Laudato Si’ at 5: 5th anniversary of Pope Francis’ encyclical letter, Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home. The anniversary will be marked between Laudato Si’ week (May 16-May 24) and June 18th (the date of the encyclical’s publication). In Laudato Si’, Pope Francis calls on the world to “dialogue about how we are…
Hello, Saint Vincent’s Family! It has been a long standing tradition at our Parish, and the Catholic Church, to reflect and engage in the Seven Last Words of Christ. These phrases were spoken directly from the mouth of Our Lord as He hung from that rugged cross and, later, died for the sake of our…
Reflections from a St Vincent’s Parishioner In this holiest of seasons, we Christians are called to celebrate the love God showed for us by grafting us onto the “olive tree” of those first called into a sacred covenant relationship with God: the Jewish people (Romans 11). It is hard for us to hear that our…
In Preparation for Catholic Migration Week, “Many Journeys, One Family” January 7-13, 2018 Saint Vincent de Paul’s Parish Germantown, Philadelphia The Migrant: a Promise of Life for the Future This is the way Pope Francis referred to migrants last October 26th. Speaking to young people, he reminded them that the invitation to welcome the stranger…
We require a new and universal solidarity. As the bishops of Southern Africa have stated: “Everyone’s talents and involvement are needed to redress the damage caused by human abuse of God’s creation”. All of us can cooperate as instruments of God for the care of creation, each according to his or her own culture, experience,…
A People Who Produce Fruit From Pope Francis’ 2015 Encyclical Laudato Si: The current global situation engenders feelings of instability and uncertainty, which in turn becomes “a seed bed for selfishness.” When people become self-centered, their greed increases. The emptier a person’s heart is, the more s/he needs to buy, own, and consume things. It…
A Pledge to Live the Virtues of St. Vincent de Paul I commit myself to living the virtues of St. Vincent more deeply: I pledge my heart to the virtue of SIMPLICITY. I will speak plainly, converse honestly, and conduct my affairs with straight- forward goodness. I will strive to free my heart of attachments…
“What does it mean to be Black and Catholic? It means that I come to my church fully functioning. That doesn’t frighten you, does it? I come to my church fully functioning. I bring myself, my Black self, all that I am, all that I have, all that I hope to become. I bring my…
In celebration of the Feast of St. Vincent DePaul, and the 200th anniversary of the Vincentian Mission in America, the congregation of St. Vincent DePaul took the following pledge. At this celebration of the Feast of St. Vincent DePaul, in this 200th year of Vincentian presence in the United States, we commit ourselves as a…
The book definition of meekness states that “it is an attribute of human nature and behavior. It has been defined several ways: righteous, humble, teachable, and patient under suffering.” As a Christian, meekness is an attribute of a true disciple. The Apostle Paul gave us an example of meek behavior when he was writing to…