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Working, Praying, and Living in the Spirit of Vincent DePaul
September 2011
The 2011-2012 Gateway Vincentian Volunteers arrived on August 14th to begin their year of serving the poor and marginalized. Please take a moment to read about each of these volunteers and, in their own words, what first attracted them to the mission of the Gateway Vincentian Volunteers program.
Emily Timm is from St. Louis. She graduated from the University of Dayton with a degree in Middle Childhood Education. Emily is serving at Marian Middle School. The cycle of poverty needs to change before this country can move forward. The GVV in particular shows this understanding because of where volunteers are placed. It seems that they are taught to be compassionate and helpful, not just giving something in hopes not be bothered again. This program is not one of just giving handouts but is teaching empowerment to those that feel invisible.
Kaitlin Peterson is from Bonner Springs, Kansas. She graduated from the University of St. Mary in Leavenworth, Kansas, with a degree in Political Science. Kaitlin is serving at Places for People at Community Alternatives. An organization such as the GVV seems like an organization that I would like to be part of because of the sense of community it has. I like the idea that we are all serving at different places but come back together and share our experiences and our faith.
Rebecca Morand is from Dundee, Michigan. She graduated from Central Michigan University with a degree in International Business. Rebecca’s work site is Guardian Angel Settlement Association at Hosea House. I was first attracted to your organization because you make it a daily goal to go out there and meet people where they are...your organization is based upon a very strong foundation of helping those people that society tends to overlook.
Katie Leifer is from Renton, Washington. She graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in History. Katie is serving at the Positive Directions program at Peter & Paul Community Services. Since October of last year I have been tutoring at a correctional facility. It has changed my outlook on life. After tutoring at the jail, I realized I wanted to do something to keep people living in poverty who are at risk to be incarcerated out of jail. Beyond helping the poor stay out of jail I want to help better their lives in any way possible.
Stewart Minor is from Denton, Texas. He graduated from the University of North Texas with a degree in Philosophy. Stewart’s work site is The Club at Places for People. Your organization provides a great opportunity for me to grow and learn as part of a community. Living as a member of a small community while working to help others is a dream of mine. I know of no better way to live.
Evan Sadler is from Dallas, Texas. He received his degree in Religion from Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas. Evan is working at the Society of St. Vincent DePaul in the Project PLUS and Project MORE programs. The Gateway Vincentian Volunteers program gives me a way to fully integrate my spiritual life with my life of service. ...By cultivating a stronger connection with God on a daily basis, I will be better able to see clearly in every being the image of God.
Cameron Sweeney is from Camden-Wyoming, Delaware. He graduated from the University of Delaware with a degree in History. Cameron is serving at Vincent Gray Academy in East St. Louis, Illinois. I believe the service you do for some of our country’s most hurting and voiceless people is beautiful. ...A program like this is a good way to learn skills and ideas on how to best serve a community in need. I also believe that Jesus is central to this, being in nature, a man of service, healing, preaching, and loving all humanity, especially those in pain. I believe my mission is to mimic Jesus in this, to love the poor, care for the hungry, clothe the naked, and shelter the homeless.
Karen Libby is from Klamath Falls, Oregon. She graduated from Willamette University with a degree in Exercise Science. Karen’s work site is Mercy Neighborhood Ministry. What most attracted me to the mission of the Gateway Vincentian Volunteers was the opportunity to be surrounded by people of faith that share my desire to serve "the least of these.”
Please pray for these eight wonderful young adults as they serve in the spirit of St. Vincent DePaul this year. And stay tuned for updates throughout the year, as our volunteers continue to share the meaning of their service as Gateway Vincentian Volunteers!
With Grateful Hearts,
We Thank Our Donors!
The names listed below are those donors who made contributions from July 2010 through September 2011. Thank you for helping us spread the mission of St. Vincent DePaul to young adults. This program would not be possible without you!
Delbert & Agnes Bohnert
Rev. Peter J. Diliberto, C.M.
Steven (GVV 09-10) & Katie Falk
Rev. Jerome Fortenberry, C.M.
Paul Heidemann
Evan & Christine (GVV 09-10) Jones
Rev. Robert Jones, C.M.
Rev. John T. Richardson, C.M.
