Vincentian Community News
|
|
"Advent invites us to prepare ourselves for Christmas, welcoming Jesus without fear. If we open wide the doors of our life, everything takes on a new light and our family, work, suffering, health, friendship, become opportunities to discover His consoling presence."
— Pope Francis
|
|
SVdP Disaster Response to Kentucky Tornado
|
|
Disaster Services Corporation (DSC) is coordinating its response to the recent devastating tornado outbreak in six states with its South Central, Midwest, North Central, Mideast, and Southeast Disaster Representatives, which are part of the DSC Board’s Disaster Operations Committee. To support their efforts please visit their donation page here: http://bit.ly/2Ml1lO4.
DSC is monitoring to meet the needs of survivors by working through state, local, and tribal governments and is actively coordinating with affected states to address unmet needs. Click here to read more.
|
|
The St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store finds opportunities to give back to the community. Thanks to Stores Director, Rick Bologna, some high school students got an early Christmas gift. The SVdP Thrift Store donated golf clubs to the John Connally High School Golf Team and the Navarro Early College High School Golf Team.
|
|
Rick Bologna, Stores Director and Richard Horn, Head Golf Coach at John Connally High School.
|
|
Rick Bologna, Stores Director and Jacob Anderson, Athletic Director at Navarro Early College High School.
|
|
Bologna presented the clubs to Richard Horn, Head Golf Coach at John Connally, and Jacob Anderson, Athletic Director at Navarro. The donation included about eight to ten iron sets, metal woods, and hybrid clubs, balls, and golf bags. The equipment will help both teams as they prepare for the 2022 season.
|
|
Special thank you to Moody Bank in Austin for donating blankets, socks, undergarments, food, and more to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Their team did a special collection over the past two weeks to help our neighbors in need for Christmas! We appreciate this donation which will be distributed through our Client Services Center.
|
|
St. Thomas More Food Drive
|
|
The St. Thomas More Conference hosted a Thanksgiving Food Drive last month. They provided 4,170lbs of food to the SVdP Food Pantry at the Vincentian Family Center and 983lbs to their Mobile Loaves and Fishes pantry.
|
|
St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store
|
|
Get ready for Christmas at the St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store! This weekend, all Christmas decor and merchandise are 35% off, furniture is 50%, and jewelry is 35% off. We're open 10am - 5pm.
The Thrift Store will be open December 21 - December 23 from 10am - 5pm. The store will be closed from December 24 - January 4 for the holidays and store renovations. The SVdP Thrift Store will reopen Wednesday, January 5, 2022 at 10am.
SVDP Online Thrift Store!
The St. Vincent de Paul Online Thrift Store is always open. The new website offers one of kind treasures that will only be available online! Visit svdptreasures.org and check out the unique treasures that are available now! Purchases made online must be picked up at the St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store.
|
|
COVID-19 Stage 3 Risk Guidelines
|
|
Austin-Travis County is in Stage 3 of the risk-based guidelines. According to Austin health officials, COVID-19 cases and hospital admissions have decreased. Vaccinated and unvaccinated people should take precaution at private indoor gatherings and outdoor gatherings. You are still urged to wear a mask and social distance.
|
|
4th Sunday of Advent
December 19, 2021
|
|
Gospel Reading: (Luke 1:39-45)
Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”
Vincentian Reflection:
The gospel for this Fourth Sunday of Advent presents us with the meeting of two pregnant women, one older but no wiser about such things than the other quite young mother-to-be, for this was the first child for both. Such a meeting! The infant in Elizabeth’s womb gave a mighty kick when Mary greeted her, and Elizabeth recognized the baby of Mary’s womb as her Lord. Jesus, the Son of God Most High, became incarnate—took on human flesh—as a necessary step to salvation. Jesus’s body was “prepared” as the fruit of Mary’s womb. He came to “do God’s will.” Mary believed and it was fulfilled. She didn’t count the cost. Neither can we. (Living Liturgy, p.18)
Vincentian Meditation:
The mystery of the Incarnation was the permanent inspiration of St. Vincent’s life. It must be ours, too. We shall only fully see Christ in the poor when we have fully seen God in Christ. That is why all that we do and say will have meaning only if it is born of our relationship with Jesus Christ, truly God and truly man. What we bring to the poor must be more than a program for the betterment of their material and economic condition. We must bring something of the peace, the joy and the spiritual freedom which we ourselves have experienced from being present to Jesus Christ through prayer and the sacraments of the Eucharist and Penance. I hope that through giving some time this Christmas to the poor and lonely—often a listening heart is of more value than money— you will have enriched the lives of some of those millions of people who have so much less to eat than we have, and so much less to live for. (McCullen, Deep Down Things, p.49-50)
How have we brought peace and joy to the poor this Advent?
|
|
We will offer them up in prayer weekly.
|
|
National Gazette Questions and Answers
Q: We have a Conference president approaching the end of her second term and trying to plan her succession. No current member of this active Conference seems willing to step up to succeed her. If that does not change, what should happen with the Conference?
A: There are two choices, either elect someone from within or close the Conference. It is up to the Conference members to step forward and provide leadership for their Conference. A District Council president can temporarily appoint someone to be Conference president if no president is nominated before the current president term ends; but an election has to take place as soon as possible and within a reasonable time. The current president must NOT stay in office beyond their elected first/second terms.
Preguntas y Respuestas de la
Oficina Nacional
P: Tenemos un presidente de la Conferencia acercándose al final de su segundo mandato y tratando de planificar su sucesión. Ningún miembro actual de esta Conferencia activa parece estar dispuesto a dar un paso al frente para sucederle. Si eso no cambia, ¿qué debería pasar con la Conferencia?
R: Hay dos opciones, elegir a alguien de dentro o cerrar la Conferencia. Depende de los miembros de la Conferencia dar un paso adelante y proporcionar liderazgo para su Conferencia. Un presidente del Consejo de Distrito puede nombrar temporalmente a alguien para que sea presidente de la Conferencia si no se nombra ningún presidente antes de que finalice el mandato actual; pero las elecciones deben tener lugar lo más pronto posible y en un plazo razonable. El presidente actual NO debe permanecer en el cargo más allá de su primer/segundo mandato electo.
|
|
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!
|
|
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!
|
|
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.
|
|
Christmas Eve
December 24, 2021
SVdP Thrift Store Closed
Council Office Closed
Client Services Center Open
9:00am - 12:00pm
***
Christmas
December 25, 2021
SVdP Thrift Store Closed
SVdP Food Pantry Open
9:00am - 12:00pm
***
Holiday Break
Council Office Closed
December 24, 2021 - January 1, 2021
SVdP Thrift Store Closed
December 24, 2021 - January 4, 2021
Client Services Center Open
9:00am - 12:00pm
December 22, 2021 and December 29, 2021
***
New Year's Eve
December 31, 2021
Client Services Center Open
9:00am - 12:00pm
New Year's Day
January 1, 2022
SVdP Food Pantry Open
9:00am - 12:00pm
|
|
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
Wednesday - Saturday
10:00am - 5:00pm
|
|
Contact Us:
Rick Bologna, Stores Director, rick.bologna@ssvdp.org
|
|
*Deadline submission for the eNews is Wednesday at noon.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|