Vincentian Community News
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"I invite everyone to make this coming 2nd March, Ash Wednesday, a Day of Fasting for Peace: let believers dedicate themselves intensively to prayer and fasting.
May the Queen of Peace preserve the world from the madness of war."
-Pope Francis
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Welcome St. Jerome Conference
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The Society of St. Vincent de Paul Diocesan Council of Austin is growing and expanding across Central Texas. The St. Jerome Conference is the newest Conference to join the Society and they are excited and ready to serve our neighbors in need in Waco. Installation for the new members and officers took place during Mass Tuesday, February 22, on the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter, the Apostle at St. Jerome Catholic Church. Father James Ekeocha, pastor and celebrant, welcomed St. Vincent de Paul as the newest Social Outreach ministry of the parish.
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Installation of the St. Jerome Conference Officers
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Ray DuPont, National Vice President of the South Central Region pinning Bobby Jetelina, Conference President.
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During his homily, Father James explained how the Society of St. Vincent de Paul represents a part of the church that can reach out to others in the community. As part of this outreach ministry, the Vincentians will help those who need food assistance or help with rent or utilities.
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Father James Ekeocha, pastor of St. Jerome Catholic Church
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Council President, Janie Alonzo, expressed her appreciation to Father James for supporting St. Vincent de Paul and allowing “this ministry to come alive in the parish.” In welcoming the new members to the Society, Alonzo conveyed that being a Vincentian is a vocation. “A vocation that calls us to grow closer to Christ by serving our neighbors in need with compassion and mercy.” Alonzo was joined by Roz Gutierrez, executive director; Ray DuPont, National Vice President of the South Central Region; Joleen Boyer, extension committee chair; Angela Gimbert, CenTex North District President, West Conference; and Dr. F. DeKarlos Blackmon, secretariat director of Life, Charity, and Justice of the Diocese of Austin.
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Janie Alonzo, President of the Diocesan Council Board of Directors
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Following the Mass, the St. Jerome Conference met in the Mother Teresa Center. The Conference’s regular meetings will be held the 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month at 6:15pm.
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Mass at St. Jerome Catholic Church
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Mass at St. Jerome Catholic Church
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St. Jerome Catholic Conference
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St. Jerome Conference meeting in the
Mother Teresa Center
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We are counting down the days to Amplify Austin on March 2nd - 3rd! We invite you to join us on the biggest day of giving in Central Texas and help us raise awareness and money for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. You can help by becoming a fundraising champion, sharing our post on social media, and spreading the word to your family, friends, and network. Visit our campaign by clicking on this link!
We are excited to announce that we will receive matching funds from the I Live Here I Give Here Amplify Fund. The organization is offering a $320,000 match to be distributed among participating organizations. This fund is designed to reimburse nonprofits for the cost to fundraise, provide matching dollars, and fund prizes to all participating nonprofit organization. We will also receive matching funds from ETC. The group is offering a $10,000 match among nonprofits that focus on basic needs, housing, shelter and homelessness, human services, public safety, and disaster relief and emergency response.
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Weekly Lenten Reflection Series
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Join the National Formation Director and the Voice of the Poor for a series of Lenten reflections on Wednesday evenings beginning March 9, on Catholic Social teaching, homelessness, and our Vincentian response. We will explore how we are collaborating with other organizations to serve the whole person as well as unmet needs.
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March 9: Reflection: Catholic Social Teaching and Our Vincentian Vocation
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March 16: Presenters: Pam Matambanadzo & Dave McNaughton - Chicago Council District IV, Guest: Alderman Cappleman (46th Ward), Presenter: Miguel Santos - Buffalo NY
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March 23: Presenters: Elmira Roque - Diocese of San Diego, Gloria Hyden: Oznam Center – Food Mission, District Council of Memphis, TN
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March 30: Presenters: Sally Wolfe - Denver, Co, Alicia Reyes – St Vincent de Paul Planada, Sacred Heart, Plana, California
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April 6: Reflection: The Good Samaritan: Who Was the Neighbor?
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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!
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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!
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The next Ozanam Orientation is scheduled for Saturday, February 26 from 9:00am - 2:30pm at St. Jerome Catholic Church. It's located at 9820 Chapel Road, Waco, TX.
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.
To register, click on this link.
