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The People of God of St. Vincent de Paul Church 
Respond to God's Call to Sustain the Earth
Caring for Our Common Home
Are you looking for inspiration and ideas on how we can all care for God’s Creation? Join us this Wednesday, March 20 at 7:30 PM (soup and bread at 6:30 PM) for a Spiritual and Environmental presentation offering a scriptural basis for the care of “Our Common Home.”  Bonnie Sorak, Outreach Coordinator from Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake, will be here to discuss what the Creation story teaches about God’s Creation and our human role and responsibility. Learn about how we can all work together to make a difference at home, at church and in our communities by restoring our sacred Earth. Learn new ways in which we at St. Vincent’s can continue to be part of the solution.
Town Meeting 
St. Vincent's Ad Hoc Committee on Church Reform will convene a Town Meeting on Sunday, March 24, between the morning Masses (beginning at 10:45), to report on the work of the committee, and give the parish community opportunity for dialogue and questions. 
March 17, 2018

…in the words of
Genesis 15:6


“Abram put his faith in the LORD, 
who attributed it to him as an act of righteousness.”


…another’s 
words,
a response / a prayer-poem – 



faith
by its very nature
shouldn’t be hoarded
kept
but must be “placed”

somewhere

we “place” it
in remarkably diverse
places
with varying results 

but a carefully placed question
asks thoughtfully
are any of these places
right

an ancestor’s placing
got it right
our heritage

[a right“amen”]

                    Fr.. Ray 


…now in your own words,
a response / a prayer-poem – 

First Wednesday: Sustain Our Neighbors Near and Far
Many thanks to Mary Hennigan for leading over 35 parishioners through a truly fascinating presentation and conversation on the topic of global childhood malnutrition, on the first Wednesday evening of Lent. Attendees were held rapt by Mary's amazing stories and experiences. Above: Parishioners gathered for soup and bread before the presentation. Below: Mary shares some resources on the topic. 

Additional resources on global malnutrition
Access to Nutrition Ranks the leading food and beverage companies on nutrition.   
Scale up Nutrition: Countries in the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement work together with United Nations, civil society, business and donor networks to fight against malnutrition in all its forms. They share an aim to end stunting, wasting, childhood obesity, and anemia and to increase rates of breastfeeding. 
During Lent and the Easter season St. V's tries to reduce our Announcement Footprint by having minimal announcements at the end of Mass. Please DO share all the fun and useful work & ministry happening at our wonderful parish in the bulletin or this newsletter.
After attacks, New Zealand bishops tell Muslims:
‘We hold you in prayer’
From the Catholic News Service:

“We hold you in prayer as we hear the terrible news of violence against Muslims at mosques in Christchurch,” the bishops wrote.

“We are profoundly aware of the positive relationships we have with Islamic people in this land, and we are particularly horrified that this has happened at a place and time of prayer.

The bishops signed off their message “Peace, Salaam.”
We Share Your Sorrow
Catholic Relief Services mourns and remembers their beloved colleagues and friends who died in the crash of  Ethiopian Airline Flight 302. Visit CRS' website to read about these friends, and please pray for them, thier families and all who cared for them, and for all those who have suffered as a result of this crash. 
Half-Day Retreat for Lent
WOMEN WE THINK WE KNOW
Saturday, April 13
8:30 AM - 12 PM
Shrine of St. Anthony
Ellicott City 
Email if interested. 
A New Archdiocesan Pastoral Council 
Archbishop Lori is convening a Lay Pastoral Council, envisioned to be consultative to the Archbishop on current matters of priority in the Archdiocese, and following parallel operating procedures for the Archdiocesan Presbyteral Council and College of Consultors.
The initial membership should help to discern how the role of the APC will be integrated into the decision-making process of the Archbishop and the leadership of the Archdiocese without unnecessarily duplicating the work of other consultative bodies.
You can view more information and make an application here. Please read the material carefully and discern whether you feel called to submit an application.
Gone Phishing
Some parishioners are reporting texts (!) or emails purporting to be from Fr. Ray or other St. V's staff. These something for the sender, but they don't quite ring true. Check the sender's number or email address. If it's not from us at stvchurch, it's not real. Don't hesitate to call the Parish Office if you have a question about any contact from St Vincent's staff. 
Announcement from Archbishop Lori
Thursday, March 14, 2019
Archbishop Announces Completion of Preliminary Investigation of Allegations Against Bishop Michael Bransfield, Imposes Ministerial Restrictions on Bishop Bransfield and Former Baltimore Auxiliary Bishop Gordon Bennett, S.J.
Read the press release here
Operation Rice Bowl:
Throughout Lent
Click here to meet Annet from South Sudan.  Annet fled violence in South Sudan with her three siblings. Now, she lives in Bidibidi, one of the world’s largest refugee settlements, located in Uganda. Our faith calls us to exercise a PREFERENTIAL OPTION FOR THE POOR, especially refugees like Annet.  As you watch the video please think about: how we are called upon to journey with families who are on the move?  How are we called upon to welcome strangers?  
JV Perspective
      Perhaps the central aspect that differentiates the Jesuit Volunteer Corps from similar programs is its emphasis on personal growth. JVC develops its formative, yearlong experience around four values. These ensure volunteers look inward as much as they are looking outward toward the social injustices they are working against. The four values are Simple Living, Community, Spirituality, and Social Justice. I am half way through my year and I am certain I will only scratch the service of each one.
      No one value is easier than another, they all present challenges, but depending on your personality one may be harder than the others. For me, I struggle with Community. 
      We all live in a bubble. Most people understand that they may live a very different life from someone else, due to things like socioeconomic status or cultural background. Those kinds of differences are easy enough to identify. What I didn’t really consider before this year are the smaller bubbles we inhabit.
      Someone told me once, “your vibe attracts your tribe.” I found this to be accurate throughout childhood, high school, and college; you attract people with similar interests or “vibes” if you will. What I hadn’t realized was that by the time I was in college even people I didn’t feel close to, friends of friends of friends, almost everyone I interacted with, were still within my “tribe” by association. It was a bubble. At the time, I thought socializing was easy, but in reality, I was only good at navigating certain personalities. It wasn’t until JVC that I was confronted with people who came from similar backgrounds to mine, all college grads, all with an interest in social justice, that had completely different “vibes.” I couldn’t rely as much on old social skills, and I would have to learn from scratch how to best to approach, joke, and simply interact effectively with my new roommates. 
      It’s a lot like having multiple random roommates except for the fact that you are expected to be a unit, a community. It’s this focus that makes this experience different from anything else. As different as everyone is, everyone works hard to try to understand one another and to work together. It’s extremely frustrating. Its stressful, hard, and annoying at times, but I believe it has really made me realize things about myself and others. There are so many people in this world, all very complex beings, and it takes a certain temperament, a certain approach, in order to learn from one another. It takes a little sacrifice. In order to learn the most and grow from people who are different, you have to let go of a little bit of yourself, at least in the moment, in order to make room for what they have that you don’t.    
                         Danny Todesca, JV and St. v's Outreach Coordinator
Copyright © 2017 St. Vincent de Paul Roman Catholic Church, All rights reserved.

Mass Times: Saturday 7:15 PM; Sunday 9:30 AM & 11:45 AM
120 N. Front St., Baltimore, MD 21202
410-962-5078
stvchurch.org

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St. Vincent de Paul Church · 120 N Front St · Baltimore, Md 21202 · USA

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