SSVP CANADA - May 14, 2024 | MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT | Hello Members, The National Council Board of Directors had an in-person meeting April 12/13 in Ottawa when we stayed at the Dominican University College. It was great having our first in person meeting as a new Board building relationships, as our fall Board meeting was held virtually. We had great discussions on a number of topics as well as a great Spiritual Retreat led by Jose Torres, Spirituality Committee Chair, and Heather Schilling, Western Regional Council President. A couple of members along with Bishop Mathieu, National Council Spiritual Advisor, joined us virtually for parts of the meeting. | | At the Board meeting, Fundraising Guidelines were approved which can be found HERE (ssvp.ca). In addition, amendments were approved to 8.3 Screening and Duty of Care Guidelines found HERE (ssvp.ca). The amendments to 8.3 Screening and Duty of Care Guidelines include: - Police records checks are needed for all new, full and auxiliary members;
- The frequency of conducting a police record check is dependent on your insurance company;
- Updating the definition for vulnerable persons according to the RCMP.
| While in Ottawa, Philippe Blain, Executive Director, and I had the pleasure of attending the Grand Opening of the re-branded Chez Vincent Thrift Store located on Merivale Road. It was great to meet and connect with the many volunteers and staff to hear about the great work they do helping people in need within their community. We also had a chance to visit the other thrift stores located in Blossom Park and Wellington Street West, to see and hear about their great work helping people in need. | | In addition, we visited Centre Espoir Sophie where SSVP is the property manager of the building. The volunteers and staff here do an amazing job providing a safe and supportive environment for women facing barriers and helping to promote well-being. During our visit, a number of women were gathered enjoying a game of bingo. | ANNUAL NATIONAL FORMATION To date, we have 164 people registered to attend the ANF in Calgary. I encourage you to register if you have not already done so as it will be a great event with excellent guest speakers, workshops on a variety of topics and a wonderful opportunity to network with fellow Vincentians to hear about the work in communities across Canada. I look forward to seeing you there. Still one day remaining for the early bird registration ending May 15. REGISTER HERE Linda Dollard, President
National Council of Canada | | EMMANUEL BAILLY SCHOLARSHIP 2024 | The Emmanuel Bailly scholarship has not been awarded since 2021, so this year we decided to relaunch the program by exceptionally awarding one to 3 outstanding recipients! Congratulations to Angela Bui, Lauren Goldsack, and Luke Wangler on receiving this prestigious honour. In a world where dedication to one’s community often goes unrecognized, it is essential to pause and celebrate those whose contributions stand out. These three remarkable Vincentian youth have earned well-deserved recognition through their commitment to their communities. | LAUREN GRACE GOLDSACK
St Louise de Marillac Youth Conference, London ON
Attending Lambton College Lauren has shown a deep passion for serving by participating in various events in her area. One of these events, the “On the Street” program, annually provides those in need basic necessities. Lauren is also passionate about the “Last Post” event, occurring during November, which aims to clean veteran’s burial sites that have become overgrown and forgotten. She acknowledges that this is a way for Vincentians to, “… honour the memories of soldiers who have passed away in poverty.” READ MORE | LUKE JOSEPH WANGLER
Holy Family Conference,
St Albert, AB
Attending University of Alberta Luke has been been incredibly committed to the “North of 60” project. Before shipment to northern Canada, Luke aids in helping load sea containers filled with mattresses, medicine, clothing items, food, and other supplies. Along with his father and two brothers, Luke also devotes his time and efforts to delivering furniture to those in need. He described his volunteering with Saint Vincent de Paul as an opportunity for growth, saying, “I have gained humility and grit through this experience, and for that I am very grateful.” READ MORE | ANGELA BUI
Our Lady of Good Council Conference, Surrey BC
Attending Simon Fraser University Angela has worked tirelessly to bring comfort to the residents of Hilton Villa Seniors Community. She has volunteered her time and talents by engaging with seniors in song and prayer, which she says helps in, “…providing a glimmer of faith and hope in these challenging times.” Furthermore, Angela has spearheaded a student initiative that aims to provide crocheted hats, attracting 25 members who are following her lead in making a difference in their community. READ MORE | | We thank these three incredible young Vincentians for their devotion to helping those in need and congratulate them on this well-deserved award. Their generosity and faith serve as an inspiration to all youth. Moving forward, it is integral that conferences are aware that these opportunities are available. With these initiatives in place, youth have the opportunity to grow within the society and be rewarded for their efforts. | I encourage conferences to educate young members on the Emmanuel Bailly scholarship and other youth incentives. They are our future – let's make them feel welcomed and accepted. With love, respect, justice, and joy. Shelby Mulder, Youth Rep
National Council of Canada | | YOUTH CONFERENCES - OAKVILLE ON | | | The Young Vincentian Ministry at Mary Mother of God was launched in May 2022, under the guidance of two Vincentians with school aged youth. It has been a long-held dream of our conference and church community to invite the youth into active service and to place the mission of the SSVP Ministry on the hearts of the youth, with hopes that this involvement can foster a lifelong calling into service. We are focused on the three Vincentian pillars of spirituality, friendship and service. READ MORE | | | | The Young Vincentians group of St Dominic Parish in Oakville embarked on its journey in September 2023 with the inaugural Young Vincentian Youth Mass on September 17. At Mass, the youth serve as ushers, altar servers, and lectors. In the summer, they will also be training to be Eucharistic Ministers. Since then, we've flourished into a vibrant community of Vincentians. READ MORE | | | | | St. Mary’s Isolated Conference
70th Anniversary
Volunteer Appreciation Celebration St. Vincent de Paul, St. Mary’s Isolated Conference in Simcoe, ON celebrated their 65th 70th Anniversary on May 5th! We had believed, for many years, that our conference was formed in 1958, but during the organization of our anniversary celebration, SSVP National provided documentation confirming we were founded in 1954! Even more reason to celebrate! Our conference was established under the leadership of two individuals Jack Wellhauser and Herb Smith. Jack lived three doors down from St. Mary’s Catholic Church, and the priest would often send people down to Jack’s house where he and his family would prepare sandwiches for those hungry for something to eat. Jack and Herb’s dedication to serving others laid the foundation for our local conference. READ MORE | | | | Shawinigan SSVP honours
81-year-old volunteer
Raymond Descoteaux Mr. Descoteaux received the Lieutenant-Governor's Medal for Seniors from the Honourable Manon Jeannotte, Lieutenant-Governor of Quebec. This medal is awarded in recognition of the volunteer work of people aged 65 and over. Through their sustained volunteer involvement at the social or community levels, which began or continued beyond the age of 64, they have contributed to the well-being of their community or to achieving the mission of the SSVP in Shawinigan. In the photo: Mr. Raymond Descoteaux, the Lieutenant-Governor, the Honorable Manon Jeannotte and the President of the SSVP in Shawinigan, Mr. Normand Sawyer. Alain Boisvert, Secretary
SSVP Shawinigan | | | THE CALL AND CHALLENGE OF DISCIPLESHIP AMONG VINCENTIANS The following content was used in the April 13, 2024 retreat for and by the National Council Board members and committee chairs held in Ottawa, Ontario. READ MORE | | We regularly publish exciting facts about the SSVP. Visit our Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn frequently to find out more about the Society. To promote our publications, please like and share them. Links to our social media can be found at the bottom of this newsletter. We are always looking for Vincentian testimonials and conference/council activity stories. Send your stories to share with Vincentians across Canada to editor-editeur@ssvp.ca. If you received this from a friend, you can subscribe to receive our newsletter directly. SUBSCRIBE HERE | CONNECT WITH US ON SOCIAL MEDIA | | | | |
