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A Gospel Mandate, Not a Political Choice: Why We Must Act Now

Last Friday, I issued a letter regarding the current government shutdown and the moral failure of leadership and service by all parties involved in allowing it to hurt the needy and the innocent.

I received a number of responses from some of our Vincentians. Interestingly, as many thought I was too easy on the Democrats as those who thought I was too easy on the Republicans and the Administration.

Those who say I didn’t fault one side or the other may not understand the non-partisan nature of our advocacy work and, therefore, the point I was trying to make.

The issue isn’t who is more to blame. The issue is the proper response from people of faith.

Simply put, the government shutdown and its impact on the innocent and vulnerable is not a political problem requiring political solutions. It is a moral emergency demanding a Gospel response.

This week, millions of Americans face an impossible choice: feed their children or keep the lights on. Parents stare at empty cupboards. Elderly neighbors skip meals. Infants lack formula. And yet, in the corridors of power, ideological brinkmanship continues, while the vulnerable become collateral damage in a struggle that has nothing to do with their survival and everything to do with partisan victory.

This is not a moment for political hand-wringing. This is a moment for faithful action rooted in the deepest truths of our Catholic faith, truths that transcend left and right, Republican and Democrat, conservative and progressive. When the poor cry out, there is no ideology, only injustice. When a child is hungry, there is no political debate, only sin.

The False Gospel of Political Neutrality

Scripture does not permit us the luxury of neutrality on this question. Jesus does not speak carefully around suffering; He names it. He does not equivocate about our duty; He commands it. “Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40). This is not political rhetoric. This is not a talking point. This is the measuring rod by which Christ will judge us.

The prophet Isaiah cuts through all political complexity with searing clarity: “Learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow” (Isaiah 1:17). There is no footnote that says, “unless it’s inconvenient.” There is no asterisk that permits us to abandon the poor because budget negotiations stall. Justice is not negotiable. The dignity of the vulnerable is not a bargaining chip.

The real scandal here is that both sides have failed simultaneously. This is indeed a bipartisan moral failure, perhaps the only true bipartisan achievement of recent years. Both Republicans and Democrats who permit ideological struggle to weaponize hunger have betrayed the Gospel mandate. Neither party owns this failure alone; both have collaborated in it. And for those of us called to follow Christ, that shared culpability demands a shared response that transcends partisan loyalty.

What Vincentian Charity Demands of Us

Blessed Frédéric Ozanam understood something crucial: Social reform begins not in legislative chambers or theoretical debate, but in the lived encounter with suffering. His famous words remain a burning challenge to our comfortable distance from reality:

“The knowledge of social well-being and reform is to be learned, not from books, nor from the public platform, but in climbing the stairs to the poor man’s garret, sitting by his bedside, feeling the same cold that pierces him, sharing the secret of his lonely heart and troubled mind.”

St. Vincent de Paul spent his life answering this call. He did not debate whether charity or justice was more important, he understood they are inseparable. Real compassion demands both the immediate works of mercy and persistent advocacy for systems that prevent suffering in the first place. Feeding a hungry child at our door is essential. Demanding that no child should go to bed hungry because politicians chose ideology over basic human decency is equally essential.

This is the Vincentian charism — to see Christ in the face of the poor, and to fight, with our voices, our presence, and our persistent action, to remove the obstacles that keep them suffering. No, my friends, being a Vincentian does not mean simply serving in silence and staying out of the important issues of the day. There are some who believe that our only obligation is to do works of charity. But that is not true. If you read our history and the words of our founders and our Patron Saint, the call for advocacy and action is clear:

Politics – never! Advocacy for the poor, needy, deprived, and vulnerable – always!

What We Must Do Now: A Call to Concrete Action

If we claim to follow Christ, if we claim to walk in the footsteps of Ozanam and Vincent de Paul, we cannot respond to this crisis with thoughts and prayers alone. We must act. Here is what conscience demands:

First, encounter the reality. Do not let statistics numb you. Behind the figure of “40 million SNAP recipients” are your neighbors, your parish members, families in your community who will go hungry. As Ozanam insisted, climb those stairs. Call local food banks. Learn their names. Learn their stories. Let the suffering Christ look at you from their eyes and shatter your complacency.

