The Diocesan Council has a blog! Please visit the blog often for information, stories, formation ideas, and news. We will update the blog weekly. If you have an idea for a posting on the blog, please email us at svdpaustincouncil {at} sbcglobal {dot} net.
March 29, 2010
As Holy Week begins and Easter approaches, we commit, with renewed focus, to continue the mission and ministry of Jesus. During his life, and through his death and resurrection, Jesus shows us, his disciples, how to love and to serve. Though we live thousands of years after Jesus' incarnation, his mission is still very much alive. We, as Christians, as Vincentians, are called to be his hands, his feet, his love in our communities.
This invitation to serve, however, often seems overwhelming. With so much to be done, with so many parts of our community that need to hear the Good News, we feel inadequate and unprepared. When we are discouraged, we take heart in knowing that Jesus is with us as we serve. He stands by us, he reassures us, he strengthens us. To this point, Fr. Larry Covington, pastor at St. Louis Catholic Church, recently gave an excellent homily on the subject of discipleship, and I post the text of his homily here. (Thank you, Fr. Larry, for sharing your wisdom with us.) Fr. Larry's homily serves as an excellent reminder to us, in our times of discouragement and frustration, that despite our apparent inability and presumed lack of talent, our faith, our courage, and our desire are sufficient. We are our Lord's chosen disciples.
In the word's of Fr. Larry Covington:
"It is significant that Christianity began with a group. The Christian faith is something which from the beginning had to be discovered and lived out in a fellowship or community. The whole essence of the way of the Pharisees was that it separated people from each other. Even the name “Pharasee” means “the separated one”. The whole essence of Christianity was that it glued people to each other and presented them with the task of living with and for each other.
Furthermore, Christianity began with a very mixed group. In it the two extremes met. Matthew was a tax collector and, therefore, an outcast; he was a renegade and a traitor to his fellow countrymen. Simon, the Canaanean, is called by Luke, “Simon the Zealot”; and the zealots were a band of fiery, violent nationalists who were pledged even to murder and assassination to get rid of the foreigners who occupied and tyrannized their country. The man who was lost to patriotism and the fanatical patriot came together in that group, and no doubt between them there were all kinds of backgrounds and opinions. Christianity began by insisting that the most diverse people should live together and by enabling them to do so, because they were all living with Jesus.
Judging them by worldly standards the men Jesus chose had no special qualifications at all. They weren’t wealthy; they have no special social position; they had no special education; they were not trained theologians; they were not high ranking churchmen or politicians. They were twelve ordinary men. But they had two special qualifications. First, they had felt the magnetic attraction of Jesus. There was something about him that made them wish to take him as their master. And second, they had the courage to show that they were on his side. And that did require courage. There was Jesus calmly crashing through rules and regulations; here was Jesus heading for an inevitable collision with the orthodox leaders; here was Jesus already branded as a sinner and a heretic; and yet they had the courage to attach themselves to him. These twelve had all kinds of faults, but whatever else could be said about them, they loved Jesus and weren’t afraid to tell the world that they loved him.
Jesus called them for two purposes. First, he called them to be with him. Others might come and go; the crowd might be there one day and gone the next; others might be fluctuating and uncommitted, but these twelve were to identify their lives with his life. Second, he called them to send them out. He wanted them to be his representatives – to tell others about him.
Jesus did two things to equip them. First, he gave them a message. They were to be his mouthpiece. Second, he gave them a power. The power to do as he did.
We are his chosen ones now. All very different, but all having those things within us and given to us by our baptism to share the love of God both with each other and with the world. That’s what it means to be a Christian."
March 25, 2010
Today, I share an exciting announcment from Roger Playwin, our national executive director. Roger offers information about the upcoming Vincentian Heritage Pilgrimage, an exciting opportunity to walk in the footsteps of St. Vincent de Paul, St. Louise de Marillac, Blessed Frederic Ozanam, and Blessed Rosalie Rendu. In September 2011, Vincentians from around the country will travel together to Paris, France and visit sites important in the lives of our founder and patrons. For more information, please click here for an event flyer.
The National Council is beginning to assess initial interest in the pilgrimage, and they request that interested Vincentians contact the national office prior to June 1, 2010.
