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Working, Praying, and Living in the Spirit of Vincent DePaul
April 2007
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| For the third year in a row, the Gateway Vincentian Volunteers Program hosted two college service trips. In February, a group of four students from Rose Hulman Institute of Technology spent a week in St. Louis. In March, five students from Indiana State University joined us in serving the poor. |
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Students from Rose Hulman Institute spent their time working with the Franciscan Connection’s Stone-by-Stone Project under the leadership of Br. Donald Lachowicz, OFM. The students helped to make repairs on a house that had been condemned but was still occupied by a family with five children.
John O’Grady, a Rose Hulman student who has come to St. Louis for the past three years, shared, “The work that I have done coordinated by the Gateway Vincentian Volunteers Program has been spiritually enriching and deeply motivational. The Vincentians open the door to a greater realm of fellowship with my peers and with those whom I am serving. This joyful experience has allowed me to see the face of Christ in unimagined ways.”
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Students from Indiana State University spent their week working at the Intercommunity Housing Alliance’s Pillar Place location. Pillar Place offers housing to low income persons, mostly single mothers with children. The students painted an apartment for a family about to move in and worked outdoors trimming hedges, mulching, and cleaning flowerbeds. Students also helped a family move into their new apartment. |
We thank both groups of students for spending their spring break in service to the poor of St. Louis!
THANK YOU VINNIE FOR LIFE DONORS!
At the end of January, the Gateway Vincentian Volunteers program began its Second Annual Matching Gifts Appeal. A very generous group of donors, the Gatekeepers, in partnership with the Sisters of Mercy Health Ministry, offered to match all donations received through the end of March 2007, up to a total of $10,000.00.
You responded with GREAT generosity, and we are so grateful to each and every one of you. We pray for each of you regularly and thank you again from the bottom of our hearts!
- Bert and Lugenia Anderson
Anonymous Vincentian
Amy Arendt (GVV 03-04)
Eugene and Florence Bachmann
Robert Bickhaus (Father of GVV 06-07 Christopher Bickhaus)
Wally and Nina Bryans
Mark Buehrle (GVV 04-05)
John and Mary Ann Capellupo
Briana Colton (GVV 05-06)
John and Jennifer (GVV 03-04)Courtney
Daughters of Charity (Eldon Residence)
Dennis and Susan Cuddihee
Bob and Elizabeth (GVV 01-02) DeBoo
Rev. Louis Derbes, C.M.
Kelly Dodson (GVV 00-01)
Ted and Penny Fiedler
Br. Dave Goodman, C.M. *
Paul Heidemann *
Rev. Thomas Hinni, C.M., & the Vincentians of Lazarist House
Kate Jansen (GVV 04-05)
Rev. Jay Jung, C.M.
Ed and Audrey Kadlec
Helen Kassing
Scott Kelly (GVV 01-02)
Robert and Emily LaBarge
Jim and Jane Lammers
Martha Lane
Rich and Tammy LaPlume
Kate Lassiter (Sister of GVV 05-06 Clare Lassiter)
Christy Leming (GVV 03-04)
Sr. Carol Lehmkuhl, O.P.
Bob and Fran Lenahart (Parents of GVV 01-02 Sarah Lenhart)
Sarah Lenhart (GVV 01-02)
Rev. Oscar Lukefahr, C.M.
Jeff (GVV 01-02) and Rebecca Maciej
Robert and Janet Maciej (Parents of Jeff Maciej)
Lee and Teresa Manna
Robert and Emily Meyer
Rev. Jerry Morales, C.M.
Rev. Ed Murphy, C.M.
Rev. David Nations, C.M.
Joel Nourie
Br. Tim Opferman, C.M.
Sr. Kathy Overmann, D.C.
J. Scott Petersen
Nelson Perez (GVV 05-06)
John Prather
Rev. Charles Prost, C.M.
Jane Quante
Rev. John Richardson, C.M.
Sr. Mary Rochlage, R.S.M., and the Sisters of Mercy Health Ministry
Elizabeth Sain (GVV 02-03)
Toshio Sato (GVV 04-05)
Bill and Mary Lou Schicker
Nichole Schneider (GVV 01-02) and Shaun Purvis
Tom and Sue Shine
Mike and Carolyn Sorensen
Suzette Smith (GVV 05-06)
Greg and Joan Stark
Erica Stacy (GVV 05-06)
Halbert and Jean Sullivan
Michael and Michelle Todt
Rev. Art Trapp, C.M.
Rev. Ray Van Dorpe, C.M.
John and Joan Vatterott
Gerald and Joan Wentzel
Grace Whalen *
Steve Wiederkehr (GVV 00-01)
Kellie Willis (GVV 02-03)
Paul and Christine (GVV 02-03) Woody
Rev. Robert Zimney, C.M.