Second, use your voice. Contact your representatives, all of them, and demand the immediate restoration of every program meant to protect the innocent. Do not ask politely. Demand. This is not a request; it is an obligation rooted in scripture and centuries of Catholic social teaching. Tell them that partisan victory purchased with a hungry child’s tears is not victory – it is sin.

Third, demand solutions, not blame. We are not called to pick a political team. We are called to stand with the poor. That means asking: Which elected officials will prioritize the vulnerable? Which leaders will refuse to use hunger as a negotiating tactic? Vote, speak, and advocate based not on partisan loyalty but on the simple question: Who will protect those who cannot protect themselves?

Fourth, help strengthen our local response. Food banks, assistance programs, community networks cannot replace what government programs provide, but they become lifelines when those programs fail. Bring more people into SVdP. Fundraise for your Conference and Council. Help build and grow relationships of solidarity. In these acts we model the world Christ calls us to build.

Fifth, sustain the witness. When the shutdown ends, and it will, we cannot retreat into silence. The systems that made this crisis possible will still exist. The vulnerability of the poor will remain. We must become persistent advocates, not just crisis responders. This is the long work of justice.

No Ideology Required, Only Faithfulness

Those of us called to serve in the Society of St. Vincent de Paul know this truth intimately: the Gospel makes no room for indifference to suffering. It makes no room for the excuse that “politics is complicated.” Yes, policy is complex. Yes, reasonable people disagree on solutions. But there is no reasonable disagreement about this: When the innocent are weaponized in political struggle, that struggle becomes  immoral.

This statement is not partisan. It is prophetic. It judges all sides equally. It invites all people of conscience, regardless of political affiliation, to choose solidarity with the poor over loyalty to political teams. It calls each of us to conversion: to examine where our true allegiance lies.

The Urgent Moment

We are in November. Every day that lifeline programs remain interrupted, the human cost grows heavier. Every day that passes without restoration of essential support programs is another day a child goes to bed unsure if there will be breakfast. This is not hyperbole; this is the lived reality for millions.

The question before us is not political but spiritual. It is the ancient question posed by every prophet, every saint, every authentic voice of the Gospel: Will you act? Will you use whatever influence you have – your voice, your vote, your presence, your prayers transformed into deeds – to demand that those entrusted with power choose justice over ideology?

St. Vincent de Paul’s life answers this question for us. We are called to more than charity; we are called to advocacy. We are called to more than private mercy; we are called to public justice. We are called to more than kindness; we are called to solidarity.

A Final Word

In Matthew 25, Christ describes the final judgment. He does not ask what political party we belonged to. He does not ask whether we had ideological purity. He asks a single, piercing question: Did we feed the hungry? Did we see Him in the suffering and act?

In this moment, the answer is clear. Our government has failed the Gospel mandate. Now, the mandate falls to us. Every Vincentian, every person of faith, every advocate for justice must rise to meet this crisis with the full force of our conviction and our action.

We cannot build the kingdom of God on the bones of children made hungry by political gamesmanship. We cannot claim to follow Christ while remaining silent as the vulnerable are sacrificed. We cannot accept the false necessity of such cruelty.

The call is urgent. The work is clear. The time is now.

May our prayers become deeds. May our words become action. May our solidarity with the poor become the witness that transforms a nation. And may we never forget that in serving the least among us, we serve Christ Himself.

This is not optional. This is the Gospel. This is our calling. This is what it means to follow Jesus in our time.

Peace and God’s blessings,

John

This week, millions of mothers are wondering how to feed their children. Government doors are closed, but hunger will not wait.

Allowing the innocent and vulnerable, children, families, people with disabilities, and the poor, to become casualties of an ideological political struggle is an egregious moral failure. The present government shutdown in the United States exposes this immorality with painful clarity, as millions face the immediate threat of hunger, the chill of a cold apartment, and deprivation due to the interruption of lifelines, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). At the same time, many federal workers face hardship due to  the loss of income from being furloughed or having  to work without compensation.

