Diocesan Council Newsletter

March 11, 2022

Vincentian Community News

“God makes the interests of the afflicted his own.”

– St. Louise de Marillac

Statewide Day of Prayer for Ukraine

Bishop Vásquez, in union with Pope Francis, continues calling the faithful to pray for our brothers and sisters. We also join in solidarity with the Ukrainian Orthodox Churches and the Ukrainian Catholic Church in the U.S. who are all united in prayer for their people and their homeland.

A Statewide Day of Prayer for Ukraine has been announced for Sunday, March 13. The Governor "call[s] upon Texans of all faiths, religious traditions, and backgrounds to come together in prayer, acknowledging God's glory and seeking the peace which surpasses all understanding."

-Diocese of Austin

Brentwood Christian School Service Day

Students from Brentwood Christian School in Austin volunteered at the St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store Wednesday as part of their service day. Members of the Junior Class spent the morning sorting clothes, planting flowers in the islands in the parking lot, and helping in donations.

Every year, the students at Brentwood will spend time outside the classroom focusing on spiritual disciplines and service across Austin. "It's fulfilling our mission in ministry to give our students the opportunity to get out and live the love that Christ shows us," said Jimmy Harper, a history and bible teacher at Brentwood. Harper expressed that it's a joy to work with St. Vincent de Paul.

Serving in Hope

Mark you calendars! Serving in Hope will be held Wednesday, May 11 at noon at St. William Catholic Church. 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.

You can help make this a success by becoming a table captain, volunteer, and by inviting your network. For more information, contact the Director of Development and Marketing, Kanobia Russell-Blackmon at kanobia@ssvdp.org.

Weekly Lenten Reflection Series

Join the National Formation Director and the Voice of the Poor for a series of Lenten reflections on Wednesday evenings at 6:00pm. We will explore how we are collaborating with other organizations to serve the whole person as well as unmet needs.

Click here to register.

March 16: Presenters: Pam Matambanadzo & Dave McNaughton - Chicago Council District IV, Guest: Alderman Cappleman (46th Ward), Presenter: Miguel Santos - Buffalo NY
March 23: Presenters: Elmira Roque - Diocese of San Diego, Gloria Hyden: Oznam Center – Food Mission, District Council of Memphis, TN
March 30: Presenters: Sally Wolfe - Denver, Co, Alicia Reyes – St Vincent de Paul Planada, Sacred Heart, Plana, California
April 6: Reflection: The Good Samaritan: Who Was the Neighbor?

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

SVdP MidYear Meeting

Registration for SVdP Midyear Meeting is now open!

Join us the for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul's 2022 Midyear Business Meeting, March 16 - 19, 2022 at the Hilton at the Ballpark in St. Louis, Missouri! The agenda is packed with Education, Spirituality, and informative information about the Society and helping those in need. Highlights include: Spiritual Retreat, Committee Meetings, Regional Meetings, and our Midyear Business Meeting. We look forward to seeing you in St. Louis!

Daylight Savings Time

Daylight savings time begins Sunday, March 13. Don’t forget that our clocks “Spring Forward” at 2am!

COVID-19 Stage 2 Guidelines

Austin-Travis County is now in Stage 2 of the risk-based guidelines. This means fully vaccinated people are allowed to go to indoor and outdoor gatherings without masks. However, partially or unvaccinated people should continue to wear masks. For more information visit austintexas.gov/COVID19.

For now, this is the policy for the store and VFC until further notice:

All persons fully vaccinated or not are encouraged to wear a face mask at all times while indoors. We do appreciate your assistance in wearing a mask to protect our staff.
Store staff and volunteers are still required to wear a mask at all times including in the warehouse, client service area and in the council offices.
Continue to encourage six foot social distancing in your business whenever possible.
Practice good hygiene and frequent hand washing.

St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store

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 .

2nd Sunday of Lent

March 13, 2022

Gospel: (Luke 9:28-36)

Jesus took Peter, John and James and went up the mountain to pray. While he was praying his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white….Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep, but becoming fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” But he did not know what he was saying. While he was speaking, a cloud came and cast a shadow over them…Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my chosen Son, listen to him.” After the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone.

Reflection:

The only way for us to “remain” in Jesus’ glory is to accept the baptismal challenge to recognize Jesus as the beloved Son and to “Listen to him.” This means that we take to heart gospel living. This Sunday we are given a glimpse of glory to help us on our journey of a lifetime of self-emptying. This tells us something about how we might keep Sundays. If each Sunday is a day of rest, a time to be good to ourselves, to do something special that is uplifting, to enter into a moment of glory by praying, we would be better fortified to continue our journey. (Living Liturgy, p.74)

Vincentian Meditation:

Though God is utterly transcendent, do we not experience the self-communication of God at times? Looking back at times, do we not perceive that we have been transformed by events that were beyond our control, often by our contact with the poor, by their faith, their gratitude, their persistent trust in God’s presence and providence? Are there not “angels” who enter our lives and touch us deeply because of their authentic witness to the gospels, because of their persevering hope in the face of sickness, suffering and death? Are there not occasions when we are deeply touched by the loyalty of friends, by their faithful love? Are these not ways in which we glimpse God’s freely-bestowed presence in our own human experience? I suggest this Lent that we focus on growing in awareness of God’s self-gift, in its many expressions, and raise our hearts and voices to the Lord in gratitude. (Maloney, Go! On the Missionary Spirituality of St. Vincent de Paul, p. 99)

How have you experienced God touching your life?

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: I have a real problem with the ethnicity breakdown requested on the Annual Conference Report. The federal government has a special form for Ethnicity and Race Identification. I see no value in providing this information.

A: The Society does not use this information in any discriminatory way. The ethnicity information is collected only in the aggregate. Based on our Rule (Part I, Article 3.2), we are not to discriminate in membership. The breakdown in the Annual Report is simply to show how diverse and inclusive the Society has become. Occasionally, there are questions related to this from major funders.

Preguntas y Respuestas de la

Oficina Nacional

P: Tengo un problema grande con el desglose étnico solicitado en el Informe Anual de la Conferencia. El gobierno federal tiene un formulario especial para la identificación étnica y racial. No veo ningún valor en proporcionar esta información.

R: La Sociedad no utiliza esta información de forma discriminatoria. La información de origen étnico se recopila solo en conjunto. De acuerdo con nuestra Regla (Parte I, Artículo 3.2), no debemos discriminar en la membresía. El desglose en el informe anual es simplemente para mostrar cuán diversa e inclusiva se ha vuelto la Sociedad. De vez en cuando, hay preguntas relacionadas con esto de los donantes principales.

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.