Bill & Mary Lou Schicker
Society of St. Vincent DePaul—St. Clement Conference
Society of St. Vincent DePaul—St. Gerard Majella Conference
Gerald & Joan Wentzel
Grace Whalen
Steve (GVV 00-01) & Sarah (GVV 01-02) Wiederhehr
Alan & Diana Zajicek (Parents of GVV 20-11 Rachel Zajicek
Tributes in Honor of:
GVV 2011-2012 Emily Timm
from her parents, Edward & Carla Ann Timm
Fred and Marie Rottnek
from Dr. Fred Rottnek
Bill Schicker’s birthday
from John & Tricia Schicker Thiel
Tributes in Memory of:
Florence Bachmann
from Eugene Bachmann
John Cucco and Dorothy Knight
from Larry & Amelia Berra
Joseph Dodd
from Rev. Walter Housey, C.M.
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!
True charity knows not how to remain idle or shut up within itself. The property of fire is to give forth light and heat, so also the property of love is to communicate itself. We should love God and serve our neighbor at the expense of our goods and even of our lives.
- Vincent DePaul
Coming at the end of January to your mailbox...
Our Anuual Matching Gifts Appeal!
The Gateway Vincentian Volunteers program continues to exist because of the generosity
of our donors and of the Western Province of the Congregation of the Mission. Each year we have two large fundraisers: our Matching Gifts Appeal in February and March and our golf tournament in June.
The Matching Gifts Appeal will be mailed at the end of January. We thank you for your generosity!
Former GVVs Continue Vincentian Service in Africa
The four former GVV volunteers highlighted below were part of this summer’s session of the Vincentian Lay Missionaries (VLM), a collaborative effort of the Daughters of Charity USA, lay women and men throughout the United States, and members of the Vincentian Family in Ethiopia and Kenya, to involve young adults in the mission of serving the poor and most abandoned. Over the years, many former GVVs have been part of VLM service in Ethiopia and Kenya after completing their year of service with the Gateway Vincentian Volunteers.
Maria Martinez Hernandez (GVV 2009-2010)
Maria served in Kiio, Kenya (rural desert/famine area), helping to run a camp for children.
Maria writes…
I don’t think I’ve ever had a three-day goodbye before, but leaving Kiio took three days. We said goodbye to our camp kids on our last Friday, sending them home with little DePaul backpacks full of goodies, and what we thought would be our last high-fives and hugs. Our morning group of kids never really left, but stayed behind to say goodbye once again with our afternoon group. It was a joyful, fun last day of camp, but we all had our suspicions we would see some of our kids again on Saturday; maybe Esther and Ikosa who lived right behind us, but certainly not the others who had to walk 30, 40 minutes, or even an hour or two to get to camp. We didn’t even have to wait until Saturday. Later that evening Luvi came back and we said goodbye one more time. Then Saturday came and so did our kids. Luvi was back and of course Ikosa, who came back at least six times. Mwanzia was calling for us at the fence just to turn around and run away when we tried to hug him, and Nathan was waiting to introduce us to his best friend Mwendwa who hadn’t come to camp. Martha’s mother had called to see if she could come back because she had been crying all day to see us again. Waiting for us as well were Nzambi, Mutwa, Annah, Masaa, Mawia, and a number of little guys we had never even met. Tonny, Mary, Alice, and Kitemwa all made appearances too. We sang songs and said goodbye all over again. Sunday came and of course so did Ikosa. Kithu walked by himself early in the morning, he told us, because he wanted to say goodbye without all the other kids. Kilonzi, his brother, came a little later. We met even more kids, mostly brothers and sisters of kids who had come to camp. Our kids promised us they would teach everyone our songs. The sisters finally had to honk the horn and practically pull us away to leave. As we drove away, we had a caravan of kids following us waving and still shouting goodbye. They all asked if we were coming back, and my answer is still, “I hope so.”
Jenny Mohan (GVV 2007-2008)
Jenny served in Chepnyal, Kenya (rural mountain village), and was the coordinator of two different camps and some community outreach.
Jenny writes…
Cheyeche. She stole my heart the moment she walked into camp. She would walk over an hour with her sisters to attend camp. Cheyeche’s left knee is slightly crippled so she walks off-balance with a limp. She does not wear shoes because it makes walking harder. Her sisters would help her walk down the mountain...on rocky ground, barefoot, to attend camp. Afterwards, they did the same trip but up the mountain. She arrived at camp with a huge smile on her face and I only saw it disappear once for about 5 minutes—when she wasn’t able to play red light, green light. Instead, she sat on Maria’s bended knee while Maria and I helped her raise colored paper in the air and call out, “red light, green light, yellow light.” The smile rarely left her face during camp. Sister L. later shared with me that during the time Cheyeche attended camp they have never seen her that happy.
Christine Bentz Jones (GVV 2009-2010)
Christine served in Kitale, Kenya (border of two slums in a large city), and was coordinator of 3 camps for children.
