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

September 2006

Each year, the Gateway Vincentian Volunteers enter into a covenant with one another. Please take a moment to read the covenant of the 2006-2007 Gateway Vincentian Volunteers.

We,
the Gateway Vincentian Volunteers
of 2006-2007,

have come together from different walks of life and
faith perspectives to live deliberately in the spirit of
St. Vincent DePaul. We are committed to seeking Christ
in all whom we encounter.

Our mission is not to give handouts, but to experience the transformative power of God’s people by living in solidarity with the poor whom Jesus reached out to during his time on earth.

Our work is love made visible; our community is a place to encourage one another and live out the Gospel in its most basic form. In all that we do, we will respect the dignity of the human person as well as the earth and its resources. We will grow in one another through a commitment to dialogue and constructive exposure to our passionate beliefs. We will strive to emulate the spiritual friendship that Vincent and Louise shared.

We will take this spirituality, this amalgamation of imperfection, out into the larger community, and through our work we will change our world. By remaining engaged, we will have a positive effect on those we serve. Through Christ, we will allow ourselves to have a life-altering experience.

With Grateful Hearts,
 We Thank Our Donors!

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 2006. Your generosity helps make this program possible! 

  • An anonymous Vincentian
  • Mike and Sheila Burton
  • Rev. Lawrence Christensen, C.M.
  • Dennis and Susan Cuddihee
  • Charles and Nancy Demarest (Parents of Stephanie Demarest, GVV 03-04)
  • Paul Heidemann
  • Br. Richard Hermann, C.M.
  • Frank and Beatrice Hoyner
  • Edwin and Audrey Kadlec
  • Jim and Jane Lammers
  • Paula and Clinton Lassiter (Parents of Clare Lassiter, GVV 05-06)
  • Christy Leming (GVV 03-04)
  • Kenneth and Marian Lemp
  • Sarah Lenhart (GVV 01-02)
  • The Moody’s Foundation Matching Gifts Program (Employer of Liz Sain, GVV 02-03)
  • Tom and Suzan Ochocinksi
  • Thomas and Cheryl Parrett (Uncle & Aunt of GVV Christopher Bickhaus 06-07)
  • Rev. Henry Piacitelli, C.M.
  • Bill and Mary Lou Schicker
  • Tony and Sue Tumminia
  • Rev. Ray Van Dorpe, C.M.
  • Gerald and Joan Wentzel
  • Grace Whalen
  • Steve Wiederkehr (GVV 00-01)
  • Rev. Robert Zimney, C.M.

Tributes in memory of:

Dorothy Knight from Larry and Amelia Berra
Evan Delano from Phil Delano and Mary Engelbreit
Mary McGowan from Michael Martin
Jack and Sylvia Long Rev. R. William Rhinehart, C.M.
Our departed missionaries in China, Chile, and Taiwan from Br. Matthew Teel, C.M.
Jerry McDevitt from an anonymous donor

We also sincerely thank our donors who have asked to remain anonymous.  If we have inadvertently omitted your name from our donor list, please accept our sincere apology AND let us know so that we can correct the error!

And another great big thanks to…
Bill and Mary Lou Schicker, Tricia and John Thiel, and Michelle and Michael Todt for hosting the GVV Donor Recognition Barbecue at the Schicker Family Farm in St. Clair on September 16. We thank you for the delicious barbecue and wonderful afternoon!

The Mystery of the Poor
by Adam Tyler Brown

Adam works at Guardian Angel Settlement Association, which provides a variety of support services to people living in poverty. Adam wrote this reflection during the first month of his service.

The mother’s shouts of “Hey!” from outside Guardian Angel Settlement Association pull me from my book .”Get back here, you ________. Get in here, do your homework!”

It’s 4:45 p.m. The workday is over and the cackle of the Clinton Peabody project has raised to a high-pitched scream. Across the street, there are children everywhere, in school uniforms, beads in their hair. Running, dribbling balls, riding bikes, fighting. And one angry mother is calling her child names as she prepares dinner.

