St. Vincent de Paul Society

NEWSLETTER

Published by and for Vincentians http://www.stvincentdepaul.net/Vincentian-Support December 2018 Diocesan Council of Phoenix, AZ Vol. 20 No. 11

“It is for your love alone that the poor will forgive you the bread you give them.” St. Vincent de Paul

The Joy of Giving

Every Christmas, in addition to providing the everyday necessities such as rental, utility and food assistance, the Society St. Vincent de Paul, its conferences and councils busy themselves providing Christmas gifts and food to families in need. As Vincentians, we understand the joy of being able to give, and we work hard to help donors do the same, but we often forget about providing the people we serve an opportunity to give. One project that does just that is our Bell Road Thrift Store’s Annual Palomino project. Shortly before Christmas, the students from the Palomino Primary and Upper Elementary schools come to the thrift store for this special event. The entire store is reset to be a Christmas wonderland of gifts and displays. Each student is allowed to buy two gifts for someone in their family. They can purchase anything they can carry. Students often buy a set of dishes for their mother or a special action figure for their little brother. It is a true act of love. The students also get to see Santa and are given a goody bag for themselves. When I was chairman of the Stores Committee, a Vincentian asked me why we would bother to do a project that seems costly and time consuming. The answer is simple; it is to share the joy of giving with others. A couple of years ago I was at Bell Road for the event, and I saw a little boy with a pink three-wheeler that he had purchased. I asked who it was for and he responded that is was for his little sister. As I was walking off, he called out to me and showed me the Super Hero poster that he had gotten for his younger brother. He looked at me with the biggest smile on his face and said, “Am I not the best big brother in the world?” His actions and response say it all. As Vincentians, we are so privileged to be able to share the joy of giving with more than 1,000 young students who will never forget how purchasing a gift for some else filled them with joy and gratitude. Want to help with this project? We need gifts for dads and people to help set up before the event and clean up afterwards. It is fun and rewarding. Contact Michelle Emocling at 602-261-6822 for information.

Shirley Smalley District 11 President

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As we enter into the Season of Advent and prepare to celebrate the Nativity of our Lord, the Church and scriptures call us to reflect upon the divine mystery of the Incarnation. The idea that God loves us so much that He sent His only begotten son into the world for our sake is almost incomprehensible. He came not as an earthly king or a man of riches and power. He was born in a humble stable in a distant city and He spent His public ministry in service to others. Jesus came into the world not only to atone for our sins but also to show us the way to true holiness and eternal life. As I reflect on the miracle of Christmas, I often ask myself, "What can I do to show my appreciation for such a gift? What do I have to offer that is a worthy of my creator?" River Vogelsang, an active ACS Vibrant Vinnie, submitted the note quoted above last spring to his conference president, expressing his desire and willingness to serve as an officer for their youth conference. How refreshing it is to see how willing these young Vincentians are to serve and to lead. They are not concerned about the responsibilities that their offices hold or that it is someone else's turn to lead; they simply offer themselves to the service of the Lord. Is that not, after all, what each of us is called to do? God has called us each by name and created us with a set of unique gifts, talents and a purpose that is ours to fill. The response to Psalm 40 is "Here I am Lord. I have come to do your will." These words must form not only our hearts but our actions and our willingness to die to self in service to

others. Doing God's will is not always easy; however, it is the perfect gift. It is the act of giving back to God all that we are and all that we have been given. Even though we may desire to do God's will, we often hold back and put conditions or limitations on what we are willing to offer to God and to each other. Our culture reinforces our hesitations and encourages us to be self-indulgent and to offer only a portion of ourselves back to God. When I joined the Society over thirty years ago, I thought I was doing my part by helping a little in the pantry, attending meetings when I could, and doing a few home visits. Little did I know that God had other plans for me; plans that were much more demanding and, at the same time, exceptionally rewarding. It matters not where within the Society of St. Vincent de Paul God calls us because each and every act is an offering of ourselves, but we must be open to doing His will without conditions or reservations. Sweeping the floor in a pantry, keeping track of the finances of a conference, serving in leadership or on a committee are the perfect gift if that is what we are being asked and called to do. May we be blessed this Advent to have the same enthusiasm and willingness to serve as our youngest members. For the sake of love and love alone, God offers Himself to us and our response should be to offer ourselves freely and completely back to Him. The perfect gift comes from the outpouring of our hearts in service to God and our neighbor. The perfect gift is the gift of ourselves.

By Shirley Smalley District 11 President

Society of St. Vincent de Paul November 2018

The Greatest Gift

I would love to become a ACS Vibrant Vinnies Vice-President because I am excited to learn from the president, but think I am prepared to become a leading officer because of traits like efficiency, tenacity, helpfulness, and organization. I would love to help lead this amazing group of kids and am passionate about helping the working poor.” River Vogelsang 2018

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Turkey Tuesday in Wickenburg

Society of St. Vincent de Paul November 2018

Happily awaiting the arrival of the turkeys.

