking in the news.” Bowing their faces to the ground, they then stand with hands in the air and shout out their double "Amen, Amen!" From the volume of those Amens, we hear how seriously they are taking in Ezra’s news. While not always perfectly executed, these ringing Amens are sincere. Read the post HERE.
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Fr. Patrick Griffin, CM
A Vincentian View:
The Synod and the Spirit
As we journey together, the Spirit shows the way; as we assemble, the Spirit directs the conversation; as we set out on mission, the Spirit provides the gifts to accomplish our goals. Calling the Holy Spirit, the “soul” of our effort emphasizes the role of the Spirit as the enlivening and empowering force for our passage. Read the post HERE.
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Special VinSight
Connecting Lent, Valentine’s Day and Systemic Change
Lent is not about giving up; it is about waking up to the mystery of God’s love. If there is any “giving up” it is getting rid of the things that put us to sleep and prevent us from seeing God’s love in our daily lives. Beneath its commercial veneer, Valentine’s Day is about expressing love and celebrating the gift of love received.
Systemic Change can be viewed as Valentine’s Day and Lent on steroids– removing the obstacles that prevent people from experiencing belonging. Read Fr. Freund's complete essay HERE.
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Vincent’s Homes
"We are not just managing a building, we are helping to manage the person."
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Vincent’s Homes (Philadelphia, PA) is an outgrowth of the "13 Houses" campaign, which has as its focus housing the most vulnerable and providing long-term, stable housing for individuals who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Learn more HERE.
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Embracing the Homeless in a Network of Charity |
The Vincentian community launched the “13 Houses” campaign in 2018 during its first international conference in Rome (the second Conference is planned for June 2022). More than 7,000 lives have been transformed thanks to the “13 Houses” campaign. In just three years, this global endeavor has gone from a single house in Macon, Georgia (USA), to more than 70 projects in almost 50 countries with up to 2,000 houses built. Learn more HERE.
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Vincentians and the International Day of
Human Fraternity
On February 4, the members of the Conferences of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SSVP), the branches of the Vincentian Family, the worldwide Church, and all people celebrated the International Day of Fraternity. Read more HERE.
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Meet Father Erik Sanchez
This month, we asked five random questions to Fr. Erik Sanchez, CM. Read his answers HERE.
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Combating Hunger
amidst COVID-19 in
the Philippines
Hunger, a persistent concern in the Philippines, has become exponentially worse in the face of COVID-19, but a group of women in the small village of Payatas continue to make a difference. That was the message of Rev. Daniel Franklin Pilario, CM, PhD, STD, this year’s holder of the St. John’s University Vincentian Chair of Social Justice, during his lecture, "Surviving the Pandemic: Solidarity in the Margins." Read more HERE.
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The Life of Our President, Father Maher
In the small community of Niagara University lives a well-known figure with a lesser-known story. Everyone affiliated with the school knows its president, Rev. James J. Maher, CM, more commonly known as Father Maher. They see his face all over the university on posters and stickers, in pictures and in person. However, most students would not know that he used to play baseball and basketball or that he loves to travel and has been to multiple countries in Southeast Asia. Read more about Fr. Maher HERE.
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SUPPORT the Work of the Vincentians
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The Vincentian Priests and Brothers of the Eastern Province serve those on the margins in areas often forgotten by the world. This includes pastoring the poorest of parishes, prison ministry, addiction recovery, immigrant and migrant services, and much more.
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Fr. Rooney's most popular Vincentian Minute video from the past month is titled,
A Vincentian Minute - The Vincentian Family 1
Fr. Rooney, introduces the Vincentian Family and its various branches.
To watch the short video, click the image above or click HERE.
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Vincentian Home Gets COVID-19 Strike Team
For Long-term Care Regional Support Site
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The state is sending strike teams to four long-term care, regional support sites to help relieve the strain of COVID-19 on hospitals and frontline workers. Vincentian Home in McCandless will house one of the support sites, the Gov. Wolf administration announced. The Vincentian Collaborative Health System got a call from the Pennsylvania Department of Health to help with pandemic-related hospital overload in the Pittsburgh region and nursing shortages. Read more HERE.
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Black Catholics
Holy
Lonely
That is to be or not to be?
Jesus is the answer, you see
Joyous jamming living life to its highest level,
knowing Jesus has the gavel
Mother Church towering from her African genesis,
treasures flowing like gold down
the Nile
Black saints waiting to be canonized
While on trial, centuries to belong
Brother de Porres, Benedict the Moor,
Bakhita holding open the door
Prayers of the faithful
Ringing their rosaries on bended knee
Beautiful black babies being baptized
At God’s speed, we will win the race to be free!
— Jenario Morgan 2020
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Jenarío Decarlo Morgan is a native Detroiter, resident of South Bend, husband, and father of two. Currently a paraprofessional at South Bend Riley High School, he taught theology for 12 years in
Detroit where he was the first diversity director for the local Knights of Columbus. (He is also a
former Grand Knight.)
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Comic by Fr. Al Pehrsson, CM
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