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COVID-19 Stage 4 Risk Guidelines
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Austin-Travis County is in Stage 4 of the risk-based guidelines. According to Austin health officials, COVID-19 cases and hospital admissions are declining. Stage 4 COVID-19 recommendations include:
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Get vaccinated as soon as possible, if you are not fully vaccinated now.
- Carefully screen employees for COVID-19 symptoms to reduce the potential of virus transmission to other employees and customers.
- All persons (fully vaccinated or not) are encouraged to wear a face mask at all times while indoors.
- Continue to encourage six foot social distancing in your business whenever possible.
- Practice good hygiene and frequent hand washing.
All staff and volunteers at the Vincentian Family Center are required to wear masks at all times. Persons (customers) who cannot or will not wear a mask will not be allowed to enter the building for any reason. This also includes anyone in the client service area whether or not they are staff, volunteers or someone requesting assistance. The proper way to wear a mask is to cover both the mouth and nose with the mask. More information is below.
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St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store
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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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8th Sunday of Ordinary Time
February 27, 2022
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Gospel: (Luke 6:39-45)
Jesus said to his disciples: “Why look at the speck in your brother’s eye when you miss the plank in your own? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck from your eye,’ yet fail yourself to see the plank lodged in your own? Hypocrite, remove the plank from your own eye first; then you will see clearly enough to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”
Reflection:
Most of us think that we have more forgiveness to give than to receive. We like to think that more people are unfair or unjust to us than we are to them. Because we think in that way, we find it hard to offer forgiveness, real forgiveness, to others. We think much more of how hard it is for us to forgive than we do about the difficulty that others have in forgiving us. We measure out our forgiveness like money, very carefully and with much calculation. I doubt if we use the same care when we come to measuring the cost of that forgiveness which we expect and receive from others. If we spent more time thinking about what it costs others to forgive us, rather than about what it costs us to forgive others, we would be more successful in taking resentment out of our hearts.
(McCullen, Deep Down Things, p.566)
Vincentian Meditation:
For Vincentians, who think much about the poverty and hunger in our country, and of what we could do to alleviate it, how much thought have we given to forgiveness? It is probably true that the very fact of the present unequal distribution of wealth in the United States causes resentment in the hearts of many of our poor brothers and sisters. Where there is resentment, there is need for offering forgiveness. So we, who have more of the world’s goods, may be more in need than we realize of receiving forgiveness. St. Vincent is quoted as saying that “it is only because of our love, only our love, that the poor will forgive us the bread we give to them.” Today, as in Vincent and Frederic’s day, people do not live by bread alone. The bread we offer must be seasoned well with the condiments of justice and love. (McCullen, Deep Down Things, p.566-567)
How have you found that the poor indeed “forgive us” when we serve in love?
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We will offer them up in prayer weekly.
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National Gazette Questions and Answers
Q: When our Conference visitors come across a neighbor in need who has put the utility bill in one of their children’s names, should we pay it? Putting the account in a child’s name may be considered fraud, but for some families this may be the only way to have electric and gas service. Do we ignore this “crime” and keep the lights and heat on? I think we should assist. Is there a good reason why the Society should not assist?
A: This is a local decision, but if the request to pay is made by the person who lives at the address aligned with the bill, it is okay to pay it. Don’t do account verification work the utility company should have done.
Preguntas y Respuestas de la
Oficina Nacional
P: Cuando encontramos una factura de servicio públicos a nombre de un hijo de unos de nuestros vecinos con necesidades, ¿debemos pagarla? Poner la cuenta a nombre de un niño puede considerarse fraude, pero para algunas familias esta puede ser la única manera de tener servicio de electricidad y gas. ¿Ignoramos este “crimen” y mantenemos las luces y la calefacción encendidas? Creo que deberíamos ayudar. ¿Hay alguna buena razón por la que la Sociedad no deba ayudar?
R: Esta es una decisión local, pero si la solicitud de pago la hace la persona que vive en la dirección alineada con la factura, está bien pagarla. No haga el trabajo de verificación de cuenta que la empresa de servicios públicos debería haber hecho.
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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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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!
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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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Ozanam Orientation
February 26, 2022
St. Jerome Catholic Church
Waco, TX
9:00am - 2:30pm
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March 2-3, 2022
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Mid-Year Meeting
March 16-19, 2022
St. Louis
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Serving in Hope Luncheon
May 11, 2022
St. William Parish
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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
Wednesday - 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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