Author: Teresa Stack

It is with a heavy heart that we share the passing of Fr. Bill Gubbins, Spiritual Advisor at the St. Elizabeth Seton Conference in Orland Hills.  Fr. Bill will be waked at St. Elizabeth Seton Church tomorrow, Friday, March 18, from 3:00pm to 9:00pm, with funeral services Saturday morning at 10:00am. The conference has elected to mourn in private and no prayer service will be held at the wake. We were blessed to have had Fr. Bill as a Spiritual Advisor. Please keep Fr. Bill, his family, and the St. Elizabeth Seton Conference in your prayers. May he Rest in Peace.  Please click on the link below for Fr. Bill’s obituary:  https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/chicagotribune/name/william-gubbins-obituary?id=33642489

As many of you are aware, Lorraine Parisi, our Director of Operations, is leaving SVdP. Today is her last day. We cannot thank her enough for all that she has done for the Society in helping us reach some of our goals and expand what we can offer to our friends in need. Lorraine has been the “key” to keeping things running flawlessly. She will be missed. Take care Lorraine and all the best from your friends at the Society of St. Vincent de Paul-Chicago. Don’t hesitate stopping by to pay us a visit or giving us a call! God Bless, Harry Ohde Volunteer President St. Vincent de Paul Chicago/ADC Below is a message that Lorraine has asked us to share with everyone… ——————————————————————————————————————————————————— To My St. Vincent de Paul Family, Sometimes in life, God places us in a certain position with certain people for the sake of His plan. I am so grateful that God called me to serve the Society. My intention was to work hard to help others. Knowing from personal experience as a child how it feels to be in need; food and clothing, I felt I would really understand and make a difference.  Funny how things turn out. After 5+ years of working for the Society, and the privilege to help our friends in need, in the end, I realized that I was the one being helped. What I have learned about life, spirituality and myself is priceless. Simply put, I am leaving a better person than when I first came on board.  The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is not just a place that people go to get assistance, it is a place where hearts are healed, minds are expanded, friendships are built, and God presents miracles each and every day. It is a place where if you are quiet and listen, you can hear God whisper and give you guidance. It is a place where an inner peace will rest in your soul.  It has been my humbled privilege to work with the most amazing people I have ever met. Dedicated, hard working employees. A team of kindred spirits that work from their heart and not their pocketbook. A place where all are welcomed into the SVdP family. Dignity and respect are at the core of the culture.  My next chapter is yet to be defined. But what is defined is the blessings I received from the Society.  May God bless the Society and all those that enter through its door always.  Kindest regards,  Lorraine Parisi Director of Operations Society of St. Vincent de Paul Chicago ADC www.svdpchicago.org

The Weekly Lenten Reflection Series is a great way to educate ourselves on Catholic Social Teaching, our Vincentian vocation and homelessness. Below is a list of upcoming events.
Please make special note that on March 16, Pam Matambanadzo and Dave McNaughton from the Chicago Council District IV will be presenters.

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Weekly Lenten Reflection Series

Join the National Formation Director and the Voice of the Poor for a series of Lenten reflections on Wednesday evenings beginning March 9, on Catholic Social teaching, homelessness, and our Vincentian response. We will explore how we are collaborating with other organizations to serve the whole person as well as unmet needs. 

CLICK HERE to register

·         March 9: Reflection: Catholic Social Teaching and Our Vincentian Vocation

·         March 16: Presenters: Pam Matambanadzo & Dave McNaughton – Chicago Council District IV, Guest: Alderman Cappleman (46th Ward), Presenter: Miguel Santos – Buffalo NY

 ·         March 23: Presenters: Elmira Roque – Diocese of San Diego, Gloria Hyden: Ozanam Center – Food Mission, District Council of Memphis, TN

·         March 30: Presenters: Sally Wolfe – Denver, Co, Alicia Reyes – St Vincent de Paul Planada, Sacred Heart, Plana, California

·         April 6: Reflection: The Good Samaritan: Who Was the Neighbor? 

CLICK HERE to read more

Please join our Vincentian family in the Vincentian Reflections on the Stations of the Cross during this Lenten Season. Please click on the link below for the English version.

ENGLISH

Únase a nuestra familia Vicentina en las Reflexiones Vicencianas sobre las Estaciones de la Cruz durante esta Cuaresma.
Por favor, haga clic en el enlace de abajo para la versión en español.

ESPAÑOL

Please keep Holly Robinson and her family in your prayers on the passing of her mother-in-law, Marjorie R. (MacDonald) Robinson on March 5, in Ridgway, PA, after a lengthy illness.

For more information on her service, please click on the link below.

https://www.thompsonfuneralhomepa.com/obituary/Marjorie-Robinson

God Bless,

Harry Ohde

Volunteer President

Society of St. Vincent de Paul/ADC

In recognition of National Women’s Day, I would like to talk about Blessed Rosalie Rendu who was an empowering woman in her time and has continued on even today.

