Vincentian Stations of the Cross

Walking the Road to Calvary with the Poor

The Apostle in the Top Hat

Bl. Rosalie

Today, February 7, marks the feast day of Bl. Rosalie Rendu, who was beatified just 10 years ago.  Why is she important to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul?  Read more here.

Sacramentum Caritatis

 

The Diocese of Sacramento has published its strategic plan for the diocese and, with it, a call to action to Catholics in Northern California.  Read the strategic plan here.

Of particular interest for Vincentians is the renewed focus on charity and social justice, with the foundation of both being Jesus Christ in the mystery of the Holy Eucharist.  In the document, this concept is called, Sacramentum Caritatis - The Sacrament of Charity.

Two excerpts from the strategic plan's discussion under Sacramentum Caritatas explain the concept:

The Sacrifice of the Mass is where the charity of the Church begins.

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In the Diocese of Sacramento, we will make explicit the relationship between the Eucharistic mystery of the Mass and our commitment to serve society with the truth and beauty of the Gospel.

The Way Out (of Poverty)

Serving in Hope.  Charity and Social Justice are the two aims of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul.   They are not exclusive concepts, but work together as responses to "the cry of the poor."  The Society is concerned with serving in hope--and bringing hope in Christ to those we serve.  Helping the poor to find "the way out" of poverty requires new attitudes, new approaches, new actions.  "Systemic change" is one way to describe this new approach.  National President Sheila Gilbert describes the new direction in this short video message.

Catholic Involvement in Public Life

reprinted from California Catholic Conference

Faithful Citizenship, the U.S. Bishops’ instruction on Catholics’ moral and ethical involvement in public life, is traditionally re-written every four years. This year, however, the Bishops have reissued the document which was overwhelming approved by them in 2007. They changed only the introduction saying that the issues faced by the nation in 2007 still challenge us:

“We urge our Catholic pastors and people to continue to use this important statement to help them form their consciences, to contribute to civil and respectful public dialogue, and to shape their choices in the coming election in the light of Catholic teaching,” they write. “It (Faithful Citizenship) does not offer a voter’s guide, scorecard of issues or direction on how to vote. It applies Catholic moral principles to a range of important issues and warns against misguided appeals to ‘conscience’ to ignore fundamental moral claims, to reduce Catholic moral concerns to one or two matters, or to justify choices simply to advance partisan, ideological or personal interests.”

The Introductory Note does not modify or interpret the document itself and emphasizes the importance of religious freedom. It raises six “current and fundamental problems, some involving opposition to intrinsic evils and others raising serious moral questions.” These are: abortion and threats to the lives and dignity of the vulnerable, sick or unwanted; threats to Catholic ministries, including health care, education and social services, to violate their consciences or stop serving those in need; intensifying efforts to redefine marriage; unemployment, poverty and debt; immigration; and wars, terror and violence, particularly in the Middle East.

The entire document, with the new Introductory Note, can be found on the USCCB page.

October - Honoring Christ in the Most Holy Rosary

October 7 is the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. 

It is my personal opinion, one which is in accord with the mind of the Church, that you will profit very much by praying the holy Rosary every day. The prayer of the Rosary is the prayer of the holy Gospel, the Good News Who is Jesus. My best piece of spiritual advice to you, no matter who you are, president or plumber, priest or king...PRAY THE ROSARY EVERY DAY! You will be blessed beyond your wildest dreams.

                                          --Father John Corapi (Letters)

Interview with National President

On September 1, 2010, Joe Flanagan, the President of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in the United States, was interviewed by Father Mitch Pacwa, SJ, on EWTN. The efforts of the Society locally, nationally and internationally, were discussed, as well as the Society's history and spirituality. To view the video please click here


Sacramento District Council President John Hallissy notes, "The interview is very informative for longtime Vincentians as well as those new to the Society or those non-Vincentians who want to learn more about the Society."

Daughters of Charity

On the role of the Daughters of Charity: 

St. Vincent de Paul has said the Daughters' main role is to "honor our Lord Jesus Christ as the source and model of all charity, serving Him corporally and spiritually in the person of the poor."

For the full article, click here.

E-Evangelization

Source:  California Catholic Conference

"Pope Benedict XVI tied his World Communication Day letter to the Year for Priest celebration by urging greater use of new technologies to spread the Word:

'Priests stand at the threshold of a new era: as new technologies create deeper forms of relationship across greater distances, they are called to respond pastorally by putting the media ever more effectively at the service of the Word.' 

"The Pope and the Vatican have been available on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other sites for some time now."

