Working, Praying, and Living in the Spirit of Vincent DePaul

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December 2004

Seeing the Face of Christ

By Rachael Edelen

When God asks me what I did for His people, I want to respond with more than just a tiny, little, itty-bitty “meep.”

When you tell people that you’re going to volunteer a year of your life with an organization and live on a minimal stipend, people look at you like you’ve grown another head. And then they recover and tell you how incredibly awesome it is that you’re doing it. But the inevitable question comes: “How are you going to survive on such a small stipend?” I simply shrugged and said, “Well, my expenses are covered, and I did it in college.”

I’ve learned that God looks out for procrastinators. I was two years out of college, had a Religious Studies degree, and was quitting my job. I needed something to do (as my parents constantly reminded me!), and nothing was sounding appealing. I met someone who had worked in the Peace Corps, and she spoke with such enthusiasm about her experience that I decided that I should explore the volunteer opportunities that were available to me.
I told a friend of mine in the Saint Louis area about my search, and he was the one who happened to stumble onto something up my alley–a Roman Catholic volunteer program within Saint Louis City. I thought that it sounded exciting and decided to apply. He encouraged me through the process and kept me on task. At midnight on the evening of the deadline for the program, I submitted my application. And prayed that I wasn’t too late. God answered my prayers.

So I arrived in St. Louis, excited to meet the other members of the community. Seven strangers picked to live in a house, The Real World: The Catholic Version, 2004 - 2005 had begun.

My placement is at Guardian Angel Settlement. When I asked Jim during my interview what this would entail, he explained to me about their food pantry and how they helped with utilities and clothing for homeless people. So I just imagined a program like the one the Lay Pastoral Associate at my church was in charge of and stretched out to forty hours a week. I could handle that.

Part of embodying the message of St. Vincent DePaul is to try to see Christ in everyone you meet. That can be incredibly easy for those people that you like, but when it’s the frustrating child who cannot sit in his chair the right way and for the fourth week in a row still doesn’t understand a math concept, or the client who comes in and wants you to contribute $800 towards her disconnected gas bill because she doesn’t budget her money well, it is a far more difficult task. Christ is in the people who sit and thank you for your help with their problem, but yet He’s still in the people who call you names as they leave the agency, trying to save face. He’s in people regardless of whether or not you’re having a good day. And sometimes it’s hard to remember that.

I have seen women who are my age and already have five children. I have seen women toughened by the streets and jail time. I have seen men who are homeless but still find a funny story to relate to me. Men and women alike tell me that they have been incredibly blessed by God and that they can’t really complain, even as they are humbling themselves to ask me to help with a food pantry order.

Before my experience here, I was a snob. Definitely hidden underneath the surface, but unfortunately it was there. I knew it, and I detested it. I did not want to think of myself as better simply because I was blessed with better economic and educational opportunities than those whom I serve. After talking with these people, I realize something: they have a strength that I don’t possess. There is no way that I could brave the streets all night in a big city. I couldn’t even imagine having one child to look after at this point in my life, let alone several. And these people are working with their situations and trying to do their best. That is strength. And in their own way, they inspire me to be a better person.

Because I’m volunteering a year of my life, people think that I am giving up so much. The reality of the situation is, I am gaining so much more.

THANK YOU!

The Gateway Vincentian Volunteers program is grateful to our donors, who help us in so many ways—by making financial contributions as well as donations of time and talent. In this issue, we recognize those who have made monetary contributions since our last newsletter in September, 2004. Your generosity helps make this program possible. We are so grateful to each and every one of you!

