Service and Outreach – Page 9 – St. John – St. Paul Catholic Collaborative

From Our SVdP Conference: Special Stories of our Visits and Assistance Provided

The SVDP Conference has shared in this space the life of St. Vincent de Paul and the international society dedicated to the ministry of serving the poor that he inspired. We also have shared our local history and an overview of the numbers we have served in our community of Wellesley and Newton. Below, we would like to share a few reflections on some friends we have worked with through the generous donations of many parishioners and how that experience has inspired us.

A First Home Visit:It was to be my first home visit. I was to accompany two other members of our local SVDP Conference who had home visit experience. We began with a prayer in the car as we awaited the start of the visit. The friend who had reached out for help was a single mother with three school-age children. She found herself short of funds as she worked through the break-up of her marriage, and needed help to pay her children’s school tuition. As we listened to this mother’s situation, one thought ran through my head – this young friend is just like all of us…

September 24-25: Feast of St. Vincent de Paul Celebration

The Saint Vincent de Paul Conference of the St. John-St. Paul Collaborative invites all parishioners to a series of events to celebrate the Feast Day of St. Vincent de Paul..

Saturday September 24: Retreat at Sisters of St. Joseph Retreat Center (71 Walnut Park, Newton MA)

Space limited – open to first 25 respondents to SVDP@sjspwellesley.org.

Sunday September 25: Community Walk from St. Paul Church to St. John Church

Immediately following the St. Paul 11:00am Mass, join us for the 2.4 mile walk from St. Paul Church to St. John Church along Washington St.

Sunday September 25: Fall Welcome Back Luncheon at St. John

The festivities will begin at the conclusion of the St. John 12:00pm Mass with the arrival of the walkers from St. Paul…

History of the St. John and St. Paul Conference of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul

Our St. John and St. Paul Conference (local chapter) of the International Society of Saint Vincent de Paul was started over five years ago to extend Christ’s ministry to those struggling to get by in our community. Under the leadership of Fr. Robert Blaney several members of both parishes met to learn more about the starting of a Conference of Saint Vincent de Paul Society. This ministry at its core is centered on the confidential home visit to our friends in need by two of our members, dating back to the 19th century tradition when Blessed Frederick Ozanam initiated the home visit so members could understand directly the needs of our friends.

Our conference of Saint Vincent de Paul was led by founding President Michael Mastrianni with Margaret Klingmeyer as Treasurer. The Society members began to meet on a monthly basis to grow in holiness and help serve those in need who contacted the conference…

Celebrating St. Vincent de Paul: The History

As Christians we are called to minister to the poor and needy among us. The parable of the Good Samaritan offers a prime example of the ministry Jesus envisioned. Throughout more than two millennia, service to the poor has been an important component of all Christian ministries. Guided by the vision and leadership of St. Vincent de Paul and Blessed Frederic Ozanam, a world-wide Vincentian community carries out its mission of service to the poor while fostering spiritual development of all its members.

St. Vincent is recognized as the “Apostle of Charity” and “Father of the Poor,” as well as being named patron of all works of charity by Pope Leo XIII in 1885. Vincent de Paul was canonized by Pope Clement XII in 1737. St. Vincent de Paul’s Feast Day is September 27…

August 28: POWIR Update

We are pleased to share with you that the 3 young adult men who came to Massachusetts from Afghanistan in January of 2022 are doing very well. One of them had some dental education in Afghanistan and his dream is to be a dental assistant. A big thank you to the Drs. Ali of Wellesley Dental group for the onsite educational opportunity they have been offering for several months now. They are also guiding him along the path to become a dental assistant and he is almost there.

The young man who loves to cook is working in a restaurant as an assistant in the kitchen and can now make salad, pasta and pizza. The third works in a grocery store while studying IT through a special program sponsored in part by Google. We are grateful to all 3 employers for their welcome of these 3 refugees…

Save the Date! Celebrating the Feast Day of St. Vincent de Paul

The SJSP St. Vincent de Paul Conference will be celebrating Saint Vincent de Paul’s Feast Day the weekend of September 24-25, 2022. Please follow notices here on the website and in the bulletin over the next several weeks to learn more about his life, the work we do guided by his vision of service to God through service to the poor in our community, and the details about our celebrations of our community.

On Sunday, September 25, we will culminate the festivities with a “community walk.” All parishioners are invited to join us as we walk from St. Paul Church to St. John the Evangelist Church after the 11:00am Mass at St. Paul.

Following the walk, we will welcome all parishioners back for the fall season with a barbecue lunch in the Saint John School parking lot after the 12:00pm Mass at St. John.

STAY TUNED – MORE DETAILS TO COME!

POWIR Update: Seeking Legal Assistance

We are in need of legal assistance for the three young men from Afghanistan who we are helping to resettle.

We are seeking immigration attorneys who would be willing to work pro bono to represent our young men through this process.

If you are an immigration attorney willing to work with our young men and/or provide guidance to the SJSP POWIR team – or if you have any leads on attorneys or organizations that might be able to help – we would love to hear from you!

A Video Message for Fr. Jim from NPH

The children at the NPH home in Miacatlan, Mexico sent a special video message to Fr. Jim this week, to share their love and prayers and send him some extra strength!

NPH Update

The recent campaign on behalf of our friends at NPH was a tremendous success! Our goal was $37,000 to fund education for children in the Mexico home. Thanks to our youth fundraisers, parishioners who fundraised and all of you who donated, we exceeded the goal by collecting $54,431.

John Deinhart, CEO, NPH USA and Andrea Nahigian, the new Donor Relations Director on the East Coast, recently paid us a visit to thank us in person. John says: “The St. John-St. Paul community has been a true blessing in the lives of countless children of Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos. This community truly embodies our Gospel call, ‘whatever you do for the least of these, my brothers and sisters, you do for me.’ With your help, NPH can now send 42 students to school to receive a 7th education…