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95 AND GOING STRONG!

This is Marge Muha, and she celebrated her 95

th birthday on October 17

th.

Marge has been an active member of the SS. Simon and Jude Conference since 1997.

During that time she has volunteered in the food reclamation warehouse at Watkins along with many duties in the conference. Over the years she has made countless home visits. She was also on the “Sunshine Committee” visiting conference members that were ill. She still helps with every warehouse delivery, takes attendance at the meet-ings, works the desk one night a week, helps purchase the bread for the conference, writes thank you notes, does the poor box once a month, and does the weekly filing. She also never misses a General Membership Meeting. Marge is always in charge of making the coffee for the conference socials. (She has that magic touch!) Additionally, our potluck lunch at the Thanksgiving Food Drive would not be complete without her stuffed cabbage rolls. Marge has been a model of dedication and service to us all. We are so very blessed to have her in our conference. Peg Lanphear Ss. Simon and Jude

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Jubilarians Honored at

All Saints Mesa

Congratulations to our newest Jubilarians! We had this presentation as part of our All Saints’ Conference Meeting on November 14, 2018. The four Vincentians receiving their crosses from left to right are: Veronica Nord, Marveve Bauer, Fr. Doffing, Judy Allard, and Ken Becker. Dot Onufer President All Saints Mesa

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Stevie Awards for Women in Business

Society of St. Vincent de Paul November 2018

“I have found the fountain of youth.

No no no, I actually grew up the

daughter Laurie Lopat-Polasko and I am accepting the award on her

behalf.

The Matrix New World Engineering founder Jayne Warne

said, “Women quit engineering because they think it is too hard.” My mother taught me there was

nothing I couldn’t do. And as a Phd candidate in civil and

environmental engineering – I am following my mother’s footsteps.

Not because it is easy, but because it is hard. My mom is stuck in

Chicago tonight, but I know that she’s grateful for Matrix New

World Engineering and wants to thank the trillions of microbes that

have helped clean our water. Thank you.”

Dear Family, Friends and Colleagues, I wanted to share a crazy story with you. I was recently selected as one of the 10 finalists in the Stevie Awards for Woman of the Year in Technology. My husband (Ken), son (Max) and I flew to New York via Chicago early (4 AM) on Friday morning so we would arrive in New York that afternoon. Unfortunately, there was an unbelievable snow storm in New York on Thursday. So even though, we all got to Chicago on Friday morning, our flight to Newark was cancelled as soon as we arrived in Chicago. Everyone at my company, friends and family were madly looking for flights out of Midway or O’Hare airport to any of the 10 or more airports in the New York city area. EVERYTHING was completely booked and over-booked. The good news is that my daughter, Alex and her fiancé Mike did get to New York coming from Los Angeles. The award I was nominated for was not announced till the end of the program, about 2 hours and 43 minutes later. Ken, Max and I got back to Phoenix in time to start to watch the awards ceremony and when it finally came to the Woman of the Year Technology award and they announced my name, everyone in my house was screaming and yelling in shock and joy. Here is the link to the event; my daughter accepted the award on my behalf and totally changed my acceptance speech. All too much fun for us. Oh yes, my award is not announced until 2 hours and 43 minutes into the ceremony. OUCH! The awards presentations will be broadcast on Livestream via the Stevie Awards for Women in Business website and our Facebook feed from 7:30 pm ET. Cheers, Laurie Lopat-Polasko

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Congratulations Fr. Mario Garcia

On Oct 28, 2018 at St. William/St. Vincent de Paul, Fr. Maio Garcia was pre-sented the St. Vincent de Paul appreciation cross. Father is a Vincentian at St. William. Deacon Jim Cascio did the presentation after mass.

Thank you Father, for your support of St. Vincent de Paul, and the work we do to assist those in need.

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For the past three years, the

Arizona Painting Company has

generously donated turkeys to the

SVdP Conference Ss. Simon and

Jude. This year these gentlemen

arrived with 125 turkeys. We would

not be able to serve many of the

neighbors in our parish without

their help. We are very blessed to

have them taking such good care

of our needs.

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Peg Lanphear

President, SS Simon and Jude

WITH HEARTFELT GRATITUDE

Free Legal Clinic

Free legal advice offered every third Thursday, from 4:30 to 6:00 pm, at Family Assistance.