6th Annual Walk for Life - San Francisco - January 23

The 6th Annual Walk for Life, West Coast (San Francisco) is January 23.  Click here for all the information.

The Miraculous Medal

View a video about the Miraculous Medal

Read about the Miraculous Medal

Subsidiarity

Subsidiarity is a key principle of Vincentian attitude. It is explained here, with reference to the current healthcare debate:
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Subsidiarity is that principle by which we respect the inherent dignity and freedom of the individual by never doing for others what they can do for themselves and thus enabling individuals to have the most possible discretion in the affairs of their lives. (See: Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, ## 185ff.; Catechism of the Catholic Church, # 1883) The writings of recent Popes have warned that the neglect of subsidiarity can lead to an excessive centralization of human services, which in turn leads to excessive costs, and loss of personal responsibility and quality of care.

Pope John Paul II wrote:
“By intervening directly and depriving society of its responsibility, the Social Assistance State leads to a loss of human energies and an inordinate increase of public agencies, which are dominated more by bureaucratic ways of thinking than by concern for serving their clients, and which are accompanied by an enormous increase in spending.” (Pope John Paul II, Centesimus Annus #48)

And Pope Benedict writes:
“The State which would provide everything, absorbing everything into itself, would ultimately become a mere bureaucracy incapable of guaranteeing the very thing which the suffering person -every person -needs: namely, loving personal concern. We do not need a State which regulates and controls everything, but a State which, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity, generously acknowledges and supports initiatives arising from the different social forces and combines spontaneity with closeness to those in need. … In the end, the claim that just social structures would make works of charity superfluous masks a materialist conception of man: the mistaken notion that man can live ‘by bread alone’ (Mt 4:4; cf. Dt 8:3) - a conviction that demeans man and ultimately disregards all that is specifically human.” (Pope Benedict XVI, Deus Caritas Est #28)

While subsidiarity is vital to the structure of justice, we can see from what the Popes say that it rests on a more fundamental principle, the unchanging dignity of the person. The belief in the innate value of human life and the transcendent dignity of the human person must be the primordial driving force of reform efforts.

Source: pastoral statement on healthcare reform

Reflection on St. Vincent de Paul

The Vincentian Year ends with the Feast of St. Vincent de Paul. We reflect on the opportunities over the last 12 months to meet Christ in the poor we serve.

FEAST OF ST. VINCENT de PAUL

September 27

Gospel:

When Jesus saw the crowds he went up on the mountainside…his disciples gathered around him, and he began to teach them: “How blest are the poor in spirit: the reign of God is theirs. Blest too are the sorrowing; they shall be consoled. Blest are the lowly;they shall inherit the land. Blest are they who hunger and thirst for holiness; they shall have their fill. Blest are they who show mercy; mercy shall be theirs. Blest are the single-hearted, for they shall see God. Blest too the peacemakers; they shall be called children of God…”

Reflection:

For Vincent, love is always very concrete, very practical. It is love in practice. “Let us love God, my brothers and sisters,” he urges, “let us love God, but let it be with the strength of our arms and the sweat of our brows.” We are called to follow Christ as servants of the poor. Servants get their hands dirty. They labor long and hard. They engage in difficult tasks, visiting the sick and elderly in their homes, feeding street-people, serving the hungry, helping the widow and orphan. They are on the front lines ministering to the poor. As St. Vincent says, we must first do and then teach.

Vincentian Meditation:

St. Vincent tells us that “Love is inventive to the point of infinity.” I encourage you today to be very inventive. Because you are on the front line in laboring for the poor, you will be among the first to know their real needs. It will not be psychologists or economists, who study the needs of the poor by examining the data they receive. You will know ahead of them because the poor will tell you directly. Be inventive in meeting those needs. (Maloney, Go! On the Missionary Spirituality of St. Vincent de Paul, p.133-4)

Journal: (Write down your thoughts on the readings after a moment of silence)

In what ways can you become “inventive to infinity” in serving the needs of the poor that come to you?

Closing Prayer:

O God, your son Vincent preached the Good News to the poor,

-may we continue to be effective instruments of Christ

to those most in need.

O God, give us the strength and creativity we need to stand in solidarity with those who suffer,

-may our hearts be filled with compassion and love.

O God, you call us to be followers of St. Vincent de Paul,

-grant us the grace to be “inventive to infinity” in serving the poor and suffering! Amen

SVDP Position on Healthcare Policy

Message on Healthcare from the National President

“The Society of St. Vincent de Paul does not support nor will it support any legislation, provision or amendment that fails to uphold the sanctity and dignity of human life. Further, we will continue to work with Catholic Health Association and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and Catholic Charities USA to ensure that any legislation will continue to support the conscience clause protection to health care workers and that the Hyde exception continues to ensure no abortion can be funded with federal funds.”

