I was a stranger and you
welcomed me
By S. Janet Gildea
The year 2017 marks a Jubilee Year for the Family of Charity. We celebrate 400 years of the charism that comes to us from St. Vincent de Paul. While preaching in a parish church in Chatillon, France, in 1617, Vincent experienced a deep conversion of heart. He explained at Sunday Mass that there was a very poor family in need of every kind of assistance. The response of the parishioners was so overwhelming that it inspired Vincent to dedicate his life and ministry to organizing outreach to the spiritually and materially poor. He became a great connector and collaborator, not only providing direct service himself and gathering others for the work but also using his many connections to advocate for changes in the systems that create poverty.
 
Today the Family of Charity that traces its beginning to St. Vincent de Paul includes priests (Congregation of the Mission), women religious (Sisters and Daughters of Charity), and many lay associations (Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Ladies of Charity, Secular Vincentian Missionaries and more). To celebrate this 400 th anniversary the Vincentian Family launched a global initiative called, “I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” We have challenged ourselves to explore how we can better live the Charity charism we share by reaching out to the strangers in our communities: refugees, migrants, those subject to discrimination, the homeless, and any other marginalized persons.
 
During this Jubilee Year we pray: “Grant us the grace we need to continue this marvelous collaborative work together with those who are living in poverty so that we might build a more just and equitable world. Help us communicate your love to our brothers and sisters with enthusiasm and hope so that they, in turn, might become active in their own development. Teach us to be obedient to your will. Give us the strength we need to be authentic and hardworking within the Church and to be a force of transformation in society. May our numbers increase, so that each day, there can be more people convinced of Jesus’ words: “Whatever you do for one of these least brothers or sisters of mine, you do for me” (Matthew 25:40).
Future of Charity Blog
“400 Years of Charity: Making God's Love Visible”
S. Tracy Kemme takes a deeper look at the roots of the charism of Charity and what it means today in her latest entry for the Future of Charity Blog. Read more at:
A Sister to All
Meet Sister of Charity of Cincinnati Nancy Crafton. S. Nancy currently ministers at Los Pobres Center in Avondale, Colorado, an organization that serves 900 families and provides services to help with education, immigration and legal issues as well as non-perishable food, clothing and household supplies. Read more at http://www.srcharitycinti.org/news_events/crafton_sistertoall.htm
VISION Vocation Magazine 2018
The annual publication of the National Religious Vocation Conference is now available online ( http://www.digitalvocationguide.org/vision/2018?pg=1#pg1 ). The publication is a wonderful resource with articles on prayer and spirituality, discernment, religious life and priesthood. You can also access the “vocation match” to help narrow the field of possibilities as you seek to understand your call. The online survey asks for your preferences regarding religious congregations (e.g. ministry focus, style of prayer, community life) and matches those with the information provided by vocation directors from more than 100 congregations. Our listing is at the top of Page 85 in the “Women’s Communities” section!

Whitney Schieltz Begins
Canonical Novitiate
Congratulations to Whitney Schieltz (front row, center) who began her Canonical Novitiate with an evening vespers service on Saturday, Aug. 19 in the Motherhouse Chapel. Whitney began Affiliation with the Community in September 2015 and has lived with the SCs at Casa Caridad since October 2015, volunteering at the Santo Nino Project in Mexico and Villa Maria Home for Women in El Paso, Texas. She recently moved to Mount St. Joseph, and will become a part of the Novitiate community at Bayley House.

Calendar
September 1, 2017     
World Day of Prayer for the Care
of Creation

September 1-4, 2017
Come and Serve, House of Charity,
New Orleans, Louisiana
 
September 27, 2017
Feast of St. Vincent de Paul
 
November 5-11, 2017
National Vocation Awareness Week




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S. Margarita Brewer received the Tri-State Regional Emerging Multicultural Leadership Experience Award (EMLE) for Youth Development on Aug. 24 from the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati. S. Margarita was honored for her outstanding work and life dedication to serving youth of Hispanic, African and other newcomer countries in their pursuit to learn the English language. Under her leadership, students have not only excelled academically, but they have also learned to embrace their cultural identities.
E-vōc   is the electronic newsletter from the Vocations Team of the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati for single women wondering what new thing God is calling forth in their lives. 
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