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Jubilarians Honored at Ss Simon and Jude

On September 22, 2018, nine

Vincentians received their Jubilarian

Cross at Holy Mass at Ss Simon and

Jude Cathedral. They are Hilda

Cabanillas, Tom Collins, Lillian Dye,

Maria Gama, Maria Kieffer, Peg,

Lanphear, Tom Lanphear, Jane

Schmidt and Therese Shay. These

Vincentians have served for a total of

over 80 years.

Most of these Vincentians were invited

to become members by family and

friends, although, a couple of them

were from other ministries. These

wonderful volunteers have served in many

ministries within the church as well as other

places.

They all agree that they have learned to look

for Jesus in everyone they meet and ask

themselves “What would Jesus do?” They

are able to see Him through the joy people

have regardless of their circumstances.

They all show love toward our neighbors

and demonstrate great love and respect for

their fellow Vincentians. They have learned

not to judge, to be patient, show sympathy

and compassion, have hope, to always

follow your heart, accept wherever you are,

show kindness, be understanding, be a

good listener, a good communicator and

pray, pray, pray.

God always provides enough when you are

generous with what has been given to you

and if you go beyond what is expected of

you, joyfully, then you are able to see that

clients are so appreciative of your efforts.

Our Vincentians have served in many

capacities at Ss Simon and Jude, such as

home visits, pantry interviewing and

preparing food boxes, answering phones for

appointments, keeping shelves stocked,

picking up food at Watkins and grocery and

bread stores, coordinating fundraisers and

serving as officers.

Volunteering within the parish includes

Eucharistic Adoration, communion to the

homebound, coordinating efforts for an

international project in Guatemala, Altar

Society, visiting retired Vincentians in care

facilities, religious education classes and

counting money. Other volunteer efforts

include Eucharistic Minister, Lector, Legion

of Mary, Special Ministries at Watkins

(helping set up for Holy Mass), working with

the homeless, food reclamation, translator at

the clinic and serving the deported at

Nogales, Mexico.

We feel very blessed at Ss Simon and Jude

Conference to be working side by side with

these wonderful Christian Servants.

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Society of St. Vincent de Paul November 2018

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Society of St. Vincent de Paul November 2018

Poker run raised food for St. Vincent’s By John Gutekunst Parker Pioneer Nov 20, 2018

The annual Food Drive and Poker Run for the Society of St. Vincent De Paul was held Nov. 17. Seen with some of the food donated are (from left) St. Vincent’s President Ron Brayman and Shauna and Lucas Marler from The Bar. Pioneer photo/John Gutekunst

The annual Food Drive and Poker Run for the Society of St. Vincent De Paul was held Nov. 17. Motorcyclists dropped off non-perishable food donations at The Bar, which is located on Riverside Drive near the intersection with State Route 95. The donations will be used by the Society to assist low-income families and people in the Parker area. Ron Brayman, the President of the Sacred Heart Chapter of the Society of St. Vincent De Paul, thanked Lucas and Shauna Marler of The Bar for sponsoring the event. Brayman said the Society serves 100 people per day at their soup kitchen, Lois’s Dining Hall. They also deliver food boxes across the county, including Ehrenberg and Wenden. They also serve hot meals to the homebound within the town of Parker. The Society is always looking for donations and volunteers. While all donations are accepted, Brayman said cash donations are the best because they can purchase what they need at reduced costs. For more information, call the Society of St. Vincent De Paul at 928-669-2523.

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Queen of Peace Conference covered three stores on Turkey Tuesday. We were stretched to the limit. It was a long day from before 7 a.m. to after 7 p.m. One Vincentian, Lenn Melcher spent the entire day going from store to store to the pantry, collecting turkeys and other food and then dropping it off at our pantry. Several other conference members spent most of the day in the pantry – putting the turkeys into the freezer and preparing for the next day when we hand out the turkeys. Fortunately, we were assisted by two of the clergy from our parish. Early on Tuesday morning, Father Timothy Seavey, dressed in clerical garb, got right into action. Father Tim served at all three stores. At a Food City store, Deacon Richard Areyzaga held forth - not the least bit shy about greeting and talking to people as they entered. The two clerics spoke to people as they entered. Both were able to use Spanish fluently. They smiled and thanked people as they entered and when they droped off a donation. Pastoral blessings were given. Furthermore, members of the Knights of Columbus at Queen of

Peace joined us in this day of service All in all, these good people were of immense help and made it possible to man the stores.

Turkey Tuesday continued on into the night. Our president, Patricia Estrada, oversaw the paper work and counting that is so necessary in an operation as big as Thanksgiving. Some 155 turkeys were collected; so we will have turkeys to deliver for Christmas also. We hope to have enough turkeys in January to send to the Maricopa Skill Center where they will be quartered like last year. Besides the 155 turkeys, we estimate that over 50 boxes of other foods were collected, at a value of about $2,000. At last count, we received about $1,500, including the “Widow’s Mite” from those who donated their change into our collection jars.