Joseph Flannigan National President

Society of St. Vincent de Paul USA

The Society’s Position on Health Care

The National Council of the United States, Society of St. Vincent de Paul has worked with its Voice of the Poor Committee to develop a sound and thoughtful position for health care reform which was adopted by its national membership in 2004. This work is based on and guided by the Church's social and moral teachings and informed by pastoral letters prepared by the United States Bishops as well as through the guidance of Papal Encyclicals. The basis for this vision of health care reform was captured recently in a letter to Congress on behalf of the United States Bishops written by Bishop William F. Murphy of the Diocese of Rockville Center: "The Bishops' Conference believes health care reform should be truly universal and should be genuinely affordable. ... Health care is not just another issue for the Church or for a healthy society. It is a fundamental issue of human life and dignity."

Click here to read the Society’s national position paper on health care issued in 2004

Caritas in Veritate (Charity in Truth)

His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI offers another opportunity for reflection on social justice in his encyclical letter, Charity in Truth, Caritas in Veritate

An excerpt from the introduction of the encyclical letter:

2. Charity is at the heart of the Church's social doctrine. Every responsibility and every commitment spelt out by that doctrine is derived from charity which, according to the teaching of Jesus, is the synthesis of the entire Law (cf. Mt 22:36- 40). It gives real substance to the personal relationship with God and with neighbour; it is the principle not only of micro-relationships (with friends, with family members or within small groups) but also of macro-relationships (social, economic and political ones). For the Church, instructed by the Gospel, charity is everything because, as Saint John teaches (cf. 1 Jn 4:8, 16) and as I recalled in my first Encyclical Letter, “God is love” (Deus Caritas Est): everything has its origin in God's love, everything is shaped by it, everything is directed towards it. Love is God's greatest gift to humanity, it is his promise and our hope.

Corpus Christi

THE SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST

June 14, 2009

(Source: Vincentian Reflections, National Conference)

Gospel: (Mark 14: 12-16)

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, gave it to them, and said, “Take it; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it. He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many. Amen, I say to you, I shall not drink again the fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” Then, after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Reflection:

Jesus’ identity as the suffering servant who obtained redemption for us “with his own blood” is truly the same as his mission – to give of himself without counting the cost, even if its cost is his very body and blood. Self-giving unites identity and mission into the same reality. This solemnity brings us once again to Jesus’ self-giving on the cross and to continued self-giving in the Eucharist, and challenges us to take up Jesus’ mission of self-giving. The Eucharist is the centerpiece of our lives, challenging us: our identity is our mission – self-giving.

Vincentian Meditation:

The Eucharist plays a major role in Vincentian spirituality. This is seen in the lives of St. Vincent and Blessed Frederic.Vincent spent one hour each morning before the Blessed Sacrament before celebrating Mass. He would frequently make short visits to the chapel before leaving and upon returning from his responsibilities. Frederic attended Mass daily whenever possible. Also, with every day, Frederic would make a short visit to the Blessed Sacrament in one of the churches in Paris as he made his way to an appointment. Both Vincent and Frederic discovered what the Church teaches today: the Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life; it augmented their union with Jesus, strengthened their charity and committed them to the poor. (US Manual, P.31-32)

Discussion/Journal Entry: (Share your thoughts after a moment of silence)

How can we make the Eucharist play a prominent place in our lives, as it did in Frederic and Vincent’s?

Closing Prayer:

Christ Jesus, your Eucharist is a sign of love,
-may the poor and outcasts find a place at your table.

Christ Jesus, your Eucharist is a sign of unity,
-may we embrace diversity with reverence and open hearts.

Christ Jesus, your Eucharist is a bond of charity,
-may we be living signs of your presence in our midst.

Christ Jesus, your Eucharist is a pledge of future glory,
-may you welcome home all who have died believing in you.

Amen.

Monsieur Vincent

“Monsieur Vincent”, an award-winning French film (1947) on the life of St. Vincent de Paul. In the film, St. Vincent de Paul models Christian charity by helping the poorest of the poor in the midst of the Black Death in Europe, carrying on his charitable work despite setbacks and obstacles.

