REFLECTION: Creating our Future

June 2021

“Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers or sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Matt. 25:40). If Jesus stands at the center of our Vincentian spirituality, the poor stand next to Him. Jesus words, “You will always have the poor with you,” are the reason for Vincentian existence. St. Vincent de Paul echoed Jesus when he said, “in serving the poor, we serve Jesus Christ.” And again: “We serve Jesus Christ in the person of the poor. And that is as true as our being here.”

Earlier this year, our Conference Board initiated a strategic planning process to guide us in understanding our community needs and creating our future. The Rule of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Part I, 1.6 “Adaptation to a Changing World” provides guidance for these efforts. “Faithful to the spirit of its founders, The Society constantly strives for renewal, adapting to changing world conditions. It seeks to be ever aware of the changes that occur in human society and the new types of poverty that may be identified or anticipated. It gives priority to the poorest of the poor and to those who are most rejected by society.”

As Vincentians, we are called to see Christ’s face in each person served. We also seek to hear His voice, the voice that says to us “I need your help.” That voice also is whispering, quietly but insistently, “I am here.”

If we don’t understand Him immediately, that’s okay. God speaks outside of time; His voice is still there to be heard when we pause to reflect on our experiences, to discern what He is telling us about the future needs of the poor and underserved in our community. We do this through individual contemplation and prayer, but also through reflection within our Conference. Our hearts are converted in many small moments, calling us sometimes to leaps, but more often to small steps of faith, “content to see the stone on which we should step without wanting to discover all at once and completely the windings of the road.” [Bl. Frédéric Ozanam Letter 136. To François Lallier, 1836]

We also take consolation in knowing that our call to serve our neighbors in need is the work of the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who inspires, guides, and strengthens all who share in this blessed mission.

The dynamic of our process, then, is one of discernment and response: listening for the wisdom of the Holy Spirit through the voices of those we serve, our leadership, staff, community stakeholders, and volunteers, and plotting a course that aligns our works with our neighbors in need. What an awesome and privileged role we are invited to play in responding to the Voice of the Poor and the growth of God’s kingdom in the hearts of our Conference.

CLOSING PRAYER: We thank you, Lord, for calling us to be stewards of the SVDP Mission in our community. Pour out on us wisdom and courage that we might confidently move into our future. We make this prayer to You through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

In service,

Lin Krell

President, SVDP Conference of Our Lady Star of the Sea

As we adapt, we are looking to meet the needs of those we serve today, while faithfully stepping out on that next stone. We do not know where the road may go, but we will always be here for the poor. A new way we are doing that is with our clothing program. We have a new clothing program that fully clothes the underserved in our community. If you, or someone you know, is living in dire conditions we provide clothing completely free through this newly adapted program. Since the poor will always be with us, we have become experts in providing the basics of Food, Clothing, and Shelter.

The Birkenfeld-Stella Maris House residents have been able to glean produce from their vegetable garden already! Last summer we began a partnership with Seeds of Grace to build a community garden that would also provide a space for our shelter residents to learn how to garden, get outside and enjoy some fresh air, and to reap the harvest of their good work. What joy to plant and see things grow!

St. Vincent de Paul is one of the premier places for volunteering! Come partner with Jesus in service here at SVdP, Bremerton! We are always building, cleaning, painting, or preparing things in service to our community. For example, in the month of May, we had wonderful volunteers come out and the spring-cleaned the entire shelter from top to bottom!

At the Assistance Office, our Senior Counter has been a huge success- we have produce on hand and seniors are able to personally select the items they enjoy the most! This area has recently been remodeled, come in and see the new changes. We have been paying utility bills for clients in need, such as Puget Sound Energy and Bremerton Water. If you are in need of these services, please contact us 360-377-2929 ext. 2

Don’t forget to “Like” us on Facebook at: St Vincent de Paul Bremerton Thrift Store | Facebook. Facebook is one of the easiest locations for us to announce large sales and post updates for donations so follow us there for updates!

Joseph Crain

Executive Director

St. Vincent de Paul, Bremerton