March 22, 2010
Our National Council President, Joseph Flannigan, recently released a letter explaining the need for solidarity contributions to our Council General International (CGI). The letter effectively shares the value of the ministry of the CGI and encourages all Vincentians to support a conference decision to support financial contributions to our Society's international council. I invite all conference presidents in the Diocesan Council of Austin to review Mr. Flannigan's letter and share it with your conference members. For a copy of the letter, please click here.
March 21, 2010
On March 8, 2010, Bishop Joe Vasquez became the fifth bishop of the Diocese of Austin. The Society in Central Texas welcomes Bishop Vasquez to his new home in Austin, and we look forward to working with him in the months and years to come. Several of our Vincentians from St. William served as volunteers at Bishop Vasquez's installation mass, and at the reception following the mass, our Vincentian volunteers, along with St. William's associate pastor, Fr. Alberto Borruel, had the pleasure of meeting Bishop Vasquez.
March 17, 2010
Today, I attended the National Symposium on Homelessness at St. Edward's University, and one of the speakers at the event shared information about a recent survey about homelessness in Austin. At the suggestion of Mobile Loaves and Fishes, Seeds for Change Consulting conducted the survey, and as part of their research, they interviewed over 200 individuals who are homeless in Central Texas. The interviews offer significant insight into the hopes, the fears, and the challenges of our homeless neighbors. If you are interested in learning more about homelessness and the face of homelessness in Austin, I encourage you to check out the survey online. The entire 120 page document can be found by clicking here. From what I learned at today's symposium, it promises to be an excellent document!
March 9, 2010
To maximize our effectiveness in ministry, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Central Texas collaborates with other local service organizations with similar goals. Through collaboration with other ministries, we can better ensure that we meet the varying needs of the greatest number of individuals possible.
One of our partners in ministry is Mobile Loaves and Fishes. Mobile Loaves and Fishes (MLF) is best known for its mobile ministry to provide food for our homeless and low-income community members. MLF also works to provide clothing, shelter, and friendship for those in need.
As part of this blog, we sometimes share about events or fundraisers that our partners are hosting, and this week, I share news of an MLF fundraiser in April. I invite you to click here for more information about a fashion show and silent auction hosted by the Social Ministries Office at St. Louis parish to support their MLF ministry. The event begins at 7pm on Saturday, April 17th at St. Louis Catholic Church. Please consider joining MLF at St. Louis for an evening of fun and fashion!
March 4, 2010
Submitted by Gwen Till, St. Mary - Lockhart, Southern District Council Spiritual Advisor
“Blow the Trumpet, Proclaim a fast, Call an assembly, Gather the people”, says Joel - It’s Lent again!
What are you giving up? – You know you can’t eat meat on Friday – Aren’t you going to fast? Does this sound a bit negative? Why not say it this way – Do you know that there are only 40 days until the Resurrection of Our Lord, Jesus Christ! – This beautiful feast day is just around the corner! And even though we need to get ourselves ready we should remember that Lent is not a marathon we either win or lose, it is a preparation for Easter and the joy it brings all year thereafter. I recently read, “Lent should leave us better than it found us.” In the past, my long-term resolutions usually fail and then I feel like a Lenten dropout. I have decided to take my Lent one day at a time, call it an Easter countdown – right now I only have about 34 days left to get ready – So here goes!
Instead of deciding to give up one thing for the whole of Lent, why not choose something each day – that special piece of chocolate cake or those French fries you love with your hamburger. And on that day give special thanks to God for all the food he gives us. Throw in a quick exercise or two and you will be helping yourself physically as well as spiritually.
If you decide to fast one day – remember to fast also from judging others and those unkind words that hurt. Turn that fasting into a little extra attention for someone, a smile, a compliment, a hug or an unexpected I love you. The hunger you feel from your fast is forgotten, as you feel satisfied with the fullness of God’s love.
On Fridays, try to avoid that Lenten trap “all you can eat fish” and instead eat only veggies or beans and rice. And then remember all those people around the world whose days are meatless all year long. The hunger felt by these people is so much greater than our 40 days of sacrifice. What a great day to donate to our Food Pantry or Feed the Children.