The workday is done. I am the last person at Guardian Angel Settlement Association and all of the sudden I’m feeling alone. During the day, I peddle food and clothes to people who come into our agency. And in return I get to ask questions, “How much do you make a month? How much do you get in food stamps? And you don’t get SSD? You were injured last month, you sure you don’t get SSD? Are you working anywhere? Why not?”

The clients play the game. They make some concessions, I make some concessions, and then I go bag their groceries.

But it’s over for today. We’re closed up and all I can do is watch life happen across the street.

I’ve worked a month here in this gentrified project, a stone’s throw away from the Scottrade Center where the St. Louis Blues play hockey.  A month here and I still have experiences that anger and amaze me everyday.

This is the great mystery of the poor. Every time I’m about to write them off as selfish, greedy, uneducated, deluded people, something brings me back. Earlier on Monday, when the homeless guys come in for clothes, I had one such event.

There’s an old man, Howie, who comes in every month on the dot for clothes. His long white hair is always mashed down under a hat. Clad in black pants and a long-sleeved maroon polo shirt, he looks dignified until you notice his stained clothes, his worn shoes.

When Howie sits down for intake he folds his arms and tucks his chin down. The whites of his eyes are magnified by his dark skin. He answers questions only when he has to.

“You ever stay in shelters?”

Silence.

“Been over to Larry Rice’s?”

Again, nothing.

“Do you want to get off the street?”

“When the time comes.”

“Are you interested in finding work?”

“When the time comes.”

And so it goes, until I finally give up and tell him to sit in the lobby and wait to go over to the thrift store.

This morning, however, Howie came in and he was different.

“You know, those shelters are crazy. I don’t like the people there. They act like it’s a village, when really it’s just a place to get a meal and lay your head down. I’d like to stay in a shelter when it gets cold out like it’s gonna get, but I only go when I have to. As long as I’m warm and I got a dry place, and nobody’s going to beat me in the head when I go to sleep, I’m alright.”

“Did you get hit in the head?” I ask.

“No, but these streets are crazy. Women get beat up, people get killed. You never know what’s going to happen.”

Now  Howie’s sounding more like my dad, sitting at home, talking about “those mean urban streets” over coffee and reports of the latest drug bust in the Herald Dispatch.

Howie tells me that he has congestive heart failure and he’s afraid of hospitals. Since he doesn’t drug, drink, or smoke, I tell him he is probably eligible for disability benefits.

“I don’t want anybody taking care of me,” he says. “I’m going to take care of myself as well as I can, for as long as I can. All I want to do is live and be healthy until the good Lord takes me and my time comes.”

We finish the interview, go over to the store, and Howie brings his items up to me. He has two sweaters and a heavy jacket. I fold the sweaters. Put them in a bag with his care kit, socks, and underwear.

“That looks like a big warm coat,” I say.
His face brightens. “Yeah, that’s what I come in for,” he says, already anticipating how the coat will feel on these chilly autumn mornings. “Everything else is Christmas.”

I couldn’t agree more.

Words of Vincent
Servants of the Poor,
That is the same as saying,
“Servants of Jesus Christ”
Since he considers as done to Himself
What is done for the poor,
Who are his members.

MATCHING FUNDS APPEAL COMING
IN JANUARY!

We are happy to announce that in January we will be sending you information about our second Annual Matching Gifts Appeal to support the Gateway Vincentian Volunteers program.

We are blessed by a special group of donors, the Gatekeepers, vwho will match donations made to the GVV program from the time of the mailing to end of March 2007.

INFORMATION ABOUT THIS APPEAL COMING TO YOUR MAILBOX IN JANUARY!

A Revolution of the Heart
by Nicole Wheatcroft


While driving back to St. Louis one weekend, I found myself praying with Romans 8:28—All things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose. Many events in my life that I deemed failures at the time wound up being God’s greatest gifts.

Three years ago, I was in the middle of the beginning of my life. With an 18-hour course load and a stack of scholarship applications for graduate school, everything was coming together the way I wanted, when terror struck: I did not know what I wanted! 

