Vincentian Community News |
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"During summer time, let us learn how to take a break, turn off the mobile phone to gaze into the eyes of others, cultivate silence, contemplate nature, regenerate ourselves in dialogue with God."
–Pope Francis
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SVdP Luling Conference Events |
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The St. Vincent de Paul Luling Conference will host two events at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church next month.
The Conference will hold a Personal Hygiene Pack Day on August 7, 2021 for junior high and high school students. Conference members also plan to distribute a limited number of diapers for infants as well.
On August 14, 2020, the Luling Conference will host a New Pair of Shoes Distribution Day for Luling ISD students. There will be a limited amount of shoes, so students will have to register with the Conference. For more information, email Armando Perales at armandoperales1@yahoo.com.
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Save the Date! Friends of the Poor Walk |
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The Diocesan Council and the St. Albert the Great Conference are hosting the 2021 Friends of the Poor Walk on Saturday, September 25 at 11am at St. Albert the Great Catholic Church. This annual event raises awareness of the challenges faced by our neighbors in need. It is also a fundraising opportunity for Conferences to raise funds to further their mission to provide financial assistance, food assistance, and other basic essentials to those in underserved communities.
Conferences are encouraged to participate and create a team to walk on September 25 in person or virtually. When walkers register to walk, they can designate their funds to the Conference of their choice. To register click on this link.
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Save the Date: Serving in Hope |
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We are excited to announce that the 2021 Serving in Hope fundraising event will take place on Wednesday, September 22, 2021 at 6pm. This will be a virtual event. More details will be released soon! |
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City of Austin RENT Assistance Program |
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The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is partnering with the City of Austin and the Housing Authority to assist eligible Austin residents, impacted by COVID-19, with applying for rental assistance through the Relief of Emergency Needs for Tenants (RENT) Assistance Program. The RENT Application Portal is now open and will remain open through December 2021 or until funds are spent.
Applicants are welcome to use our computer lab at the Vincentian Family Center
Tuesday - Friday from 9:00am - 12:00pm. Mondays are by appointment only. Email info@ssvdp.org. We will assist applicants with creating an account, completing the online application, and uploading the required documents.
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Due to the recent increase in COVID-19 cases, Austin-Travis County is now in Stage 4. To help stop the spread, all visitors, staff, volunteers, and neighbors are required to wear a mask in the Vincentian Family Center. This includes those who are fully vaccinated. |
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St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store |
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The St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store is open Thursday - Saturday from 10:00am - 5:00pm. You are invited to come, explore, and shop for great items at affordable prices. We receive new donations weekly, so you never know what treasures you will find.
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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New Volunteer Opportunities |
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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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Register now for the 2021 National Assembly! The event will be held August 25-28 in Houston, Texas. The keynote speakers are Dr. Jaime Waters, Bishop Donald Hying, and Father Dennis Holtschneider. Early registration ended Thursday, July 15. The registration fee is now $425.
Here's a glance of the schedule:
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Tuesday, August 24 – 3:00 p.m. Registration Opens for Early Arrivals & Exhibitor Set-up
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Wednesday, August 25 – Disaster Preparedness Workshop, National Stores & Executive Director Meetings, Exhibitor Showcase Open, and Welcome Reception
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Thursday, August 26 – Workshops, Exhibits Open, National Committee Meetings, Presidential Welcome & Keynote Address, and Host City Event
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Friday, August 27 – Spiritual Retreat, Workshops, Regional Meetings, Exhibits Open Until 3:00 p.m.
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Saturday, August 28 – General Session Presentation, National Business Meeting, Workshops, Vigil Mass, and Closing Dinner Banquet
For more information about the Assembly and to register, click here.
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Council Dinner at the National Assembly |
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Are you attending the SSVDP National Assembly in Houston?
During the Assembly, we will have time for dinner together as a Council on Friday, August 27, 2021 at 7:00 pm. All Conference members and their guests are welcome to attend! Please be sure to register so we know how large a room we will need to accommodate our party. Each person will be responsible to pay for their meal and beverages.
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Mark your calendar! A special edition of Our Faith in Action: Today's Society of St. Vincent de Paul, will air on EWTN on August 6, 2021 at 4:30 Central. You'll see how Vincentians in Florida, New Mexico, and Texas adapted their operations to support our neighbors in need through new and creative methods. Watch the trailer for a sneak peek!
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17th Sunday in Ordinary Time
July 25, 2021
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Gospel Reading: (John 6: 1-15)
Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee. A large crowd followed him, because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick. Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples…When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, he said to Philip, “Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?”… One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?” Jesus said, “Have the people recline.” So they reclined, about five thousand in number. Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted. When they had their fill, he said to his disciples, “Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted.”
Vincentian Reflection:
The multiplication account has more to do with what Jesus was saying about the future than about feeding a hungry crowd. The abundance is a sign of the resurrected life and points to a time of fulfillment when God’s plan for redemption is finally realized. The bread grain is specified as barley, the grain used by the poor; in the messianic reign the poor will share in God’s abundance. Jesus supersedes both the apostles’ and the crowd’s expectations: with little he feeds many…Jesus is the sign of God’s lavish presence and love. We Christians are to see our lives through the lens of God’s extravagant love. Do we? (Living Liturgy, p.178)
Vincentian Meditation:
In the Manual for the Society we read: For Vincent and Frederic, there is only one love. The love of God and the love of the neighbor are one and the same love. It is our love in response to God’s love for us. Since the loving God cannot be seen but must be experienced through loving people, it follows that one who sees others without loving cannot love or even know God. For Vincent and Frederic, as for Jesus, love is neither sentiment, nor affection, nor theory, but a practical willing of another’s best interests and a consequent striving to advance those interests. Vincentians are about loving. Love is a verb, not a noun. Vincentians are concerned with the practice and exercise of the virtue of charity…loving God above all things and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God. (US Manual, P.26)
Who are the “loving people” in your life in whom you have experienced the love of God?
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World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly
July 25, 2021
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Sunday (July 25) is the first World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly!
“It is important for grandparents to meet their grandchildren and for grandchildren to meet their grandparents, because — as the prophet Joel says — grandparents, before their grandchildren, will dream, and have illusions [great desires], and young people, taking strength from their grandparents, will go forward and prophesy.”
– Pope Francis, January 31, 2021
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We will offer them up in prayer weekly.
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says fully vaccinated people can resume activities without wearing a mask or physically distancing. However, people are required to follow federal, state, local rules and regulations, including local businesses and workplace guidance. If you have not been vaccinated, you are encouraged to do so.
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National Gazette Questions and Answers
Q: Our Conference has operated as an Isolated Conference for decades. A District Council is forming in the diocese. Is there a choice to remain as an isolated Conference?
A: Isolated Conferences within an established District Council must join to remain in full compliance with proper SVdP Governance established by the National Council. Resolution 169 reads, “Any Conference located within the established boundary of a District Council shall all join that District Council.”
Preguntas y Respuestas de la
Oficina Nacional
P: Nuestra Conferencia ha funcionado como una Conferencia aislada durante décadas. Un Consejo de Distrito está formando en la diócesis. ¿Existe la opción de permanecer como una Conferencia aislada?
R: Las Conferencias aisladas dentro de un Consejo de Distrito establecido deben unirse para seguir cumpliendo plenamente con la gobernanza adecuada de la SVdP establecida por el Consejo Nacional. La Resolución 169 dice: "Cualquier Conferencia ubicada dentro de los límites establecidos de un Consejo de Distrito se unirá a ese Consejo de Distrito.”
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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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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
Thursday - 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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