Christine writes…
Walking back from Hellen and Metrine's home (two of our camp translators), we were greeted by a host of children in the village. Some had attended camp, but most hadn't. We were immediately surrounded, while the children laughed, smiled, and took turns holding our hands. Soon, I started to hear the soft beginnings of one of the songs we had taught in the camp. Dozens of children were joining in—and before I knew it, we were a beautiful parade of children and mzungus, singing Hallelujah. The moment brought and still does bring tears to my eyes, because it was the first time I realized that our camp wasn't just affecting the limited number of children we could take each week—it was spreading into the entire community."
Christy Leming (GVV 2003-2004)
Christy went to Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, to teach English to fourth graders and offer professional development to English teachers in the afternoon. This was her third year to enjoy a summer of service in beautiful Ethiopia. She loved reconnecting with the Daughters of Charity and former students, while also getting a chance to get back to the classroom.
Christy writes…
Henok and I met for the first time when he was a fifth grader. He was more or less being raised by the Daughters of Charity. His father died in the war, his mother died of an extended illness, and he was left with no one to care for him. The Daughters gave him his meals, paid for his schooling, arranged a place for him to stay, and the three Bahir Dar sisters assumed the shared role of mother. He was a constant presence around the compound and always eager to walk with me to town or give me advice on managing his sometimes unruly classmates. When I returned to Ethiopia after a three-year hiatus, I was shocked to find a young man with facial hair, poise, and a new job helping run the compound. He was no longer a little boy. Close to the end of our visit, Henok had us all over to a Ethiopian "coffee ceremony” in his tiny one-room house built by the Daughters for him. It was one of the most touching acts of hospitality that I have ever seen. He had picked flowers and sprinkled them over the concrete floor for ambiance. Freshly baked bread was ready for us, prepared earlier that evening with the Sisters' assistance. All three volunteers settled in a row on his bed, the only seating available. Under the bed was a small picture album, filled with his "family pictures”: Daughters of Charity and four generations of Vincentian Lay Missionaries. Henok had been on my refrigerator for years, but I had no idea it was reciprocal and that I had a space in the photo album. My time in Ethiopia this summer was so much about reconnecting with friends and realizing how much hope is present. I was amazingly blessed by my summer in Bahir Dar. As always, I received so much more than I ever could have given.
Vincentians for Life: GVV Alumni Update
The GVV program is blessed with amazing former volunteers! Please take a moment to read about what some of them from years one through five are doing. Future newsletters will continue to provide you with the latest activities of more of our alumni.
GVVs 2000-2001: Michelle Castellano Astrup and her husband, Jason, are happily teaching special education students in Queens, NY. Their son Lucas loves Star Wars and recently started kindergarten. Their son Jayden is two years old and loves playing ball and following his older brother. Steve Wiederkehr is married to Sarah Lenhart Wiederkehr (GVV 01-02) and is the proud father of Mary, two and one-half years old. In May Steve completed his Master’s of Public Policy Administration from the University of Missouri at St. Louis. He currently works as the Program Manager for Project PLUS at the Society of St. Vincent DePaul St. Louis Council. The project provides permanent supportive housing for the chronically homeless. Kelly Dodson Shoup and her husband, Jason, welcomed their daughter, Grace Madeleine, on August 5, 2011. She was 7 pounds and 19 and 1/4 inches. “Grace is such a blessing in our lives...we love our beautiful and feisty little girl.”
GVVs 2001-2002: Sarah Lenhart Wiederkehr has been married to Steve Wiederkehr for four years and is the mother of Mary. Sarah works at Ranken Jordan, a pediatric rehabilitation hospital in St. Louis, in the Central Operations department. Scott Kelley is living in Lexington, KY, and recently celebrated ten years of working in social services. Scott is currently working with a project that provides financial assistance to homeless individuals to help them get housing. Scott is also working as a real estate agent. Jeff Maciej and his wife, Rebecca, live in Minnesota. Jeff works as a care coordinator at Touchstone Mental Health and continues to work towards his clinical social work license. Rebecca works long weeks at the mental health facility that she supervises. Nichole Schneider Purvis lives in Michigan with her husband, Shaun, and her very active sons, Michael and Gabriel. Nichole and Shaun will be welcoming a third child to their wonderful family in March. Elizabeth Gappa Deboo lives in St. Louis and teaches at St. Frances Cabrini Academy. She and her husband, Bob, are the proud parents of Sophia.