Try to accept all those little irritations and annoyances in your life, the lost wallet, the long lines at the gas pump, the stopped up sink, you know the ones. Picture them as small crosses that you can join to the huge one Jesus carried for you. And in case you should be faced with a large trial, remember that sometimes “the Lent we get may be harder than the one we choose.”
Finally remember that the world does not stop or even slow down because we are involved in Lent. We don’t have a No Distraction Zone. If you can’t get to the Stations of the Cross on Friday night, then try to go during the week on your own, accompanying Jesus on His sorrowful walk alone in the quiet church. And if your prayer life is interrupted by the business in your day, listen to spiritual music on the radio or use your rosary CD while driving. You can always ask your guardian angel to make whatever obligation you are facing at the time an act of love to Our Lord. We can find God both in things we choose and the things we don’t.
Yes, Easter is just around the corner – Our Lenten sacrifices will not be perfect and our intentions will probably not all be kept but let us remember the rest of Joel’s words, “Even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart.”
February 25, 2010
Several months ago, our National Council sent an email sharing the Ozanam Intercession Prayer. I paste the letter from Mike Syslo, associate executive director of SVDP USA, below and encourage you to consider using the prayer in your conference activites.
Per Mike Syslo:
February 23, 2010
Many of our conferences in the Diocese of Austin have excellent resources that they use to share the mission of the Society, train new Vincentians, and educate experienced Vincentians. This blog offers a useful tool for exchanging resources and ideas.
This week, I highlight an excellent resource used by our Vincentians at St. Helen. Vincentian Anne Trainor developed a training handout for new home visitors. The handout uses information created by the SVDP conference at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Tempe, Arizona and by Mike Syslo, associate executive director of SVDPUSA, to outline the basics of home visits and to invite new home visitors to consider our Vincentian ideals of non-judgment, fiscal responsibility, and unconditional love. I encourage all of our conferences to review the handout shared by St. Helen and consider adapting it for your own conference use. Please click here to view the handout.
Thank you to our Vincentians at St. Helen for sharing an effective resource from their conference!
February 17, 2010
March 29, 2010
As Holy Week begins and Easter approaches, we commit, with renewed focus, to continue the mission and ministry of Jesus. During his life, and through his death and resurrection, Jesus shows us, his disciples, how to love and to serve. Though we live thousands of years after Jesus' incarnation, his mission is still very much alive. We, as Christians, as Vincentians, are called to be his hands, his feet, his love in our communities.
This invitation to serve, however, often seems overwhelming. With so much to be done, with so many parts of our community that need to hear the Good News, we feel inadequate and unprepared. When we are discouraged, we take heart in knowing that Jesus is with us as we serve. He stands by us, he reassures us, he strengthens us. To this point, Fr. Larry Covington, pastor at St. Louis Catholic Church, recently gave an excellent homily on the subject of discipleship, and I post the text of his homily here. (Thank you, Fr. Larry, for sharing your wisdom with us.) Fr. Larry's homily serves as an excellent reminder to us, in our times of discouragement and frustration, that despite our apparent inability and presumed lack of talent, our faith, our courage, and our desire are sufficient. We are our Lord's chosen disciples.
In the word's of Fr. Larry Covington:
"It is significant that Christianity began with a group. The Christian faith is something which from the beginning had to be discovered and lived out in a fellowship or community. The whole essence of the way of the Pharisees was that it separated people from each other. Even the name “Pharasee” means “the separated one”. The whole essence of Christianity was that it glued people to each other and presented them with the task of living with and for each other.
Furthermore, Christianity began with a very mixed group. In it the two extremes met. Matthew was a tax collector and, therefore, an outcast; he was a renegade and a traitor to his fellow countrymen. Simon, the Canaanean, is called by Luke, “Simon the Zealot”; and the zealots were a band of fiery, violent nationalists who were pledged even to murder and assassination to get rid of the foreigners who occupied and tyrannized their country. The man who was lost to patriotism and the fanatical patriot came together in that group, and no doubt between them there were all kinds of backgrounds and opinions. Christianity began by insisting that the most diverse people should live together and by enabling them to do so, because they were all living with Jesus.
