Join Us for Spring Assembly 2022!
You are cordially invited to join us for our 2022 Spring Assembly! It will be held Saturday, March 26, from 8:00 am – 1:00 pm at Saint Louis University High School.
 
Fr. James Mason, President-Rector of Kenrick-Glennon Seminary, will be our keynote speaker. Bishop Mark Rivituso will be our celebrant and homilist.
 
It will be a wonderful day of Vincentian friendship, spiritual growth, and inspiration—All In-Person! We’ve been itching to “See” each other again. The Assembly can scratch that itch! You won’t want to miss it!

Here are some reflections Vincentians had to say about the last Spring Assembly….

“Great Meeting! Very Spiritual—makes you realize how special we are in God’s plan.”

"Everything from Mass to keynote speaker and testimony. Very nourishing and just what I needed.”

“Excellent gathering. Want to attend all future gatherings. So wonderful.”
Program Updates
Help for Conferences Working with Pregnant Women
If your Conference is working with a pregnant mom and you would like to discuss her situation, please join us via Zoom.
Pregnancy Care Partnership
Informational Zoom Meetings:
Wed, March 16 at 6 PM

Join Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 834 6400 4943
Passcode: 956831
Audio only: 312 626 6799
Wednesday, April 6 at 1 PM


Meeting ID: 862 0761 5064
Passcode: 333431
Wednesday, April 20 at 1 PM


Meeting ID: 871 0864 0354
Passcode: 023599
Rapid Rehousing Update
SVdP Rapid Rehousing is now available in St. Louis City and County, St. Francois County, Ste. Genevieve County, and Jefferson County. Conferences must have participated in a SVdP Information Session to use the program. In 2021, SVdP Rapid Rehousing worked with 25 families and we anticipate helping more this year!
For more information, please contact Julie Komanetsky at juliek@svdpstl.org
Utility Assistance
The Council Office will receive funds from HUSTL Rise and Shine. If you have Neighbors in need of utility assistance, please complete a Council Program Form and send it to requestcouncilprogram@svdpstl.org
SAFHR for Homeowners
Missouri homeowners may now qualify for mortgage assistance through SAHFR. To review the eligibility guidelines and apply for assistance, please visit: State Assistance for Housing Relief (safhrforhomeowners.com)
Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP)
LIHWAP (like LIHEAP) is available to help low income households with a one-time payment for water and/or sewer. For eligibility information and a copy of the application form, please visit: LIHWAP | mydss.mo.gov
Vehicle and Property Insurance Renewal
Attention District and Conference Leaders!  

It’s that time year where we renew our vehicle and property insurance policies! Your help is urgently needed to identify vehicles, drivers and property that require insurance coverage.  

  • For any property: Please provide the address, purpose of use, square footage, and whether the property is owned or leased. For example: the Council office is located at 1310 Papin Street, St. Louis, MO 63103, is used as office space, is approximately 7,000 square feet, and is leased.

  • For any vehicles: Please provide the year, make, model, VIN, location where parked, and whether the vehicle is owned or leased. For example: 2015 Isuzu box truck, VIN JALEXXXX2F7300109, parked at 1225 S Florissant Rd, Cool Valley, MO 63121, leased.

  • For drivers of vehicles operated by the Conference: Please provide the driver’s first and last name, and Conference name. 

Please provide the information above to Steve Poppe in the Council office,
tel 314-881-6024 or cell 571-241-2956.
A Note from Elizabeth Barbieri
Dear Vincentians, 
 
I don’t think I ever listened to the entire Kenny Rogers 1980’s song “The Gambler”.  I knew the classic line “Know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em”. The theme is timing – “know when to buy, when to sell”, “a time to every purpose under heaven” (the Byrds and based on Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)   
 
I have been contacting many SVdP Conference Presidents to remind them that the term for a Conference, District and Council President is three years with one renewal of three years. I have had some funny conversations regarding the process and the push-back that the Presidents receive from Conference members. The most common remark is “no one will step up” or “we don’t want to change.” Oddly enough, I hadn’t thought of Kenny Roger’s song when I suggested to the Presidents to have a “poker” face with their Conference telling them “I am stepping down”.  After that “play,” Almighty God and the Conference members will come together and plan the next steps.
 
The “Rule” is the Society’s guide – it reminds us to refresh the Conference and move ideas and personalities in a congenial way that opens the door to new members. We are playing “catch up” in our Conferences because we haven’t opened our doors to new members. It is time.
 
My term is also coming to an end – 2023 will be my 6th year as the First Woman President of the Archdiocesan Council. Please consider a Vincentian that would be a good fit for the Board President role -- maybe it is you.
  