• Lawrence and Amelia Berra
• Tony and Donna Buehrle
• John and Mary Ann Capellupo
• Thomas and Patricia Dinkins, III
• Ted and Penny Fiedler
• Lawrence and Nita Herold
• Rick and Mary Ann Hoffman
• John and Elaine Jansen
• E. and Mary Juillerat
• Georgia Kahrhoff
• Helen Kassing
• Thomas and Doreen Kelly
• Michael and Pamela Klump
• Martha Lane
• Ken and Marian Lemp
• John and Margaret Lottes
• Kevin and Linda McDonough
• John and Lucy McMenamy
• Thomas and Suzan Ochocinski
• Rev. Henry Piacitelli, C.M.
• Rev. Robert Rhinehart, C.M.
• Sr. Mary Roch Rochlage, RSM, & the Sisters of Mercy—Kirkwood
• Fred Rottnek, MD
• Rev. Charles Shelby, C.M.
• Mary Lou and Bill Schicker
• Br. Matthew Teel, C.M.
• Michael and Michelle Todt
• Tony and Sue Tumminia
• Rev. Ray Van Dorpe, C.M.
• John and Joan Vatterott
• Gerald and Joan Wentzel
• Rev. Robert Zimney, C.M.

TO SUPPORT THE GATEWAY VINCENTIAN VOLUNTEERS PROGRAM, THE BOARD HAS PLANNED SEVERAL SPECIAL EVENTS. MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

Fool for Christ, a one-woman dramatic presentation on the life of Dorothy Day. Reserve your seat now! E-mail gatevol@aol.com or call 314-771-1474.
St. Catherine Laboure Church, 9740 Sappington Road, St. Louis, MO 63128

• Thursday, March 10, 2005, Matinee performance, 12:30. Ticket price $10.00
• Friday, March 11, 2005, Evening performance, 7:30 with simple reception following. Ticket price $15.00

The Second Annual GVV “No Frills” Golf Tournament.

Sunday, June 5, 2005, at Grand Marais Golf Course. $75.00 per person, includes golf, light lunch, barbecue dinner, and prizes galore! More details to come!

Each year, the Gateway Vincentian Volunteers enter into a covenant with one another. Throughout the month of September, they discuss how they will work, pray, and live in the spirit of Vincent. We ask them to write their covenant in its final form by September 27th, the feast of St. Vincent DePaul. Please take a moment to read the covenant of the 2004-2005 Gateway Vincentian Volunteers.

COVENANT

We, the Gateway Vincentian Volunteers of 2004-2005, will live by the grace of God. We commit to encountering Christ through growing in faith, developing community relationships, and serving in the spirit of St. Vincent DePaul. We will live balanced lives by sharing individual faith journeys to create a communal faith experience; striving to become engaged, open, and honest in our relationships; and seeking Christ’s face through service and simplicity.

As a community, we will:

Live in the spirit of St. Vincent DePaul.
Be real and authentic, acknowledging relevant emotions and experiences.
Address conflict appropriately and when necessary.
Accept God’s grace of forgiveness and offer grace to others.
Share in regular prayer and study.
Respect faith diversity.
Practice simplicity and social justice.
Empathize with the poor.
Engage in monthly service outside of our work sites.
Laugh and have fun.
Honor diverse personalities.
Hold one another accountable.
Love one another as family.

Answering a Call

by Mark Buehrle

After attending Project Vincent (a young adult retreat in Chicago sponsored by the Vincentians and the Daughters of Charity), I had discovered motivation for wanting to work with the poor that I did not know existed. After a few phone calls and an interview with Jim and Geri, everything fell into place. There was one space left in the GVV program, there was a job opening for an English teacher (with English being my major), and the two jobs I had applied for earlier in the summer fell through.

Feeling anxious, and after discussing the idea with my family (who showed tremendous support for this decision), I could not wait to begin. I looked forward to the opportunity to meet new people, to learn about the lives of those who are less fortunate, and the chance to test my capabilities as an English teacher. I felt the possibilities were endless.

Not a shred of doubt caused me to question that this is what I was being called to do at this point in my life. And, of course, with those who I now consider family here, my decision has been worthwhile. The diverse opinions held by members of our community, the closeness that now exists between us, and the enjoyment community members express have given me a deeper sense of comfort in doing God’s work as a volunteer.