Blessed Rosalie Rendu was a Daughters of Charity who served the most impoverished areas of Paris. While in boarding school she came across a hospital where the Daughters of Charity cared for the sick. After discovering the Daughters of Charity and learning of their work, she believed this is what she was called to do. She gained experience caring for the sick working side-by-side with the Sisters. She was 17 years old when she joined the Daughters of Charity. At the age of 22 she made her vows to serve God and the poor. She remained there for 54 years.

She was involved in the training of the young sisters at the Daughters of Charity. She worked with those that were somewhat difficult or fragile. One day she shared advice to a Sister in crisis. Her advice was: “If you want someone to love you, you must be the first to love; and if you have nothing to give, give yourself.” The congregation of Sisters grew and they became a house of charity that had a clinic and school.

Over time, Sr. Rendu opened a free clinic, pharmacy, school, a child and maternal care center, young club for young workers and a home for the elderly without resources.  For young girls and needy mothers, she organized courses in sewing and embroidery. She soon had a network of charitable services.

Today, the Daughters of Charity serves many internationally. There are approximately 17,000 Daughters serving in 90 countries around the world. Little did she know that her influence and determination in helping in a charity capacity would expand internationally throughout the Society. 

God Bless,

Harry Ohde, Volunteer President – Society of St. Vincent de Paul/ADC

A Lenten Message from Harry Ohde, Volunteer President – SVdP Chicago/ADC

Someone outside of the Catholic faith, with limited knowledge, may have a pretty hard time understanding Lent.

We start with ashes on our forehead, we give up things for the duration of lent, things that we like to show a small sacrifice. We attend longer masses. From the outside world of being catholic, the run down may look like:

We have dirt on our head, we are not eating chocolate, and have chosen to increase the Catholic Calisthenics (stand, sit, kneel, sit, stand). Without knowledge, this may seem bizarre behavior in praise of God.

The truth of the matter, the ashes begin our Lenten journey to remind us from ashes we came and ashes we shall return. God in all his Glory and power created us from the earth, the earth he created. Symbolically He is letting us know that we will return to Him one day.

Giving Up – or is it gaining? Yes, many of us give up a favorite food, hobby, thing, to show a sacrifice to God, letting God know He is most important. What we gain from this “giving up” is far more fulfilling than any box of chocolates, or hobbies we love. I believe the giving up brings us closer to God as we peel away the layers of materialistic temptations and come face to face with the core of who we are and what we represent. We find a sacred place within our soul that allows us to listen better to God, listen better to ourselves, and helps us in becoming the best version of ourselves.

Catholic Calisthenics

During Mass we pray. We pray together as a community of God. It is not just the words; it is the songs that are prayer. It is also our actions. We kneel to bow to God, we stand to unite with him, we sit to listen closely to the words he left us. Jesus endured a persecution that ended in a slow painfilled death. In return we are asked to perform a few simple positions to demonstrate our dedication to God, our appreciation for the ability to physically move about, and a strict discipline of knowledge that praying means we are completely committed: mind, body, and soul.

This year for Lent, let us reflect on the Good. The Good things in life that God has blessed upon us. Things may not be perfect, but there is a lot of good. Let us reflect on the good in others. Let us be kind. Let us offer a smile to strangers, take a minute to talk to someone who may be lonely. Offer a meal to a neighbor who you know may need a little brightening to their day. Let these acts reflect that we are first and foremost our brother’s keeper. We live by what we were taught by Jesus.

When our Lenten journey brings us to Good Friday, let us attend services and reflect that during lent we took the opportunity to live as Jesus taught us. Let us have a deeper connection to God. Let us come face to face with the realization that Jesus, knowing his fate, took up His cross, carried it, suffered, and died. All of this for ONE reason and ONE reason only – Because no matter what, HE LOVES US! HE BELIEVES in US!  

God Bless,

Harry Ohde – Volunteer President SVdP Chicago/ADC

We are sad to announce the resignation of Lorraine Parisi, our Director of Thrift Store/Warehouse Operations effective, March 11, 2022. Lorraine began her time with SVdP as a volunteer and has worked her way up to her current position.

She has been instrumental in developing our website and social media accounts as well as being someone everyone could count on when they had a problem or question and needed an answer. Her kindness and her faith is exemplified tenfold through her daily work at SVdP. Lorraine will be missed by many and will be a hard pair of shoes to fill.

We are beyond appreciative of all the hard work Lorraine has done over the past several years, and we wish her nothing but the best. If you wish to drop her an email, you can reach her at lorraine@svdpchicago.org.

CLICK HERE for Obituary

Instead of giving up something for Lent, the 40 Days-40 Items Challenge is a way of giving back.

Each day of Lent, remove one item from your home, which you don’t use or wear anymore, and place it in a bag. At the end donate these items to one of our SVdP Thrift Stores in Orland Park at 7010 W 159th Street or Libertyville, 168 Peterson Road.

Your donated items will be shared with our friends in need!