This crisis is not a distant tragedy: it is right in front of our face in the look in a mother’s eyes as she worries that her innocent children may soon feel the ache of an empty stomach. Its roots run deep in the decisions of policymakers who have chosen partisan brinkmanship over human dignity, and the consequences demand an urgent moral critique through faith and reason. This is not a partisan failure. Ironically, it’s one of the few times that both sides of the political aisle have managed to do something together – morally fail in their efforts to appeal to their supporters.

When Politics Endangers the Innocent

SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) is an essential form of help for more than 40 million Americans, and LIHEAP keeps the heat on for millions of people. While the program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) was funded in October, November funding is still unclear. The loss of funding would threaten nearly 7 million mothers, infants, and young children use rely on the program for food security and basic health.

With the shutdown stretching into November and contingency reserves mired in political refusal, countless families and individuals now face anguish and impossible choices between feeding their children, keeping the lights on, or affording medicine. State governments are scrambling, with some managing to tap emergency funds, but  others simply cannot fill the federal vacuum. The stark truth is that politics has weaponized food and safety, holding the most defenseless as hostages for ideological gain.

Biblical Mandate for Justice and Mercy

Scripture, at its heart, proclaims a duty toward the defense of the vulnerable, a duty utterly at odds with policies that inflict suffering to secure political leverage. The prophet Isaiah demands: “Learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow.” (Isaiah 1:17). Isaiah’s command to ‘rescue the oppressed,’ is not only a biblical mandate, it is the fundamental test of our nation’s soul today. Jesus teaches: “Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40). Civil authority in the biblical vision exists not for self-interest, but rather to “…punish those who do evil and promote those who do good.” (Romans 13:3-4).

To turn away from those suffering so they become collateral in a battle over budgetary priorities, is nothing less than a reversal of God’s will for society. Scripture’s recurring theme is this: How nations treat their poor and marginalized is the measure of their true justice and righteousness.

Vincentian Wisdom: Advocacy, Experience, and Action

Blessed Frédéric Ozanam and St. Vincent de Paul both left us a legacy of service intimately bound to justice. Ozanam’s critique remains piercingly relevant: “Charity is the Samaritan who pours oil on the wounds of the traveler who has been attacked. It is justice’s role to prevent the attack.” His insistence was that real social reform begins not in distant legislatures or theoretical debates, but in the living experience of the poor:

“The knowledge of social well-being and reform is to be learned, not from books, nor from the public platform, but in climbing the stairs to the poor man’s garret, sitting by his bedside, feeling the same cold that pierces him, sharing the secret of his lonely heart and troubled mind”.

St. Vincent de Paul’s lifework of advocating for resources to relieve distress, making visible the plight of those society ignores reflects an unwavering “option for the poor,” echoing the call in Matthew 25 to see Christ in those suffering. Their example teaches that even the most well-intentioned charity fails if it does not confront systems, structures, and policies that perpetuate suffering.

The Immorality of Political Hostage-Taking

To persist in a shutdown while millions are deprived of safety net programs is to choose indifference over compassion and abstraction over personal encounter. It is a scandal not merely for the recipients who will be hungry, cold, and frightened, but for a society that claims to value life, justice, and the common good. The poor and vulnerable caught in today’s shutdown are not statistics. Rather they are sacred realities, beloved by God and deserving of dignity. As Vincentians have written in the present crisis:

“Abrupt and devastating policy changes by the U.S. government…threaten human dignity, particularly in the treatment of immigrants and asylum seekers…True discipleship demands an active solidarity with the poor and excluded. This is not merely a moral or religious obligation, but a civic responsibility that aligns with the founding ideals of the United States.” (Statement of the Eastern Province Congregation of the Mission, July 22, 2025)

Justice and Charity: Both Are Required

Catholic tradition does not allow a retreat into mere private charity as substitute for real justice. As I wrote in my Servant Leader column in April of this year: “If we do not use the knowledge and learning we uniquely gain through our personal encounters with the people we serve to help change the causes of poverty, dependence, and need, then we are failing in our duty as Christians”. In other words, our advocacy for policies that protect the vulnerable is just as vital as our daily works of mercy.

