Vincentian Community News |
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"Let us labor together at God’s work with great meekness and humility; these are solid virtues."
–St. Louise de Marillac
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The next Ozanam Orientation is scheduled for Saturday, August 21st at St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church in Dripping Springs. It will be held in the Dymphna Center. To ensure the safety of the participants and presenters, we are limiting the number of people to 40 to allow for social distancing.
Ozanam Orientations are designed to set up our new Vincentians for success and re-energize those Vincentians who have already served. All new Vincentians are asked to attend an Ozanam Orientation within their first year in ministry; current Vincentians should attend an Ozanam refresher every 3-5 years.
The Ozanam Orientation is from 9:00am - 2:30pm. Check-in starts at 8:30am. Registration is open now. Just click on this link.
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SVdP Luling Conference Events |
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The St. Vincent de Paul Luling Conference will host two events at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church next month.
The Conference will hold a Personal Hygiene Pack Day on August 7, 2021 for junior high and high school students. Conference members also plan to distribute a limited number of diapers for infants as well.
On August 14, 2020, the Luling Conference will host a New Pair of Shoes Distribution Day for Luling ISD students. There will be a limited amount of shoes, so students will have to register with the Conference. For more information, email Armando Perales at armandoperales1@yahoo.com.
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The Diocesan Council and the St. Albert the Great Conference are hosting the 2021 Friends of the Poor Walk on Saturday, September 25 at 11am at St. Albert the Great Catholic Church. This annual event raises awareness of the challenges faced by our neighbors in need. It is also a fundraising opportunity for Conferences to raise funds to further their mission to provide financial assistance, food assistance, and other basic essentials to those in underserved communities.
Conferences are encouraged to participate and create a team to walk on September 25 in person or virtually. When walkers register to walk, they can designate their funds to the Conference of their choice. To register click on this link.
Volunteer opportunities are available for the Friends of the Poor Walk. For more information contact Janie Alonzo at janie@ssvdp.org.
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2021 Virtual Serving in Hope |
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We are excited to announce that the 2021 Serving in Hope fundraising event will take place on Wednesday, September 22, 2021 at 6pm. This will be a virtual event. Serving in Hope is an opportunity for people in the community to learn more about the works of the Society and to raise funds to support our mission. Stay tuned for more details!! |
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City of Austin RENT Assistance Program |
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The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is partnering with the City of Austin and the Housing Authority to assist eligible Austin residents, impacted by COVID-19, with applying for rental assistance through the Relief of Emergency Needs for Tenants (RENT) Assistance Program. The RENT Application Portal is now open and will remain open through December 2021 or until funds are spent.
Applicants are welcome to use our computer lab at the Vincentian Family Center
Tuesday - Friday from 9:00am - 12:00pm. Mondays are by appointment only. Email info@ssvdp.org. We will assist applicants with creating an account, completing the online application, and uploading the required documents.
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COVID-19 Stage 5 Risk Guidelines |
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New COVID-19 cases are on the rise in Central Texas. Austin-Travis County entered Stage 5 of the risk-based guidelines. Austin Public Health officials are making the following recommendations:
Fully vaccinated individuals should:
- Wear a mask.
- Avoid large gatherings where masks are not required if you are high-risk with underlying conditions.
- Help us get the rest of the population vaccinated by talking with your loved ones.
Partially or unvaccinated individuals should:
- Get fully vaccinated.
- Stay home and avoid gatherings or travel. Choose curbside and delivery options.
- Wear a mask when conducting essential activities if you must go out.
- Choose establishments that are protecting their customers and staff with mask wearing, social distancing and measures to stop the spread of COVID-19.
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We have exciting news to share! The St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store will soon launch its new Online store. The new website will offer one of kind treasures that will only be available online! More details about a launch date are coming soon!! |
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St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store |
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The St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store is open Thursday - Saturday from 10:00am - 5:00pm. You are invited to come, explore, and shop for great items at affordable prices. We receive new donations weekly, so you never know what treasures you will find.
We are taking every precaution to ensure your safety and to stop the spread of COVID-19. Everyone is required to wear a face mask and practice social distancing in the Thrift Store. Hand sanitizer is also available when you enter the store.
The Thrift Store is in need of volunteers to serve as greeters, cashiers, donation sorters, taggers, and to assist customers in various departments. Are you interested in volunteering? You can sign up by clicking on this link.
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New Volunteer Opportunities |
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You can make a difference by sharing your time and talents. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul Diocesan Council of Austin has new volunteer opportunities available in the Thrift Store, Client Services, and Council Office. We now have a new and easy way for you to sign up. Visit the volunteer page on ssvdp.org/volunteer, complete the form, and submit it. You will be contacted by a Council staff member.
Ready to volunteer? Click on this link to sign up!
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Register now for the 2021 National Assembly! The event will be held August 25-28 in Houston, Texas. The keynote speakers are Dr. Jaime Waters, Bishop Donald Hying, and Father Dennis Holtschneider. Early registration ended Thursday, July 15. The registration fee is now $425. For more information about the Assembly and to register, click here.