As for doing God’s work (through teaching), it has been extremely challenging. With no experience in teaching—much less at an alternative high school—I have experienced many surprising events. However, I have maintained an optimistic attitude, because I figure if I have any drive to spend my future career teaching, this would be my best chance to find out.

Some days I wonder if teaching is really my future calling. Other days I find that hidden excitement that drives me to make a difference in other people’s lives.

During lunch one day, a student came to me and asked if he could spend the hour working on the comic book he had started earlier in the quarter. The opportunity for me to support his goal of being a comic book writer seemed to make this an easy decision. I was a little concerned about asking him how things were coming along with his efforts in publishing, but I decided to go ahead and find out. He immediately said that things were going great. He had just received word that his ideas and drawings were enough to influence some publishing companies to take a look at his work. Wow! One of my students was getting closer and closer to achieving his goal as a writer. A goal such as this, especially for a high school student, seemed extremely difficult to fulfill.

Nothing that day could have made my mood any greater. But he then said something I will never forget. He explained that through my teaching methods—making the classroom a more personal atmosphere, teaching about different writing methods, and instructing students about how to focus on their objectives with a positive attitude—he had learned so much more this quarter than the previous quarter.

He claimed that my teaching methods were what had motivated him to believe in himself through his writing and to strive for his goal. I was really stunned when he said that to me. How could I have made such a difference in his life?

But he did not stop there. He went on to say that he, as well as other students, felt that because of my teaching habits, they had more fun in class than they had before. He said that he would never forget me and really appreciated my being there for him. I could not believe it. After spending weeks thinking about how I was making a difference at Vincent Gray, I began to see why God had chosen me for this job. I really had nothing to say that day. And even now, I cannot believe how much of a difference one can make without even realizing what one is really teaching in life.

As teachers we learn to accept our students’ differences and thrive on teachable moments. Some days we might feel aggravated with certain students and begin to doubt our teaching abilities. But these days are learning opportunities as well. It becomes our greatest challenge to be patient and find the one good thing that made a difference each day. It becomes our motivation to continue teaching.
While I have had my days of questioning why God chose me for this job, I know deep down that this really is what I have been called to do. It does not matter how I got here, but that I am here now. God has different ways to call us to do his work in life, and sometimes we just need to learn to accept these opportunities and take advantage of the learning experience. We are all called to live our lives a certain way, and it is only a matter of time before we find the next job God has assigned for us. I feel that Thomas Aquinas sums it up best in three simple words: “Everything in time.”

"You will find that charity is a heavy burden to carry,
Heavier than the bowl of soup and the basket of bread.
You must keep your gentleness and your smile.
It is not enough to give soup and bread.
This the rich can do.

YOU ARE A SERVANT OF THE POOR.

They are your masters, terribly sensitive and exacting as you will see. But the more unjust and insulting, the more love you must give them. It is your love, only your love, that the poor will forgive you the bread you give to them."

- St. Vincent DePaul

The Gateway Vincentian Volunteers Program
Board of Directors

Fr. Ed Murphy, C.M., President
Mr. Rich LaPlume, Vice-President
Fr. Tom Esselman, C.M., Secretary
Ms. Tricia Theil, Treasurer
Honorable Mike Burton
Mr. John Capellupo
Fr. David Nations, C.M.
Mr. Ted Fiedler
Sr. Kieran Kneaves, D.C.
Ms. Martha Lane
Mr. Bill McRoberts
Sr. Kathy Overman, D.C.
Dr. Fred Rottnek
Mrs. Sue Shine
Jim and Geri Ryan, Directors, ex-officio members of board

Are you interested in supporting one Gateway Vincentian Volunteer during his or her year of service? Would your parish or organization like to help?

Please let us know.

Thank you!

314-771-1474  888-771-7220  gatevol@aol.com

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Gateway Vincentian Volunteers
2912 Arsenal Street
St. Louis, MO 63118
(314) - 771-1474
Toll free: (888)-771-7220
Fax: (314) - 771-2410
email: gatevol@aol.com