Diocesan Council Newsletter

April 22, 2022

Vincentian Community News

“A fault may serve for our advancement when it serves to humble us.”

- St. Louise de Marillac

Serving in Hope

Join us on Wednesday, May 11 at noon for our Serving in Hope Luncheon! The event will be held at St. William Catholic Church in the Evangelization Center. This is our largest fundraiser of the year! Participants will enjoy a complimentary meal while learning about the mission and work of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Funds raised will help our programs that serve our neighbors in need.

You can help make this a success! We need table captains, volunteers, and for you to spread the word. Sign up to volunteer here. The deadline to RSVP is April 27, 2022. For more information, contact the Director of Development and Marketing, Kanobia Russell-Blackmon at kanobia@ssvdp.org.

General Assembly

The 2022 General Assembly will be held on Saturday, May 21 at St. Catherine of Sienna Catholic Church in Austin from 9:00am - 2:00pm. The cost is $8.00 which covers your breakfast tacos and box lunch. National Vincentian Formation Director Tim Williams will be our guest speaker. Registration is open now. Just click here.

Ozanam Orientation

Save the Date! The next Ozanam Orientation is scheduled for Saturday, May 14 from 9:00am - 2:30pm. This is an in person event and will be held at Santa Cruz Parish in Buda. Register by clicking on this link: Ozanam Orientation.

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.

South Central Regional Meeting

Registration is open for the South Central Regional Meeting. The meeting will be held June 8 - 11 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It will include an option to attend Ozanam Orientation Formator Training, Spiritual Advisor Training as well as the Regional Meeting, and more. This event is open to all Vincentians and is a great way to meet and learn from your fellow Vincentians from the four state South Central Region.

For more information and to register, click on this link: Regional Meeting Registration.

COVID-19 Community Level: Low

The City of Austin and Travis County COVID-19's community levels are currently low. There are new risk-based guidelines which includes three community levels of risk: low, medium and high.

Recommendations for people who are up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines:

Low: Precautions optional when gathering, dining and shopping.
Medium: Precautions optional when gathering, dining and shopping. Mask when social distancing is not possible.
High: Use precautions when gathering, dining and shopping.

Recommendations for people who are at risk:

Low: Precautions optional when gathering, dining and shopping.
Medium: Use precautions when gathering, dining and shopping.
High: Use precautions when gathering, dining and shopping.

Precautions included wearing a mask, washing your hands, and practicing social distancing.

https://www.austintexas.gov/page/covid-19-risk-based-guidelines

The policy in the SVdP Thrift Store and the Council Offices is now "Wearing a mask is optional."

National Webinars

In Fréderic Ozanam’s original vision for the Society, he expressed a desire that Vincentians use their meetings as an opportunity to serve neighbors in need and personal spiritual growth. When Vincentians gather together at traditional meetings and innovative webinars, they can share their talents and resources in service of our neighbors in need.

Please check out these great opportunities for the Fred Talks - great 4 - 5 minute videos that can be used for reflection at your Conference meetings!

SVDP National Fred Talks

EMERGENCY PREPARATION SUPPLIES

SALES TAX HOLIDAY

This weekend is a good time to start preparing for emergencies that can cause physical damage like hurricanes, flash floods, and wildfires. The Emergency Preparation Supplies Sales Tax Holiday is from April 23 - 25. You can purchase various supplies tax free! For a list of items, click on this link: Emergency Preparation Supplies Sales Tax Holiday.

St. Vincent de Paul Thrift 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 .

Divine Mercy Sunday

April 24, 2022

Gospel: (John 20:19-31)

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Thomas was not with them when Jesus came. So, the disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nail marks and my hand into his side, I will not believe.” A week later, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not doubt, but believe.”

Reflection:

While we are steeped in this natural life, it is difficult for us to come to terms with resurrected life. This was part of Thomas’ problem: he was seeking tangible proofs—seeing and touching—to come to belief, but the resurrected life of Jesus is a new life is beyond tangible proofs. We receive this new life trough Jesus’ gift of the Holy Spirit. We know the fruit of this new life is peace and forgiveness. But how do we come to belief without seeing? Jesus’ ministry is continued in the disciples. Seeing these works is seeing Jesus. Seeing these works brings us to belief. More importantly, our doing what Jesus did, brings us to belief. Believing isn’t seeing; it’s doing the good works of Jesus.

(Living Liturgy, p.112)

Vincentian Meditation:

Vincentians see the crucified everyday in the streets of large cities and in poor country villages. One of the great gifts of St. Vincent was the ability to recognize the crucified Christ in the face of the suffering and to mobilize the energies of others in their service. He was an extraordinary organizer. To aid the most abandoned of his time, Vincent gathered together rich and poor, women and men, clergy and lay. Our meditation on the crucified Lord, who loves us even to death, and on the crucified peoples in whom the Lord continues to live, will always be brightened by resurrection faith. The gospel proclaims loud and clear that suffering love triumphs, that the power of God works through human weakness, that the light overcomes the darkness, that there is hope even in the face of hopelessness. (Maloney, Seasons in Spirituality, p.59)

How has “doing the good works of Jesus” brought you to belief?

Prayer Requests

Do you have a prayer request? Send us your prayers at prayerrequest@ssvdp.org.

We will offer them up in prayer weekly.

National Gazette Questions and Answers

Q: Can a Deacon serve as chair for the Council’s Voice of the Poor committee?

A: The VOP is a committee, and committees can be headed by a deacon. There is nothing that prevents a deacon from being a committee chair. Being a committee chair does not give the deacon a vote on the board or Council. A deacon who is the committee chair can vote on committee matters since committees do not make final decisions, serving only as advisors to the local Board and President.

Preguntas y Respuestas de la

Oficina Nacional

P: ¿Puede un diácono presidir el comité Voz de los Pobres del Consejo?

R: El VOP es un comité, y los comités pueden estar encabezados por un diácono. No hay nada que impida que un diácono sea presidente de un comité. Ser presidente de un comité no le da al diácono un voto en la junta o el Consejo. Un diácono que sea el presidente del comité puede votar sobre los asuntos del comité, ya que los comités no toman decisiones finales, sirviendo solo como asesores de la junta local y el presidente.

Volunteer Opportunities

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!

Connect with us:

Donate your vehicle to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. We make donating your car, truck, motorcycle, or boat easy. Call 1-800-317-SVDP (7837) or visit www.ssvdp.org/vehicle-donation. The process is free and easy!

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.