Lately, the Board of Directors have been “Spring Cleaning” of sorts. We attended a Board retreat that reminded us of our responsibility as Board members. We are finalizing our new Strategic Plan for 2022-2025.  Two new Vincentians Christine Novalis and SaraLou Hendrickson have joined the Board along with our new Spiritual Advisor, Father Daniel Thiess, C.M. who serves the homeless at St. Vincent de Paul Parish along with his other duties as “Superior of the Vincentians” at the Lazarist residence. 
 
As we move forward in our new year, The Board of Directors hopes to see you all at upcoming Spring Assembly.  
 
Turn, turn, turn.

Elizabeth Boland Barbieri
Archdiocesan Council Board President

Disciple Maker Index (DMI)
Beginning Ash Wednesday, Vincentians across the Archdiocese of St. Louis will have been invited through their parish to share their thoughts, reflect on their spiritual growth as well as provide parish leadership with invaluable insight regarding their parish’s strengths and opportunities through a survey, the Disciple Maker Index (DMI).

Please help by participating and encouraging your family, friends and your fellow parishioners to share their invaluable feedback in a 10-15 minute survey online.

Printable versions of the survey will be available to download and paper copies can be arranged through your parish. The Disciple Maker Index is offered in nineteen languages and dialects. It is critical that Vincentians participate in this survey so that their voices are heard!
Vincentian Formation and Support
It's Back! In-Person Ozanam Orientation!
We are excited to offer our first in-person Ozanam Orientation since the start of the pandemic! It will be held Saturday, April 9 from 9:30 – 2:00 at Immaculate Conception in Dardenne Prairie. Breakfast items and a boxed lunch will be provided. The session is open to all Vincentians. We’d love for you to join us!

The Ozanam Orientation is a foundational offering for all Vincentians covering the spirituality, purpose, history, approach, and structure of the Society. New Vincentians are expected to attend an Ozanam Orientation within their first year in the Society. This Ozanam is our first in-person orientation since pre-Covid. It is being offered by the St. Louis Archdiocesan Council of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and is being hosted by Immaculate Conception Dardenne Conference.
Join the St. Vincent de Paul Young Adult Conference!
Needed . . . young adults to make a difference for Neighbors in Need!

The founder of SVdP, Frederic Ozanam, was a college student himself when he started the Society. Young adults are a key part of the transformational work that the Society is doing in our area. This is an excellent time for them to grow in fellowship and in their faith as they volunteer to serve those in need.

For more information, please email Bryan Kirchoff at bryankirchoff@att.net
Vincentian Meditation
“Always Give Witness” That’s the theme of this year’s Spring Assembly. Where does that phrase come from? It’s drawn from section 3.1 of our Manual: “Vincentians always give witness to their faith and to Christ.”

We have chosen this theme for a few reasons. Missionary discipleship is foundational to our Vincentian life. It is interwoven throughout the Rule and the Manual. It is the command that Christ has given us. It is something Vincentians do every day, but we are called to grow continuously in this vocation.

The Universal Call to Mission—through both witness and word—is needed now more than ever. In the life of the Church, we have moved from a Christendom Age to an Apostolic Age. In light of this shift, the Archdiocese of St. Louis is going through a pastoral planning process called “All Things New” that is grounded in prayer and ordered to missionary discipleship.

Vincentians and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul are essential to this renewal. This year’s Assembly will help provide us with the inspiration and knowledge to step boldly into the future.
Dellwood Thrift Store To Close
The Dellwood Thrift Store at 10052 West Florissant Avenue will close in August of 2021 at the expiration of its lease. 

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is actively seeking a new, larger retail space to better serve the community proving a better assortment of product for sale. After the existing Dellwood store is closed and until a new retail space is identified and in operation, customers will be directed to other nearby SVdP Stores:  the Florissant store (5 miles from the Dellwood location), the Cool Valley Thrift Outlet (3 miles from the Dellwood location) or the St. Ann Thrift Store (9 miles from the Dellwood location).
 
Retail staff at each of the three locations will retain their jobs at the relocated stores or given an opportunity at another St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store location.
From the Voice of the Poor Committee
Missouri Bill Could Roll Back Medicaid Expansion

In August 2020, Missouri voters approved a constitutional amendment that extended Medicaid eligibility to adults earning up to 138% of the Federal Poverty Level. For example, a single adult earning up to $17,774 annually is now eligible, as are adults in a family of four earning up to $36,576 annually. These adults were previously ineligible for both Medicaid and subsidized healthcare through the Marketplace. 
 