What was God’s plan for my life? I tried to draw upon my religious upbringing as an evangelical Protestant, but despite my best efforts, I could not shake the feeling that something vital was missing.

After many late-night conversations with my Catholic roommate, I went on a Koinonia retreat to learn more about Catholic doctrine (so I could refute it). Instead, I converted to Catholicism, coming into the Church in April, 2004. My life would be so different today if I hadn’t known the feeling of uncertainty and helplessness that pervaded those few months.

After my conversion, I knew I wanted to take a year to volunteer before thinking about graduate school again. My parents were less than thrilled after paying for my college education, but I set off for Providence Volunteer Ministry at St. Mary of the Woods. I had no notions of saving the world, but I did come expecting “not to be served, but to serve,” setting the stage for yet another backfired intention.

I worked with White Violet Center for Eco-Justice and with the elderly Sisters of Providence in their healthcare facility, where I met Sister Angie. Over a few months, this retired elementary school teacher taught me that God’s love for each of us defines our lives. Even though cancer was claiming her life, being with her was a taste of heaven as she approached the light of God’s presence. As I cried through her wake and funeral, I realized she had taught me something else: how to love with the heart of a child.

I wanted another volunteer experience, but I got a rejection letter from the program of my choice the week after Angie died. Then, I came down with the flu so bad that I went home to stay with my parents for fear of making any of the Sisters sick.  All the doors I tried didn’t open. Once again I felt helpless.

While at home recovering from the flu, I got an e-mail from my spiritual director recommending the Gateway Vincentian Volunteer program, so I sent in my application. A few days later, I got a call from the program director, Jim Ryan. I still remember sitting in my pajamas, talking to him on the phone, and apologizing for being so congested and hard to understand!

In retrospect, helplessness was my vehicle to true surrender. God knew I would walk through any door where I saw light. When my one-hour phone interview with Jim and Geri Ryan turned into a two-hour interview with lots of laughter, I felt peace about at least the next ten months of my life.

After a religious conversion, meeting and losing a friend who changed my life, and struggling to find God’s path for me, I thought I might get to rest a little. God has other plans.

My revolution of heart continues as I listen and learn from the women of Let’s Start, a program for formerly incarcerated women. The brokenness and helplessness considered weakness in my success-driven background are actually great gifts. But brokenness is just the first step in a life-long quest for wholeness. On that journey, the poor have so much to teach us. Everyday I am learning that my weakness is an opportunity for God to show His strength.

Spotlight on GVV Work Site Our Lady’s Inn

On January 22, 2007, Our Lady’s Inn (OLI) will celebrate 25 years of serving homeless pregnant women and their children. OLI opened as an emergency residential shelter in 1982. Since then more than 3,000 women have received shelter and support, and more than 3,000 babies have been born. More than 1,500 children have been housed.

The mission of OLI is:
We believe every unborn child has a right to life, and every pregnant woman has the right to give birth with dignity.
We are dedicated to providing safe shelter, food, clothing, education, counseling and vocational guidance to address the physical, mental, and spiritual needs of women in crisis pregnancies, as an alternative to abortion.
We are committed to providing families a stabilized living situation based on spiritual values, saving lives, building healthy and hopeful tomorrows, one mother, one baby, one family at a time.

Our Lady’s Inn offers a variety of programs to support the women and children—and they are grateful for their volunteers who help the staff implement the programs.  “Our Gateway Vincentian Volunteer is invaluable in fulfilling the direct needs of the clients—by providing transportation to doctor’s appointments, job interviews, as well as helping with childcare,” says Gloria Lee, Executive Director of Our Lady’s Inn.

Not only is Our Lady’s Inn life-giving for its clients but for its volunteers as well. Amanda Broussard, the Gateway Vincentian Volunteer working at OLI this year, says, “I feel so blessed to be here because I know I am doing God’s work. I was once a pro-life supporter, but now I am an advocate for the unborn.”

Thank You, Dr. Fred Rottnek!

Due to additional workloads at his practice and as a faculty member at Aquinas Institute of Theology, Dr. Fred Rottnek has resigned his position on the Gateway Vincentian Volunteers Board of Directors.