Judging them by worldly standards the men Jesus chose had no special qualifications at all. They weren’t wealthy; they have no special social position; they had no special education; they were not trained theologians; they were not high ranking churchmen or politicians. They were twelve ordinary men. But they had two special qualifications. First, they had felt the magnetic attraction of Jesus. There was something about him that made them wish to take him as their master. And second, they had the courage to show that they were on his side. And that did require courage. There was Jesus calmly crashing through rules and regulations; here was Jesus heading for an inevitable collision with the orthodox leaders; here was Jesus already branded as a sinner and a heretic; and yet they had the courage to attach themselves to him. These twelve had all kinds of faults, but whatever else could be said about them, they loved Jesus and weren’t afraid to tell the world that they loved him.
Jesus called them for two purposes. First, he called them to be with him. Others might come and go; the crowd might be there one day and gone the next; others might be fluctuating and uncommitted, but these twelve were to identify their lives with his life. Second, he called them to send them out. He wanted them to be his representatives – to tell others about him.
Jesus did two things to equip them. First, he gave them a message. They were to be his mouthpiece. Second, he gave them a power. The power to do as he did.
We are his chosen ones now. All very different, but all having those things within us and given to us by our baptism to share the love of God both with each other and with the world. That’s what it means to be a Christian."
March 25, 2010
Today, I share an exciting announcment from Roger Playwin, our national executive director. Roger offers information about the upcoming Vincentian Heritage Pilgrimage, an exciting opportunity to walk in the footsteps of St. Vincent de Paul, St. Louise de Marillac, Blessed Frederic Ozanam, and Blessed Rosalie Rendu. In September 2011, Vincentians from around the country will travel together to Paris, France and visit sites important in the lives of our founder and patrons. For more information, please click here for an event flyer.
The National Council is beginning to assess initial interest in the pilgrimage, and they request that interested Vincentians contact the national office prior to June 1, 2010.
March 22, 2010
Our National Council President, Joseph Flannigan, recently released a letter explaining the need for solidarity contributions to our Council General International (CGI). The letter effectively shares the value of the ministry of the CGI and encourages all Vincentians to support a conference decision to support financial contributions to our Society's international council. I invite all conference presidents in the Diocesan Council of Austin to review Mr. Flannigan's letter and share it with your conference members. For a copy of the letter, please click here.
March 21, 2010
On March 8, 2010, Bishop Joe Vasquez became the fifth bishop of the Diocese of Austin. The Society in Central Texas welcomes Bishop Vasquez to his new home in Austin, and we look forward to working with him in the months and years to come. Several of our Vincentians from St. William served as volunteers at Bishop Vasquez's installation mass, and at the reception following the mass, our Vincentian volunteers, along with St. William's associate pastor, Fr. Alberto Borruel, had the pleasure of meeting Bishop Vasquez.
March 17, 2010
Today, I attended the National Symposium on Homelessness at St. Edward's University, and one of the speakers at the event shared information about a recent survey about homelessness in Austin. At the suggestion of Mobile Loaves and Fishes, Seeds for Change Consulting conducted the survey, and as part of their research, they interviewed over 200 individuals who are homeless in Central Texas. The interviews offer significant insight into the hopes, the fears, and the challenges of our homeless neighbors. If you are interested in learning more about homelessness and the face of homelessness in Austin, I encourage you to check out the survey online. The entire 120 page document can be found by clicking here. From what I learned at today's symposium, it promises to be an excellent document!
March 9, 2010
To maximize our effectiveness in ministry, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Central Texas collaborates with other local service organizations with similar goals. Through collaboration with other ministries, we can better ensure that we meet the varying needs of the greatest number of individuals possible.
One of our partners in ministry is Mobile Loaves and Fishes. Mobile Loaves and Fishes (MLF) is best known for its mobile ministry to provide food for our homeless and low-income community members. MLF also works to provide clothing, shelter, and friendship for those in need.
As part of this blog, we sometimes share about events or fundraisers that our partners are hosting, and this week, I share news of an MLF fundraiser in April. I invite you to click here for more information about a fashion show and silent auction hosted by the Social Ministries Office at St. Louis parish to support their MLF ministry. The event begins at 7pm on Saturday, April 17th at St. Louis Catholic Church. Please consider joining MLF at St. Louis for an evening of fun and fashion!