Tributes in honor of:
Christopher Bickhaus (GVV 06-07)
from Tom and Cheryl Parrett *(Aunt & Uncle of Christopher Bickhaus)
Alicia Euyoque (GVV 06-07)
from Clare Lassiter (GVV 05-06)
Fr. Tom Esselman, C.M., in gratitude for his support of us and all GVVs over the last seven years
from Jim and Geri Ryan
The Gateway Vincentian Volunteers Program from Michelle (GVV 00-01) and Jason Astrup *
Rachael Edelen (GVV 04-05)
from Donald and Jo Ellen Edelen (Parents of Rachael Edelen)
Rich LaPlume
from Brian Hughes
Christy Leming (GVV 02-03) for all her volunteer work
from David and Elaine Leming (Parents of Christy Leming)
Annie McCance (GVV 05-06)
from Br. Donald Lachowicz, OFM
Jim and Geri Ryan
from Annie McCance (GVV 05-06)
The anniversary of Bill and Mary Lou Schicker
from Tricia and John Thiel *
Merry Christmas, Bill and Mary Lou Schicker!
from Tricia and John Thiel *
& John and Stacy Schicker
Tributes in memory of:
Lawrence and Anna Volk
from Larry Volk
Mildred Abel
from Charlotte Martin, Gateway EDI, Inc.
John and Rose Berra
from Larry and Amelia Berra
Cecelia Filippini
from Jeremy Dixon (GVV 02-03)
Dennis Esselman
from Rev. Thomas Esselman, C.M.
Joe and Anna Floersh
from Rev. Phil Floersh, C.M.
Bonnie Hindson
from Charles Hindson
Roberta Fashman
from Sharon Ryan
Raymond C. Teel
from Br. Matthew Teel, C.M.
Robert Barry
from Suzann Barry
Thank you, anonymous donors!
* Contributed more than once during the appeal.
A Very Special Thank YOU to the
Knights of Columbus Council 12323 of St. Catherine Laboure Parish
for once again donating $1100.00 to the GVV Program.
This generous gift pays the personal stipend for one volunteer for an entire year.
More THANK YOUs!
We wish to acknowledge those donors who made contributions since our December newsletter but before our Second Vinnie for Life Matching Gifts Appeal at the end of January. Your generosity helps make this program possible. We are grateful to each and every one of you.
- An Anonymous Vincentian
Arthur and Joyce Clyne (Parents of GVV 06-07Jennifer Clyne)
Charles and Nancy Demarest (Parents of GVV 03-04 Stephanie Demarest)
Joseph and Mary Franzak
Paul Heidemann
Martha Lane
John and Margaret Lottes
Lee and Teresa Manna
Robert and Janet Maciej (Parents of GVV 01-02 Jeff Maciej)
Thomas and Cheryl Parrett (Aunt & Uncle of GVV 06-07 Christopher Bickhaus)
Rev. Henry Piacitelli, C.M.
Sharon Ryan
Bill and Mary Lou Schicker
Jay and Peg Lottes
Gerald and Joan Wentzel
Grace Whalen
Steve Wiederkehr (GVV 00-01)
Reverend Robert Zimney, C.M.
Tributes in memory of:
Robert Barry, Jr.
from Suzann Barry
John Berra and Janet Noel
from Larry and Amelia Berra
Gene Nenninger
from Eleanor Nenninger (Grandmother of
GVV 04-05 Mark Buehrle)
Edward and Kathleen Croak
from Rev. Thomas Croak, C.M.
Tributes in Honor of:
Mary Lou Schicker’s birthday
from Tricia and John Thiel
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!
Out of Africa: The Volunteers as the Future Hope of the Church
by Fr. Tom Esselman, C.M.
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| Fr. Tom is one of the founding members of the GVV program. He has served on the Board since the program began and has been an invaluable source of wisdom and support for Board members, the GVV Program Directors, and each group of volunteers. At the end of June, Fr. Tom will travel to Nairobi, Kenya, to begin his new assignment as the Director of Formation. |
They say that “absence makes the heart grow fonder.” Often it takes leaving home to make one more fully appreciate the things close to the heart. This was my experience recently when, on a trip to Kenya, I gained an ever deeper appreciation for the Gateway Vincentian Volunteers Program and the men and women who participate in it.
In February of this year I traveled to Nairobi, Kenya, to visit DePaul Centre, the seminary where East African men are preparing to become Vincentian priests and brothers. It is hard to describe the energy of the Church in Africa. The Church is growing at an amazing pace, as is reflected in the youth. At Tangaza College in Nairobi, for example, hundreds of men and women from a multitude of religious orders are busy studying theology, mission, and spirituality, preparing themselves to serve the Church of the future. The Vincentians, the Daughters of Charity, and the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul are collaborating in different ways to bring the spirit of Saint Vincent, Saint Louise, and Blessed Frederick Ozanam to life in Kenya.