With grateful hearts we thank Dr. Fred for all his contributions. Dr. Fred began his association with the GVV program as a work site supervisor.  He supervised two Gateway Vincentian volunteers and then in 2003, he joined the board. He was instrumental in setting up the first GVV self-study, which has just been completed. Dr. Fred has promised to be available to the program on a consulting basis.

We thank Dr. Fred for his time, energy, creativity, and care of the Gateway Vincentian Volunteers!

Living the Vincentian Mission:
GVVA Steve Wiederkehr

“I have an intense drive to make a difference in people’s lives,”  wrote Steve Wiederkehr in his application to the Gateway Vincentian Volunteers program in July of 2000. That drive to help others was apparent during Steve’s volunteer year and is still evident in his life now, more than six years after his experience with the GVV program.

Steve, a native of St. Meinrad, Indiana, began his year of volunteer service in August of 2000, one of the first volunteers in the then brand-new GVV program. Steve was assigned to St. Vincent DePaul Church in St. Louis, an urban parish with a variety of outreach services to people living in poverty.

There Steve displayed his drive to make a difference in people’s lives. He supervised neighborhood children on field trips, served meals to the hungry and homeless, provided rent and utility assistance to individuals coming to the parish for help, tutored students, and assisted with activities designed for senior citizens. Of his service as a GVV at St. Vincent’s Steve says, “Everything I know about serving and loving the poor I learned in that year—it was my first experience of urban poverty.”

When Steve completed his year
of volunteer service, he was hired by Fr. Jim Cormack, C.M., then pastor of St. Vincent’s Parish. As a full-time staff member, Steve continued to serve people in need by coordinating the meals program and assisting with all social service activities. Steve explains, “The work at St. Vincent’s taught me the value of being in a parish community. After my experience there I couldn’t just go to mass every Sunday—I had to be more involved.”

After one year at St. Vincent’s, Steve entered into formation with the Vincentians of the Midwest Province. He was in formation for two years, one year in St. Louis attending Aquinas Institute of Theology and St. Louis University and a second year in Chicago studying at Catholic Theological Union. Steve shares, “My seminary experience taught me the intellectual aspects of the Catholic faith. That knowledge is now integrated with the ‘doing’ part of my faith, which is Vincentian.”

When Steve left the formation program, he returned to St. Louis. He began working as a Residential Instructor for Life Skills, living and working with adults with developmental disabilities. Now Steve is also working with United Parcel Service as a Day Sort Supervisor. In addition, he is pursuing a Master’s degree in Public Policy Administration at the University of Missouri.

Despite his very busy schedule, Steve still finds time for volunteer activities. He is a Parish School of Religion teacher at St. Vincent’s as well as a Liturgy of the Word for Children catechist. He is also the treasurer of the Young Adult Conference of the St. Vincent DePaul Society.

Steve is an active member of the Gateway Vincentian Volunteers Associates, an organization of former GVV volunteers. He has attended both volunteer reunion retreats and is a regular at the once-a-month Friday evening dinners with current and former volunteers and the Vincentians of the Arsenal Street Residence. Steve is a generous donor to the GVV program. He is also a highly valued member of the Magical Vinnie Kickers, the kickball team comprised of current and former volunteers!

In early June, Steve will be married to Sarah Lenhart, also a former Gateway Vincentian Volunteer (2001-2002). Sarah is a Nursing Assistant at Ranken Jordan Pediatric Rehabilitation Hospital. Like Steve, Sarah is involved in the St. Vincent DePaul Society and the GVVA organization.

I have an intense drive to make a difference in people’s lives. Steve is truly a young man who puts his words into action. He is a contributing member of the Vincentian Family, called to serve and be served by those in need.

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
Mr. John Capellupo
Fr. David Nations, C.M.
Mr. Ted Fiedler
Ms. Martha Lane
Sr. Kathy Overman, D.C.
Nichole Schneider, GVVA
Mrs. Sue Shine
Jim and Geri Ryan, Directors, ex-officio members of board

Board meetings are held at 6:00 p.m. on the second Monday every other month.

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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