March 4, 2010
Submitted by Gwen Till, St. Mary - Lockhart, Southern District Council Spiritual Advisor
“Blow the Trumpet, Proclaim a fast, Call an assembly, Gather the people”, says Joel - It’s Lent again!
What are you giving up? – You know you can’t eat meat on Friday – Aren’t you going to fast? Does this sound a bit negative? Why not say it this way – Do you know that there are only 40 days until the Resurrection of Our Lord, Jesus Christ! – This beautiful feast day is just around the corner! And even though we need to get ourselves ready we should remember that Lent is not a marathon we either win or lose, it is a preparation for Easter and the joy it brings all year thereafter. I recently read, “Lent should leave us better than it found us.” In the past, my long-term resolutions usually fail and then I feel like a Lenten dropout. I have decided to take my Lent one day at a time, call it an Easter countdown – right now I only have about 34 days left to get ready – So here goes!
Instead of deciding to give up one thing for the whole of Lent, why not choose something each day – that special piece of chocolate cake or those French fries you love with your hamburger. And on that day give special thanks to God for all the food he gives us. Throw in a quick exercise or two and you will be helping yourself physically as well as spiritually.
If you decide to fast one day – remember to fast also from judging others and those unkind words that hurt. Turn that fasting into a little extra attention for someone, a smile, a compliment, a hug or an unexpected I love you. The hunger you feel from your fast is forgotten, as you feel satisfied with the fullness of God’s love.
On Fridays, try to avoid that Lenten trap “all you can eat fish” and instead eat only veggies or beans and rice. And then remember all those people around the world whose days are meatless all year long. The hunger felt by these people is so much greater than our 40 days of sacrifice. What a great day to donate to our Food Pantry or Feed the Children.
Try to accept all those little irritations and annoyances in your life, the lost wallet, the long lines at the gas pump, the stopped up sink, you know the ones. Picture them as small crosses that you can join to the huge one Jesus carried for you. And in case you should be faced with a large trial, remember that sometimes “the Lent we get may be harder than the one we choose.”
Finally remember that the world does not stop or even slow down because we are involved in Lent. We don’t have a No Distraction Zone. If you can’t get to the Stations of the Cross on Friday night, then try to go during the week on your own, accompanying Jesus on His sorrowful walk alone in the quiet church. And if your prayer life is interrupted by the business in your day, listen to spiritual music on the radio or use your rosary CD while driving. You can always ask your guardian angel to make whatever obligation you are facing at the time an act of love to Our Lord. We can find God both in things we choose and the things we don’t.
Yes, Easter is just around the corner – Our Lenten sacrifices will not be perfect and our intentions will probably not all be kept but let us remember the rest of Joel’s words, “Even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart.”
February 25, 2010
Several months ago, our National Council sent an email sharing the Ozanam Intercession Prayer. I paste the letter from Mike Syslo, associate executive director of SVDP USA, below and encourage you to consider using the prayer in your conference activites.
Per Mike Syslo:
One of the efforts in the Cause for the Canonization of Frederic Ozanam is the regular use of the Ozanam Intercession Prayer. Over the years, the National Office has distributed thousands of copies of this prayer to the members of the Society throughout the United States. And, this prayer has been used on occasion throughout the country:
Prayer for Those in Desperate Need and for the Canonization of Ozanam
O God, our Father. You alone have the power to bestow those precious gifts of Yours which we rightly call miracles. If it be your Will, be pleased to grant such a gift in behalf of those persons for whome the prayers of the Society have been requested; and for _____________ (include here name(s) of seriously ill persons for whom you seek divine help.)
We humbly ask that you grant this favor to glorify Blessed Frederic Ozanam, that it may serve to have him called Saint by our Holy Mother the Church. We make this prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son. Amen.
Prayer for Those in Desperate Need and for the Canonization of Ozanam
O God, our Father. You alone have the power to bestow those precious gifts of Yours which we rightly call miracles. If it be your Will, be pleased to grant such a gift in behalf of those persons for whome the prayers of the Society have been requested; and for _____________ (include here name(s) of seriously ill persons for whom you seek divine help.)