GVVs 2002-2003: Elizabeth Sain lives in South Bend, IN, and works at the University of Notre Dame Press as an editor in the Manuscript Editorial department. Liz always represents the GVV program at the Notre Dame Service Fair. Kellie Willis lives in St. Louis and is the director of the Vincentian Service Corps, a yearlong volunteer program for young adults sponsored by the Daughters of Charity. Kellie is also the convener for MISEVI USA (Lay Vincentian Missionaries), the youngest member of the Vincentian Family. Christine Shine Woody is the advocacy and public education coordinator for the Missouri Association of Public Welfare. She and her husband, Paul, live in St. Charles, MO, with their son, Brendan.
GVVs 2003-2004: Jennifer Leon Courtney is living in Alabama with her husband, John, and her two children. Her daughter, Katelyn, just started kindergarten, and her son, Charles, started preschool. Stephanie Demarest is living in northern Virginia and working in Washington, DC, at a national nonprofit called First Book, which gets books to low income children. Stephanie is getting married in April. Jeremy Dixon was ordained a Vincentian priest on May 29, 2010, and is working at Sacred Heart Church in Patterson, CA. Jeremy celebrated the opening mass for the GVVs of 2011-2012! Amy Arendt Dossett was promoted to Lead Prevention Specialist at SafeHaven of Tarrant County, a nonprofit committed to ending relationship and family violence. She and her husband, Paul, are expecting a baby girl this fall. Christy Leming began her fifth year as principal at her original GVV placement, Marian Middle School, in St. Louis. Life has come full circle, as she now gets to serve as worksite supervisor to an amazing new GVV, Emily Timm. Molly Jacob started her fifth year at Julie Billiart School, a Catholic elementary special education school. She is teaching eighth grade. Molly is also planning a three-week trip to India.
GVVs 2004-2005: Amanda Broussard, now Sr. Peter Louise, made her first profession of vows in July with the Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart in Los Angeles. Rachel Edelen is working as a Senior Caseworker at Guardian Angel Settlement in St. Louis, where she supervises the wonderful current GVV Becca Morand. Mike Herold is pursuing a Master’s in Counseling at Webster University. He and his wife, Alicia Euyoque Herold (GVV 06-07) are expecting their first child any moment now! Kate Jansen is currently starting her second year of a two-year post-doctoral fellowship in clinical health psychology with the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. Nicholas Koenig renewed his vows for another year at the New Melleray Abbey, a Trappist monastery in Iowa.
Audrey Krumbach lives in Chicago and serves the United Methodist Church as the National Organizer of the Reconciling Ministries Network. Toshio Sato is in formation with the Vincentians at St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo, CA. He is in third year theology.
We are missing a few updates from the first five years. We hope to include them as well as updates on Years 6-11 in our next issue!
GVVs of 2011-2012 Commit to a
Year of Vincentian Service
Each year the Gateway Vincentian Volunteers write a covenant that describes how they will live their year of service. This covenant is to be written by September 27th, the feast of St. Vincent DePaul. Please take a moment to read the covenant of the GVVs of 2011-2012.
We, the Gateway Vincentian Volunteers of 2011-2012, have come together to overcome our individual differences and weaknesses with the purpose of living in community in the spirit of Saint Vincent DePaul. We commit ourselves to living, loving, and serving the poor in our community as well as each other. We define this commitment as follows:
- We will do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility we will value others above ourselves.
- We will not judge or look down upon anyone’s personal beliefs or ideologies.
- We will strive to communicate with each other in a positive and productive way, through times of conflict as well as calm.
- We will strive to serve each other with willing hearts in a way that allows us to give of ourselves without expecting anything in return.
- We will dedicate our time and attention toward serving the poor and being a positive influence in the St. Louis area.
- We will look for signs of God’s presence in all situations and circumstances.
- We will seek to move the world toward good by the example of our positive words and deeds.
- We will foster a willingness to teach each other and to learn from those around us.
- We will seek the face of Christ in all whom we serve, in remembrance of the fact that when we serve “the least of these,” we are serving Christ.
The Gateway Vincentian Volunteers
Program Board of Directors
Fr. Ed Murphy, C.M., President
Mr. Rich LaPlume, Vice-President
Ms. Tricia Schicker Thiel, Treasurer
Mr. John Capellupo
Fr. Jim Cormack, C.M.
Sr. Rosalie Digenan, D.C.
Ms. Janel Esker
Mr. Joseph Komadina
Ms. Martha Lane
Jim and Geri Ryan, Directors
The Gateway Vincentian Volunteers Program is sponsored in part by the Western Province of the Congregation of the Mission. Volunteers live in community with the Vincentian Priests and Brothers of the Arsenal Street Community in St. Louis.