Here's a glance of the schedule:
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Tuesday, August 24 – 3:00 p.m. Registration Opens for Early Arrivals & Exhibitor Set-up
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Wednesday, August 25 – Disaster Preparedness Workshop, National Stores & Executive Director Meetings, Exhibitor Showcase Open, and Welcome Reception
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Thursday, August 26 – Workshops, Exhibits Open, National Committee Meetings, Presidential Welcome & Keynote Address, and Host City Event
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Friday, August 27 – Spiritual Retreat, Workshops, Regional Meetings, Exhibits Open Until 3:00 p.m.
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Saturday, August 28 – General Session Presentation, National Business Meeting, Workshops, Vigil Mass, and Closing Dinner Banquet
Message from the National Office regarding COVID-19 concerns:
The National Council strives to keep all our Vincentians, Staff, and Volunteers safe during all our events. The 2021 National Assembly will still take place live. We encourage any and all that wish to attend to register. We will carefully follow the city and Marriott's safety guidelines, and will communicate with all participants on Friday, August 20 with updated info. We will also have masks on hand if current requirements change on site.
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Council Dinner at the National Assembly |
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Are you attending the SSVDP National Assembly in Houston?
During the Assembly, we will have time for dinner together as a Council on Friday, August 27, 2021 at 7:00 pm. All Conference members and their guests are welcome to attend! Please be sure to register so we know how large a room we will need to accommodate our party. Each person will be responsible to pay for their meal and beverages.
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A special edition of Our Faith in Action: Today's Society of St. Vincent de Paul, will air on EWTN today, August 6, at 4:30 Central. You'll see how Vincentians in Florida, New Mexico, and Texas adapted their operations to support our neighbors in need through new and creative methods. Watch the trailer for a sneak peek!
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Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord
August 6, 2021
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In Year B, the reading for the Transfiguration comes from Mark’s gospel. (The Transfiguration also appears in the other two synoptic gospels, Matthew and Luke.) In Mark, Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up a high mountain, apart from the other apostles and disciples.
There, Jesus is transfigured (changed in form and appearance) and appears in dazzling white clothes. Elijah, the great prophet, and Moses, through whom the Israelites were given the law, appear with Jesus. A cloud appears, overshadowing them, and a voice states, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” Jesus charges the three to not share with anyone what they had seen “except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead.” They keep their experience to themselves, pondering what Jesus meant by rising from the dead.
How are we to understand the Transfiguration? The story of the Transfiguration is also proclaimed on the second Sunday of Lent—a key part of Jesus’ journey towards the Cross. The Catechism of the Catholic Church draws parallels between Jesus’ Baptism and the Transfiguration. Jesus is baptized at the start of his public ministry. His baptism proclaims the mystery of our first regeneration—we die and rise again with Christ. The “Transfiguration ‘is the sacrament of the second regeneration’: our own Resurrection (St. Thomas Aquinas, STh III, 45, 4, ad 2). From now on we share in the Lord’s Resurrection through the Spirit who acts in the sacraments of the Body of Christ.
The Transfiguration gives us a foretaste of Christ’s glorious coming, when he ‘will change our lowly body to be like his glorious body (Phil 3:21)’” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 556). During the Prayer after Communion, we pray that God might “transform us into the likeness of your [his] Son, / whose radiant splendor you willed to make manifest / in his glorious Transfiguration.” The Collect, or opening prayer, tells us that the mystery of the Transfiguration “prefigures our full adoption to sonship.” The Transfiguration, initially revealed to Peter, James, and John, reveals to all of us a taste of what is yet to come.
The Transfiguration is the fourth of the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary.
Copyright © 2021, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, DC. All rights reserved.
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We will offer them up in prayer weekly.
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National Gazette Questions and Answers
Q: Can a Conference change their name to the name of their founder who recently passed away? What if any guidelines must be followed to change the Conference name?
A: Conference names are usually associated with the name of the parish in which they are located. They can be names of saints, titles of Our Lord or Our Lady. They cannot be “St. Vincent de Paul” or “Frederic Ozanam” unless that is the name of their parish. They cannot be named for one of their members or anyone else. Conference naming specifications come from the Council General International (CGI) and are used in the validation of an Application for Aggregation. In addition, we have a standard naming convention for Conferences: “Society of St. Vincent de Paul _________ Conference.”
Preguntas y Respuestas de la
Oficina Nacional
P: ¿Puede una Conferencia cambiar su nombre por el nombre de su fundador que falleció recientemente? ¿Qué pautas, si las hay, se deben seguir pautas para cambiar el nombre de la Conferencia?
R: Los nombres de las Conferencias generalmente están asociados con el nombre de la parroquia en la que se encuentran. Pueden ser nombres de santos, títulos de Nuestro Señor o Nuestra Señora. No pueden ser “San Vincent de Paúl” o “Federico Ozanam” a menos que ese sea el nombre de su parroquia. No pueden llevar el nombre de uno de sus miembros ni de nadie más. Las especificaciones de nomenclatura de Conferencias provienen del Consejo General International (CGI) y se utilizan en la validación de una Solicitud de Agregación. Además, tenemos una convención de nomenclatura estándar para las Conferencias: "Conferencia _________ de la Sociedad de San Vicente de Paúl."
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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
St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store
Thursday - Saturday
10:00am - 5:00pm
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Contact Us:
Rick Bologna, Stores Director, rick.bologna@ssvdp.org
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*Deadline submission for the eNews is Wednesday at noon. |
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