We humbly ask that you grant this favor to glorify Blessed Frederic Ozanam, that it may serve to have him called Saint by our Holy Mother the Church. We make this prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son. Amen.
Prayer works.
An example, Joe Flannigan, our National President, went through his own personal bout with cancer. Prayers from members of the Society, friends and family were heard by our Lord. Today, Joe is cancer free. I’m sure you can talk to any number of people and hear similar stories. Prayer works.
Some Councils and Conferences have adopted the use of this prayer as part of their opening or closing prayers for meetings. Some have incorporated the prayer as part of special ceremonies or liturgies. Some have done nothing. Should’a, would’a, could’a doesn’t work. Prayer only works if it is said.
The purpose of this memo is to encourage - to highly recommend - all Councils and Conferences begin to use this prayer regularly. Build it into the framework of every meeting. It can easily be included as part of the opening or closing prayer of Conference or Council meetings. When you have a commissioning ceremony for new officers, include this prayer. When you have your welcoming liturgy for new members, include this prayer. When you have a re-commissioning ceremony for all members of a Conference or Council, include this prayer. There is a publication from the National Office titled Vincentian Celebrations: Rituals and Ceremonies. Incorporate this prayer in each of those. Prayer works.
February 23, 2010
Many of our conferences in the Diocese of Austin have excellent resources that they use to share the mission of the Society, train new Vincentians, and educate experienced Vincentians. This blog offers a useful tool for exchanging resources and ideas.
This week, I highlight an excellent resource used by our Vincentians at St. Helen. Vincentian Anne Trainor developed a training handout for new home visitors. The handout uses information created by the SVDP conference at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Tempe, Arizona and by Mike Syslo, associate executive director of SVDPUSA, to outline the basics of home visits and to invite new home visitors to consider our Vincentian ideals of non-judgment, fiscal responsibility, and unconditional love. I encourage all of our conferences to review the handout shared by St. Helen and consider adapting it for your own conference use. Please click here to view the handout.
Thank you to our Vincentians at St. Helen for sharing an effective resource from their conference!
February 17, 2010
Getting Ready for Lent
Submitted by Deacon Paul Lavallee, Diocesan Council Spiritual AdvisorToday, Ash Wednesday, marks the first day of Lent. And so, again – all Vincentians are called to take time and plot a course for this season. I get asked frequently for suggestions on what to do for Lent. So I thought I might suggest what I am doing. This year I am taking a scripture, printing it, placing it where I can pray it daily, and try to live it faithfully during Lent. Of course there are three elements that must be done during Lent so we have to make sure that what we are doing fulfills the requirements of Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving.
“This, rather, is the fasting that I wish: releasing those bound unjustly, untying the thongs of the yoke; Setting free the oppressed, breaking every yoke; Sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless; Clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own.”
January 12, 2010
Our SVDP conference at St. Helen in Georgetown recently had a table at the parish's ministry festival. To prepare for the festival, the conference president wanted to find a brochure to distribute at the event to share information about their Vincentian ministry.
The Diocesan Council has a trifold brochure that can be updated to include information and data specific to a parish conference. Please click here for a sample of the brochure that the St. Helen Vincentians used at their ministry fair. If your conference would like a similar handout, customized for your conference, please email Christy at svdpaustincouncil {at} sbcglobal {dot} net. The brochures are a great way to share conference information, recruit volunteers, and encourage donations.
January 8, 2010
Happy new year to you all! As we enter 2010, we are excited to begin another year of service to Central Texas in the name of St. Vincent de Paul. As our ministry continues to grow, we remain thankful for the dedicated, compassionate service of our volunteer Vincentians. The Society could not exist, could not serve, without their willingness to continually give of their time and their talents. To our Vincentians in the Diocese of Austin, I look forward to working with each of you in the coming months.
On a different note, I share information from the National Council about a unique opportunity that will be available for Vincentians in late April. This year, Vincentian family members from around the country will come together for the "Virtual Vincentian Family Gathering." The gathering will be an online forum that addresses the theme of systemic change. Please click here for a copy of the save the date flyer from the National Council.
