Diocesan Council Newsletter

July 15, 2022

Vincentian Community News

“We do not put faith in a man because he is learned,

but we esteem and love him because he is good.”

-St. Vincent de Paul

Single Mother Receives Donated Car

St. Thomas More Social Outreach and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul St. Thomas More Conference joined together to support a single mother enrolled in the Catholic Charities Gabriel Project program.

Working with a generous car donor and the Diocesan Council, this single mom and her son were presented with a new “used” car. St. Thomas More Conference took care of the car repairs and paid for the inspection and registration. This car will offer the family a newfound independence. There were many bumps and hurdles along the way to prepare the vehicle for gifting, but this young family now has a new start and hope for a brighter future.

Thank you to everyone who worked to make this dream possible. Together we can change the world, one small pebble at a time.

Thrift Store News

Celebrate Our Tuesday Openings!!

We have exciting news to share! Starting July 19, 202 the Thrift Store will be open Tuesday - Saturday from 10:00am - 5:00pm!

In celebration of getting the store open on Tuesdays, all next week the store will have a 50% and up to 75% off sale throughout the store. Some items are excluded, mattresses, shoes and whiter tag items.

Are you seeking a volunteer opportunity for a few hours each week with a true purpose? The SVdP Thrift Store can use your skills. If you have a heart that wants to touch others and help people, the SVdP Thrift Store is for you. Your experience and skills can be utilized as greeter, a cashier, a product sorter in the processing area or even a jewelry salesperson. You can sign up by clicking on the link .

Diversity Membership Recruitment

Services Grant

Congratulations to those Conferences with 75% diverse members who were awarded grant funds for membership recruitment and service to neighbors in need. This includes Holy Cross Conference, San Jose Conference, and Sacred Heart Conference. The Multicultural Diversity Committee received 27 grant applications totaling $132,408.

The MCD/AATF/HLTF would like to thank both the National Council staff and donors who continue to show a commitment to not only help us grow our membership, but continue to be supportive of underserved communities in line with the strategic plan.

Ozanam Orientation

The next Ozanam Orientation is scheduled for Saturday, August 27 from 9:00am - 2:30pm at St. Anthony Marie de Claret in Kyle.

Registration is also now open for the upcoming Ozanam Orientations:

October 22 - St. Paul, Smithville

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.

2022 National Assembly

Registration will is now open for the 2022 National Assembly! It will be held in Baltimore, Maryland at the Marriott Baltimore Waterfront from August 30 – September 3. You are invited to gather with other Vincentian family and friends and participate in this wonderful event. Click here for more information and to register.

Friends of the Poor Walk

Save the date! The Diocesan Council and the St. Vincent de Paul St. Louis Conference will host a Friends of the Poor Walk on Saturday, October 1, 2022 at St. Louis Catholic Church. The walk is meant to raise awareness and funds for Conferences and the Council to provide services to our neighbors in need. Registration is at 8:00am and the walk starts at 9:00am. Sign up to walk or create a team here.

The St. Vincent de Paul San Jose Conference is hosting a Friends of the Poor Walk on Saturday, October 15, 2022 at San Jose Catholic Church. Registration is at 8:00am and the walk starts at 9:00am. Sign up to walk or create a team here.

COVID-19 Community Level: Medium

The COVID-19 community level for Austin-Travis County is currently medium.

The risk-based guidelines includes three community levels of risk: low, medium and high.

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

Rosaries, Chaplets and Holy Cards

for Ukraine Soldiers

An associate Conference member is collecting rosaries, chaplets and holy cards for the soldiers in Ukraine. Donations can be dropped off at the St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store at 901 W. Braker Ln. Wednesdays – Saturday from 10:00am - 5:00pm between July 4 and July 23. The items will be shipped to Ukraine on July 30. Books cannot be shipped to Ukraine, only rosaries, chaplets and holy cards that can be easily carried in a soldier's pocket. Thank you in advance for your donation.

St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store

Customers can now purchase SVdP Gift Cards from the St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store. The gift cards can be purchased during store hours Wednesday - Saturday from

10:00am - 5:00pm. Also, make sure you ask about the Loyalty Rewards Program!

Spiritual Reflection

Contemplation — Seeking Help From the Neighbor

The parable of the Good Samaritan is a Vincentian favorite. In Christ’s command to “go and do likewise”, we hear the call to our lay vocation: to tend to the helpless, the hungry, the sick, and the lonely with acts of both corporal and spiritual mercy.

For Frédéric, the robber’s victim represented all the “humanity of our days” which had been robbed not only of its possessions, but of its “treasure of faith and love” by the “cutthroats and robbers of thought”. [Letter 90, to Curnier, 1835] In Frédéric’s retelling, the priest and Levite had not passed by, indifferent to suffering. Shaped by his own experiences with widespread rejection of the church, the priest and Levite had instead been rejected by the traveler, who did not recognize them as helpers. Read more...

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: Our parish is giving us some generous space in the bulletin every week to get our message out. Some relatively new, but very effective, Vincentians have suggested that we publish our monthly statistics: how many individuals and families helped, etc. They also want to publish how much we spend on our assistance every month. Do we have a rule that governs this?

A: It has been a recommendation of the Society for Conferences to give a summary of their activity to the pastor and the parish at least annually. Using the bulletin to do this is appropriate. Providing such detailed assistance information more than four times a year is usually too much. The space may be better used by having regular bulletin announcements about the Society.

Here is the website link to SVdP bulletin announcements for every week of the year:

https://members.ssvpusa.org/formation/formation-resources/bulletin-announcements/.

Preguntas y Respuestas de la

Oficina Nacional

P: Nuestra parroquia nos está dando un espacio generoso en el boletín todas las semanas para difundir nuestro mensaje. Algunos vicentinos relativamente nuevos, pero muy efectivos, han sugerido que publiquemos nuestras estadísticas mensuales: cuántas personas y familias ayudaron, etc. También quieren publicar cuánto gastamos en nuestra ayuda cada mes. ¿Tenemos una regla que gobierna esto?

R: Ha sido una recomendación de la Sociedad que las conferencias den un resumen de su actividad al pastor y a la parroquia por lo menos una vez al año. Usar el boletín para hacer esto es apropiado. Proporcionar información de asistencia tan detallada más de cuatro veces al año suele ser demasiado. Se puede aprovechar mejor el espacio si se publican periódicamente anuncios sobre la Sociedad en los boletines.

Aquí está el enlace del sitio web a los anuncios del boletín SVdP para cada semana del año:

https://members.ssvpusa.org/formation/formation-resources/bulletin-announcements/.

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!

Thank you to our Sponsor

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.