Conference members were back again on Wednesday serving the poor in our area from 9:00 a.m. until after 3:00 p.m. - in what we call – Turkey Wednesday, when Queen of Peace Conference gives out turkeys and fixings to about a hundred families.

A beautiful day - or two - a beautiful service to the poor and needy. Our members are enriched and blessed by being able to do this year after year. Our thanks to them and to all our volunteers, who worked a long day in the vineyard of the Lord.

SPECIAL HANDS HELPING TO SERVE Clerical help on Turkey Tuesday

Jay Kilroy, Queen of Peace Conference

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Society of St. Vincent de Paul November 2018

Blessed Frederic Ozanam Intercession Prayer Line

O God, our Father, You alone have the power to bestow those precious gifts of Yours which we rightly call miracles. If it be Your will, be pleased to grant such a gift on behalf of...

ALL SAINTS MESA Tom Margalski Judy Allard Nancy Hackert Geri Adams Veronica Nord Maureen Julian CHURCH OF THE RESUR-RECTION Caroline Steele Judy Steele Bob Bruce HOLY CROSS Traci Fay HOLY FAMILY Emily Allaire IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Mike Vize Sally Ochoa Lucy Lucero Linda Lee–Chambon Diane McCann MOST HOLY TTRINITY Jackie Hennings OLPH SCOTTSDALE Mike Herrrmann Pat Hawn Forrest Dougherty Lila Wisdom Barbara Lowman OUR LADY OF GUADA-LUPE Joe DiGiovanni OUR LADY OF THE LAKE Doris Vore QUEEN OF PEACE Susan Petrie Mary Kay Dunlevy Martina Bonilla SACRED HEART—PARKER Karen Rath Mary Gonzales

ST. BRIDGET Lou Martinez Vince Gutierrez ST. JAMES Diane Stofko Abel Noble SACRED HEART—PRESCOTT Richard Howell Herb Bourgault ST. THOMAS THE APOSTLE John Winters ST. THOMAS AQUINAS Vince Kempton ST. LOUIS THE KING Phil Whelan Ed & Esther Escarcega Raul & Elvia Lujan Mario & Mary Fierros ST. CLARE OF ASSISI Kathy Ford ST. FRANCIS XAVIER Margie Charles Gene Gazzola Joan Gazzola ST. GERMAINE Pat Caldwell Joe Zambito Sue Christian Freda Jeffries Fred Widmer Kathy Ferguson Sandy Smith ST. GREGORY Gabe Arellano Ceci Andrews Josie Gutierrez Frank Sano ST. MARGARET MARY-BHC Rev. Peter Dobrowski

ST. MARY—KINGMAN Janie Scott Roger and Rita Gaumond ST. MARY MAGDALENE Nancy Weise ST. VINCENT DE PAUL Henrietta Cordova ST. JEROME Nancy Barnes Yvonne Hurley ST. JOSEPH—WILLIAMS Theresa Norsworthy ST. MATTHEW Evelyn Guerra Charles Seps ST. JOACHIM & ST. ANNE Gene Harmeling Irene Sosnicki Harry Steckler Al La Rocque Mary Taylor Lucia Mastroianni Terry DeYoung Al and Alice LaRocque ST. ROSE PHILIPPINE DUCHESNE Demore Family ST. STEVEN’S Pat Krause ST. THERESA Bill Haugen

SVDP EXECUTIVE OFFICE Jake Doyle Bob Cox Len Tichavsky Geri Adelmann Aleena Who Dr. David Goldfarb Barbara Cabin Don Meis Dr. Oliver Harper Jacquie Lehe The Delbrocco Family Dick Hannon Frank Labriola Alice Ambrose Alice Ehmann Arden O’Connor Michelle Small Jerry Simmons Catherine Mulhern Esteban Chavez John Jakubczyk Cindy Coons Rosemary Brown Peter McQuaid Kathleen Nageotte Sharon Ehmann Paul Joseph DeMuro Daniel Mark "Bear" Johnson Joe Casey Thomas Bugai Bryce Yarbrough Mary Raymond Betsy Adams

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Requiescat In

Pace

May the Angels lead them into Paradise, may the martyrs receive them at their coming

and lead them into Jerusalem, the Holy City. May the Choir of Angels welcome them

and, with Lazarus, who was also poor, may they have everlasting rest.

Joe Appleby Our Lady of Perpetual Help Glendale

Frances Schaefer St. Frances Xavier

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Society of St. Vincent de Paul November 2018

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Merry ChristmasMerry ChristmasMerry Christmas

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

-Luke 2:14