Dear Vincentians,
It is with great sadness that I share with you the recent passing of Regina Coleman Johnson, SVdP District IX President. Regina was an incredible woman who worked hard and advocated for others to ensure the needy received the help they required. She will be very missed at the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.
Please keep Regina and her family in your prayers. May she rest in peace.
God Bless,
Harry Ohde, Volunteer President/CEO – Society of St. Vincent de Paul Chicago-ADC
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul has a few donation drives this weekend. Join us this weekend, July 30 & 31 at:
St. Domitilla
4940 Washington Street – Hillside
Our Lady of the Ridge
10838 S Oxford – Chicago Ridge
Presbyterian Church of Orland Park
13401 S Wolf Road – Orland Park
Please remember to donate with dignity gently used items.
To see upcoming Donation Drives please visit our website at https://stvincentdepaulchicago.org/donation-events/
Our July Newsletter was just released. Take a minute to see what SVdP has been doing.
Click on the link for more details:
There are a couple of donation drives this weekend. Join us this weekend at:
July 16 & 17:
Santa Maria del Popolo
116 N Lake Street, Mundelein
St. Nicholas
806 Ridge Avenue, Evanston
Please remember to donate with dignity gently used items.
To see upcoming Donation Drives please visit our website at https://stvincentdepaulchicago.org/donation-events/
Dear Vincentians,
On behalf of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Chicago-ADC, we we would like to extend to our Spiritual Advisor, Fr. Kelly, our wishes for a blessed birthday today, June 28th, as well as congratulations on the celebration of your June 5, 2022, 40th anniversary of being a priest.
If you wish to send Fr. Kelly an email, please click here.
Thank you Fr. Kelly for all you do for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Chicago-ADC. May God Bless You today and always.
God Bless,
Harry Ohde, Volunteer President/CEO
Society of St. Vincent de Paul Chicago-ADC
Please take a minute to read about the work of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Chicago Council and its Conferences. Many great things are happening throughout Cook and Lake Counties every month.
There are several donation drives this weekend. Join us this week/weekend at:
June 23, 24, 25:
Our Lady of the Lake / St Bede – 36399 N Wilson Road, Ingleside
June 23, 24, 25, 26 & 27:
St. Patrick’s – 15000 W Wadsworth Road, Wadsworth
June 25 & 26:
St. Turibius – 5646 S Karlov Avenue, Chicago
St. Raphael the Archangel – 4000 N Route 45, Old Mill Creek
Please remember to donate with dignity gently used items.
To see upcoming Donation Drives please visit our website at https://stvincentdepaulchicago.org/donation-events/
Father’s Day Message.
As the old gentleman sat watching his son holding his newborn, he felt the tears swell in his eyes. Not wanting his son to see the tears, he carefully lifted his hand underneath his glasses as to adjust and clear the lens. It was at that moment he thought back as to when he started needed the glasses to see, when did the bristles in his close shaved beard turn so grey? At what point did his mid-section expand, giving him the perfect look in a cardigan sweater? Mostly he thought, when did he go from the new father holding the baby to the proud grandfather in awe of this new life?
Just three days old, the newest generation to carry on the family name was there. Dark hair, curious eyes, no bigger than a butterball turkey, the future of the world, perfect in every way, waiting for his grandfather to hold him for the very first time.
As the old gentleman carefully cuddled his new grandson, he dismissed all thoughts of holding back the tears. A moment to treasure. A moment in life he would cherish forever. As he slowly rocked his new grandson, and spoke softly muttering the words “Welcome little one, I am your grandfather. You and I are going to get to know each other very well!” The old gentlemen’s son watched and snapped a picture. As the son, the new father reviewed the picture on his phone, his own tears swelled in his eyes, and he did not hold back the joy, the precious meaning of this moment. He then asked his father, “Dad, when I was born, did you feel this way? Were you excited, humbled, and nervous about how you would know how to raise me?”
The old gentleman laughed, looking down, his new grandson had fallen asleep. Knowing they had undisturbed time and no rush he began to tell his son: “Son, when you were born, I was young like you and life seemed like a forever moment. I had no idea how fast time would go by. How much I would miss the moments with you when I had to work late. How quickly our Sunday time would pass.”
“I also remember feeling disappointed that I did not have the skills to teach you sports. My job provided well for our family, but not well enough for us to travel the world on Spring and Summer breaks. What I had to offer you was the knowledge to know how to treat others, how to follow your heart, how to not sway from your values, and how to put priorities on people and not material things. Sometimes I wished I could have been a better father and provided the things you missed out on. I hope you are not disappointed in me. Now that you have your own son, you can teach him sports, take him on extravagant vacations, buy him the things I never could.”
As the son leaned over and put his arm on his father, he looked down at his newborn son and looked his father in the eye and said, “Dad, growing up, I had many friends. They were the ones who participated in sports, traveled all the time, had a new car at sixteen, the best of everything that money could buy and you know what? They used to tell me they would trade it all to have a dad like you! I want to raise my son the way you raised me. Money will not make my life better, but the values you gave me will allow me to teach my son what is important in life.”
As God our Father loves us unconditionally let us remember the gifts he gave us in our life; the opportunity to love others, to uphold our values, to teach others, and remember what is really important in our world.
May your Father’s Day be filled with love, laughter and a peace in our heart that life is a gift!
God Bless,
Harry Ohde, Volunteer President/CEO
Society of St. Vincent de Paul Chicago
Join us this weekend for a 3-Day Donation Drive at St. Mary, 1012 Lake Street in Evanston.
Please remember to donate with dignity gently used items.
To see upcoming Donation Drives please visit our website at https://stvincentdepaulchicago.org/donation-events/
St. Elizabeth of the Trinity Conference held a Spring Tote event on May 14 in which we provided the homeless in the area of the Jefferson Park Terminal tote bags that contain clothing and toiletries that are needed in the spring and summer.
It was a wonderful event with Vincentians connecting with our brothers and sisters who suffer from a lack of housing. In addition, Ron Polanecki of Chicago Shares awarded our conference with a grant of $2,000 to continue our works in the Jefferson Park area.
Food was provided by the CaddyShack Restaurant that is owned by the famous Chicago actor Bill Murray and his brothers. God is good!
We would like to thank Michael Avella and the Murray Bros CaddyShack restaurant for donating delicious sandwiches. Thank you to Andrea DeVince, Toni Coletti, Maria Winter and June Fredlund for dessert. We were also able to provide fruits, cold water and distribute Spring Totes which contained essential items such as t-shirts, underwear and toiletries needed this time of the year.
Thanks to our Vincentians for being there and providing company to our Friends in need: Dave McNaughton, Maria Winter, Mark Stemper, Deacon Greg, Monica Dillon, Len Strauch, Linda Zdebski, Joe and Delia O’Connor, Andrea DeVince.
Most of all thanks to all our benefactors who believe in the work that we do. Thanks to you we are able to make events like these happen.
God certainly blessed us with wonderful weather and wonderful Friends!!