And yet, surrounding this Vincentian oasis of hope and vitality is a world of enormous suffering. Traveling from the United States to Africa, one is immediately struck by the deep and painful contrasts that exist in the overall standard of living. It is impossible to capture in words the impact that poverty, illiteracy, and the absence of a recognizable health care system—to name just a few—have on the daily lives of millions. Nairobi, a world-class city in many ways, is home to Kibera, one of Africa’s largest slums, a place where most children grow up without clean water, electricity, and with little hope of education.
Most troubling is the overall collapse of a viable social order in Africa. Despite its rich resources, the continent is able to produce only about one-tenth of its agricultural needs. On the level of cultural, economic, and political systems, the continent is in crisis. A recent document written in preparation for the upcoming African Synod observes: “The rate of literacy continues to be among the lowest in the world. In many places, the educational system is constantly deteriorating, the health care system is in shambles, and social welfare is almost non-existent. With the lack of order, the weak are always the people who are the most threatened…”
(Lineamenta, 15). The social order is extremely fragile and the poor suffer everyday in unimaginable ways.
In the midst of this experience, my appreciation for the mission of the Gateway Vincentian Volunteers program increased even more. Why? Because the Church desperately needs dedicated lay people who will commit their lives to the work of justice, peace, and reconciliation—the mission of evangelization—in society.
Addressing the laity, the bishops of Africa call lay people to intensify their commitment to justice, peace, and reconciliation. They write: “The time has come for lay Christians in Africa to make a large-scale, resolute commitment to the Church and the State…(the laity) are called to be witnesses in married life and in the family, at work and in the various professions, in science and in the economy, and in culture and in politics. They are called to, precisely on the basis of their lay character, sanctify the world and imbue it with the spirit of the gospel.
This is the place where the laity are to make their commitment, in the name of the gospel, in service to reconciliation, justice, and peace” (Lineamenta, 63). Like salt, leaven, and light, lay Catholics are called to penetrate the whole social order with the gospel message of charity and justice, always mindful of the poor and most abandoned.
What does it mean to be an agent of reconciliation, justice, and peace in the American context? Ironically, it may be more difficult here than in places like Africa. As a middle-class person I can easily resume my place in an ordered society. In a world where educational opportunities, health insurance, and freedom of movement are taken for granted, the gross reality of injustice and poverty can be ignored or rendered invisible. Eventually I may buy into the false notion that, because the social order works for me, it works for everyone else. I may find myself gravitating toward the comforting rhetoric of politicians and preachers who focus solely on the middle class and their needs and never mention the poor.
The obstacles to evangelization in our culture are subtle but real.
This makes the mission of the Gateway Vincentian Volunteers Program all the more essential if the Church is to carry out its evangelizing mission. The volunteers commit themselves to a year living in community, sharing prayer, and engaging in direct service of the poor after the example of Saint Vincent de Paul. But the GVV year is something more than a leadership program or a year away in order to “find oneself.” The GVV year is a formation experience, rooted in gospel living and aimed at helping lay Catholics take on the work of evangelization in their adult lives. It is inspired by the Vincentian ideal of following Christ evangelizing the poor (C. 1). It is a part of the Vincentian mission of helping the clergy and laity in their formation, leading them to a fuller participation in the evangelization of the poor
(C. 1.3).
Most importantly, it is a year of discovering new relationships that will change one forever. So, as Chris goes about his work of serving the chronically mentally ill at Community Alternatives; as Amanda serves the young, pregnant women who come to live at Our Lady’s Inn; as Jennifer assists with the healthcare needs of the poor through Mercy Neighborhood Ministry; as Alicia serves the chronically mentally ill at Places for People; as Heather assists poor families at the Family Center in East St. Louis and the disabled at St. Louis ARC; and as Adam helps poor individuals who come to Guardian Angel Settlement Association—each is being formed by the people they serve. As they evangelize, so they are being evangelized. And the Church desperately needs their experience and courage and faith to help shape a laity who evangelize as Christ did.
It has been my great fortune to have known the volunteers the past seven years. They are the future of the Church and a great blessing to the Vincentians. Together we are learning what it means to follow Christ evangelizing the poor.
Join us for the 4th Annual
Gateway Vincentian Volunteers Golf Tournament!
Sunday, June 3, 2007
Normandie Golf Course
7605 St. Charles Rock Road
St. Louis, MO 63133-1319
314-862-4884
11:30-12:00 Lunch and warm-up
12:30: Shotgun start (4-person scramble)
Dinner and prizes following tournament
Foursome $400.00 ($100.00 per person)
Hole Sponsor $100.00
Send names of players or sponsor along with check payable to Gateway Vincentian Volunteers to: Fr. David Nations, C.M., 2912 Arsenal St., St. Louis, MO 63118
Join Celebrity Golfer Guy Phillips of Y98 on Sunday, June 3rd!
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