Missouri bill HJR 117 seeks to repeal the constitutional amendment approved by voters in 2020. HJR 117 would place on the ballot a constitutional amendment that would make Medicaid eligibility for the expansion population subject to a yearly funding vote by the General Assembly, as well as establish work requirements for eligibility. If passed by voters, the constitutional amendment in HJR 117 would cancel the provisions of the one passed in August 2020.  
 
The Missouri Catholic Conference (MCC) and the Voice of the Poor Committee of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Archdiocesan Council of St. Louis, oppose HJR 117 because it would put our Neighbors in Need at risk of losing health care coverage, resulting in the inconsistent delivery of care over time and poor health outcomes for those with chronic conditions. The MCC cites the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, paragraph 166, which guides Catholics to work for access to basic health care for all. For a complete statement of the MCC's concerns with HJR 117, click here.
 
The role of the Voice of the Poor Committee is to bring attention to policies that can affect the ability of our Neighbors in Need to move out of poverty. On February 24, the Missouri House passed HJR 117, and it is now being considered by the Senate. As Vincentians, we are encouraged to be a voice with the poor by contacting our state senators through the Voter Voice portal. HJR 117 does require a vote of the people to repeal Medicaid Expansion. If it makes it to the ballot, the help of all Vincentians will be requested to raise awareness of its impact to our Neighbors in Need. 
 
Until then, please keep in mind that the constitutional amendment passed in August 2020 still stands. The state must enroll those eligible under Medicaid Expansion, but tens of thousands of our eligible Neighbors have yet to enroll. Neighbors can apply for Missouri’s Medicaid program, called MO HealthNet, by visiting https://mydss.mo.gov/healthcare or calling 855-373-9994.  They can also find free professional assistance to navigate the enrollment process by visiting showmecoverage.org or calling 800-891-7350.
A good reminder from the Frederic's E-Gazette...
Q: The philosophy of the Conference to which I belong is to help people get over an emergency situation, not to offer continual ongoing support. Is this a correct position for a Conference to take in dealing with people who come to us with needs? Our philosophy is not related to our not having sufficient funds to help.
 
A: The Society of St. Vincent de Paul does NOT help “in emergencies only” or “only once each year.” It is the philosophy of the Society to “treat each case on its own merit.” It has nothing to do with how often a person or family comes to us for help. It has everything to do with whether or not the need is real, and if we have resources to help. It has everything to do with compassion toward those in need and sharing God’s love with those seeking help. It has everything to do with finding Jesus in the face of the poor. If your Conference has any limitations in your guidelines which prevent you from helping people, consider removing them. Our guidelines should be emphasizing how we can help people – not turn them away.
 
The Council Office can help Conferences meet the needs of their Neighbor! For specific program information, please access the Council Program handbook at SVdP St. Louis Program Handbook | Society of St. Vincent de Paul (svdpstlouis.org)
Job Listing: Manager Vincentian Data
We are seeking someone to help us manage our Vincentian Data, including ServWare, in a full-time position at our Council Office!

Do you know someone who could be a fit for the job?

Apply at the link below and read the overview to see if this is a fit for you or someone you know!
Queen of All Saints SVdP Holy Haulers
Assisting St. Louis' Finest
Police and other first responders rescued several children and adults from a house fire in The Academy Neighborhood of North St. Louis.

Three families lost all their possessions and are being relocated. One of the officers pictured was injured in the rescue. These brave officers continue to look after the families.

As Chaplain for The Police, Monsignor Henry Breier called our Holy Haulers to assist the families with beds and other furnishings. Many other items needed have been located at St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Stores.

These good works would not be possible without the generosity of Queen of All Saints Parishioners.

To see the video of the dramatic rescue, click here.

Original story and photo courtesy of Jerry Mueller
Reminder... Rosary Every Wednesday Night!
Join us --
SVdP St. Louis
Rosary Wednesday
8 p.m.
via Zoom.
Meeting ID: 989 8066 7271 Passcode: vincent
 or dial in: (312) 626-6799

Keep in Your Prayers
Please Pray for The Sick:

Varrietta Anthony
Council Office

Debra Downey
Council Office

Please Pray for The Deceased:

Rose Mary Audrain
All Souls

Bobbe Dubuque
St. Anselm

Chris McCurdy
St. Anselm

Jack Vasquez
St. Anselm

Maureen Arden
St. Anselm

Bev Goettleman
St. Anselm

Ralph Zitzmann
St. Anselm

To add a name to the list contact Steve Rupp at stever@svdpstl.org 
or (314) 881-6018
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul
St. Louis | [svdpstlouis.org]