On Sunday September 27th (if it hadn't been a Sunday) the Church celebrates the memorial of St. Vincent de Paul. This 17th Century priest dedicated himself to serving the poor. Founding the Congregation of the Missions (also known as the Vincentians, which is why our Bishop, David O'Connell who is a member of this Community, has the initials "C.M." after his name), the members take vows of poverty, chastity, obedience, and stability, dedicated to devoting themselves entirely to the people in smaller towns and villages. Vincent conducted retreats for clergy at a time of rampant abuse, and ignorance and exploitation of power among them. He advanced the training of the clergy and established seminaries. He also founded the religious order of the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul. He was renowned for his compassion, humility, and generosity. Vincent was canonized in 1737 and is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion. In 1883, Blessed Frédéric Ozanam founded the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, a society that continues to follow the rules laid down by St. Vincent in serving the poor both at home and abroad. 

This Sunday at the 9AM Mass we will be commissioning our new President for the St. Vincent de Paul Conference of Visitation Parish, Bob Casale, as well as thanking our outgoing President Dee DeTuro (who, far from completing her work in the Vincentians, will continue to work with the Diocesan Conference President and Visitation parishioner Joan Olden as her Vice President) for her years of dedicated service to the parish Conference.

It is particularly important at this most trying time of our nation's history to remember the commandment of Jesus to "Love one another" as he has loved us (Jn. 15:12). Truly, it is in working for the good of others that we truly discover our identity as brothers and sisters in Christ as well as sons and daughters of our heavenly Father. During this time of social distancing and lock-downs many of us have discovered, often to our dismay, the perils of being left alone too long with one's own thoughts and fears. By reaching out to others we are able to reconnect heart to heart and rediscover the joy that God means for us to experience. On this feast day of St. Vincent de Paul and with this reminder of how each of us can serve God in serving others, please consider the opportunity to do so by becoming a Vincentian. Recognizing that some may still be uncomfortable with working in close proximity with others, it is possible to join as an associate, helping to field telephone calls and other tasks that can be done remotely. If instead there is a need for material help (a "hand up"), our parish Society can be contacted at 732-477-9672, ext 160 and a Vincentian (who are volunteers, as this is an important aspect of the Vincentian Rule) will reach out to you.