Film review by US Catholic Bishops:

Monsieur Vincent -- Lucid, moving account of St. Vincent de Paul's work among the poor and the oppressed in 17th-century France, from his first labors in a plague-ravaged village and his appeals to the conscience of the aristocracy to the founding of an order devoted to charitable works and his death in 1660. Director Maurice Cloche portrays the poverty of the times and the cruelty of the regime in starkly convincing fashion, providing a solid historical framework within which Pierre Fresnay's performance in the title role shines with a warm compassion and spiritual intensity which most viewers will find irresistably compelling. Subtitles. High on the list of great religious movies. (A-I) (br) ( 1947 )

Blessed Rosalie

Blessed Rosalie Rendu was born at Confort, France on September 9, 1786. She entered the Daughters of Charity on May 25, 1802, just after the Community was reestablished in France following the French Revolution. Her zeal for the poor drove her to establish the means to educate poor children, to care for infants, to support the elderly unable to care for themselves, and to supervise young working girls. One of her disciples in her mission of service was Frederic Ozanam, founder of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. After fifty years of dedicated service to the poor in the Mouffetard district in Paris, she died on February 7, 1856. Pope John Paul II beatified Sr. Rosalie in 2003.

(for more information, click the picture)

In an era troubled by social conflicts, Rosalie Rendu joyfully became a servant to the poorest, restoring dignity to each one by means of material help, education and the teaching of the Christian mystery, inducing Frédéric Ozanam to place himself at the service of the poor. Her charity was inventive. Where did she draw the strength to carry out so many things? From her intense prayer life and the continuous praying of the Rosary, which she never abandoned. Her secret was simple: to see the face of Christ in every man and woman, as a true daughter of Saint Vincent de Paul and like another Sister of her epoch, Saint Catherine Labouré. Let us give thanks for the witness of charity that the Vincentian family gives unceasingly to the world!

- Pope John Paul II at the beatification of Blessed Rosalie

Conferences do not forget the one who undoubtedly can be called our first Spiritual

Adviser: the Blessed Rosalie Rendu, who knew how to stand by our young founders in the beginning, with her advice and her example, afterwards letting them walk on their own, in response to their lay vocation. She always remained at their disposal for everything they could need from her. She was an example of a mother who dreamed of the formal and responsible independence of those children who sought her help in the first moments of their journey.

--Excerpt from Comment to Rule 4.3 The Vincentian Family

Rejoice!

On Gaudete ("Rejoice") Sunday, the Third Sunday of Advent, we rejoice in the coming of the Lord. Christmas is just days away. As we prepare our hearts, perhaps we, too, like the baby in Elizabeth's womb, will leap with joy and anticipation at the coming of the Christ Child. (Click the photo to view a presentation of the hymn, Gaudete.)

THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT

December 14, 2008

Gospel: (John 1:6-8)

A man named John was sent from God. He came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to testify to the light. And this is the testimony of John. When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to him to ask him, “Who are you?” he admitted and did not deny it, but admitted, “I am not the Christ.” So they asked him…“Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us? What do you have to say for yourself?” He said: “I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, make straight the way of the Lord.”

Reflection:

John knew how to die. He knew how to speak the truth even when it cost dearly. He knew how to engage in an active public ministry to which crowds flocked, but also how to withdraw into the desert for prayer and penance. John the Baptist makes it very clear that we will live genuinely for Christ only if we are willing to die for him. Only the person who is practiced in the art of daily dying will be able to hand himself over to God in an act of final resignation, as John did. Daily dying consists in pouring out one’s energies in the service of the poor, in listening attentively, in praying faithfully, in living harmoniously with others, in seeking reconciliation, in doing penance, in renouncing anything that is an obstacle to the following of Christ. John the Baptist calls us to prepare the way of the Lord by eliminating from our lives whatever impedes his coming. (Maloney, Seasons in Spirituality, p.48)

Words of Father Robert Maloney, C.M.

“Let me suggest that today, for us members of the Vincentian Family, an asceticism like that of John the Baptist might take these forms especially: rising early to praise God and strengthen our brothers and sisters in daily prayer; employing moderation and a critical sense in using television and other media; withholding divisive words and negative criticism; being disciplined and balanced in what we eat and drink; working hard, as servants do, for our “lords and masters,” the poor.” (Maloney, Seasons in Spirituality, p.48)

Discussion: (Share thoughts on the readings after a moment of silence)

What form of John the Baptist’s asceticism do you feel called to practice this Advent?

Closing Prayer:

As our Advent journey continues, we turn in hope to Christ and ask:

-Come, Lord Jesus, and do not delay.

Watch over all children, that they may know your love,

-Come, Lord Jesus, and do not delay.

Protect all who are abused and neglected,

-Come, Lord Jesus, and do not delay.

Strengthen all Vincentians in their efforts to reveal your love to others,

-Come, Lord Jesus, and do not delay. Amen

(Souce: Vincentian Reflections)