December 22, 2009
Our National Council President, Joe Flannigan, sent the following Christmas message via email to Vincentian leadership. I, in turn, post the wise words he shared. Based on my research, I find that we attribute this Christmas wisdom to Oren Arnold, writer and editor.
Christmas Gift Suggestions:
To your enemy, forgiveness.
To an opponent, tolerance.
To a friend, your heart.
To a customer, service.
To all, charity.
To every child, a good example.
To yourself, respect.
To your enemy, forgiveness.
To an opponent, tolerance.
To a friend, your heart.
To a customer, service.
To all, charity.
To every child, a good example.
To yourself, respect.
December 16, 2009
Today's blog entry will be the final entry with tips and treats from November's Leadership Forum. This last series of notes is much less topic focused, and it's a miscellaneous collection of suggestions and advice that surfaced at the forum. Enjoy!
Black Bag Collections:
1. All conferences handle their black bag collections differently, and collections are based on the wishes of the pastor. Some conferences do not have black bag collections, and they find alternate funding mechanisms.
2. Black bag collections tend to be separate collections for the Society, and money from black bag collections belongs to the Society. It is not the parish's money, and it cannot be used to fund other groups or causes, no matter how worthy the cause. The black bag money belongs to the poor, and the poor trust the Society to manage it and spend it responsibly.
3. Though the Society maintains and controls black bag funds, the Society remains accountable to the pastor and the parishioners. Good communication is key, and conferences should regularly inform the parish about how much money is collected and how the money is spent.
4. Our Vincentian experiences show that, many times, funding to parish collections does not suffer when a black bag collection is added.
Governance:
1. All conferences should be operating under the Diocesan Council tax ID number - not the tax ID number of the parish. (If you have questions about tax ID numbers, please contact Christy in the Diocesan Council office.)
Repeat Clients:
1. Ultimately, it is a conference's decision on how to address repeat clients. Conferences have adopted a variety of policies to limit assistance amounts and to wean clients from the need for the Society's assistance.
Data Information and Reporting:
1. Many conferences successfully use Quicken accounting software. The program is easy to use and is set to divide costs into categories and subcategories.
2. For client/case records, one conference successfully uses ACT!. Information from the ACT! database can be exported to Excel. The program runs on one computer server and can be accessed by 4 separate machines. The system is especially useful for maintaining case intake notes.
3. In general, each conference has its own reporting system. A national database system is not anticipated for several years.
Miscellaneous items:
1. Encourage the use of Angel Food Ministries (www.angelfoodministries.com).
2. The Diocesan Council is on Twitter! We encourage everyone to follow the Austin Council online. Go to www.twitter.com and search for svdp_austin. Twitter may enhance the Society's ability to reach out to youth and young adults in the parishes.
3. The celebration of the 350th anniversary of St. Vincent de Paul's death will happen in 2010. September 2010 will be an especially celebratory month, including the 2010 National Meeting in New Orleans, the local feast day celebration, and the Friends of the Poor Walk. Keep your eyes open for an invitation to a planning committee.
December 9, 2009
For today's blog post, I include a note from the leaders of our Temple district as they share good news from their district. I celebrate the successes of the Temple district, and I always welcome news from our other districts.
"We now have a full state of officers at last; (Pat - Pres, Jay - VP, Patty - Secretary, Gerry - Treasurer); we have quite a few people from our district planning to attend the South Central Regional meeting; teleconferencing has strengthened our district and has worked well, (but not perfectly because we don't get the opportunity to meet face to face), but it has solved the obstacle of meeting regularly and with good attendance in spite of the geographical spread between our conferences; and we wish all of our Vincentian brothers and sisters and their families a most joyful and holy Advent, Christmas, and New Year!"
December 7, 2009
Our Society in Central Texas is part of a larger international Vincentian organization. To read news of Vincentian ministry around the world, please check out the Society of St. Vincent de Paul's website for the International Council - http://www.ssvpglobal.org/. Thousands of volunteers around the world are serving the poor in the name of St. Vincent de Paul - let's be sure to remain in contact and solidarity with one another.