Real charity and real justice both require the healing of wounds, the meeting of immediate needs, and the building of systems that don’t allow those wounds to be created in the first place.  The knowledge to solve “the formidable problem of misery” comes from persistent accompaniment and attentive listening, not from political abstractions or partisan gamesmanship.

The Human Cost

As November begins, the ramifications of stalled SNAP and WIC programs grow dire. For many families: milk, eggs, and formula for babies are suddenly unavailable. Parents are forced to skip meals so their children can eat. Older adults, sick and isolated, find their groceries may not last till next benefit cycle. Community food banks, stretched past all reasonable limits, cannot come close to replacing lost federal aid. Each headline and statistic are a cry for help; the cry of Lazarus at the gate, ignored by the comfortable.

A Call to Conscience and Concrete Change

For those entrusted with authority, be they legislators, administrators, or citizens, the mandate is clear. Policy debates must never lose sight of the faces and wounds of those who will be most affected. “To serve the poor is to serve Jesus Christ,” St. Vincent said, and that service demands both immediate relief and persistent action to end the causes of suffering.

No government is exempt from the law of justice, nor from judgment when it fails the least among us. Partisan struggle becomes morally intolerable when its cost is paid by the most defenseless.  Vincentians, other Christians and all people of conscience must reject the false necessity of such cruelty, insisting instead that every person deserves food security, not fear. The poor deserve our voices, our votes, and our unyielding advocacy.

Conclusion: Building the Kingdom, Not the Contest

In this pivotal moment, the Catholic Church, the Vincentian family, and every advocate for justice must demand an end to politics as hostage-taking and demand the full restoration of every program meant to protect the innocent. This is not optional; it is a Gospel imperative and a test of our nation’s true character. May those with the power to act climb the stairs to the poor’s apartment, encounter the suffering Christ, and choose justice, mercy, and solidarity over ideological victory.

Let us pray and labor “that justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream” (Amos 5:24). For where politics fail the innocent, God’s call remains: Act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God. Anything less is far too little, and utterly immoral for a nation that claims to care for its own.

Together, we can build a nation where justice flows. Where no child goes hungry, and every person finds dignity. May our prayers become deeds, and may peace and justice guide our path forward.

Peace and God’s blessings,

John

Responding to the Government Shutdown with Both Charity and Justice

We currently find ourselves in the second longest government shutdown in U.S. history, with no end in sight. As a result, our neighbors in need will suffer. As of this writing, there is no federal funding being directed to critical nutrition programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps), which benefits close to 42 million low-income people in the U.S. Additionally, most federal workers have now missed a full paycheck, and members of our community who do not traditionally visit our ministries may need your help now.

What can we do?

First, do what you Vincentians do best. Continue to be beacons of hope in your communities, serving as many neighbors as you can in the ways that you can. If you have not done so yet, I encourage you to check in with your fellow Conference and Council members about how you might be able to prepare for increased requests for assistance as many of our friends in need will not receive SNAP benefits as soon as November 1.

Along with the work of charity, please consider engaging in the work of advocacy as well. As Pope Benedict XVI wrote in Caritas In Veritate, “Not only is justice not extraneous to charity, not only is it not an alternative or parallel path to charity: justice is inseparable from charity, and intrinsic to it. Justice is the primary way of charity…” Earlier this week, our national president and national board chairman, John Berry, released a public statement regarding the shutdown and its impact on the most vulnerable, expressing:

“Our most economically vulnerable brothers and sisters should not be forced to go without basic needs as a result of a partisan impasse, and it is time for both Republicans and Democrats in Congress to come together to ensure that the most marginalized among us will not abruptly lose critical benefits. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul USA, therefore, urges the U.S. Department of Agriculture to immediately use every available mechanism, including the utilization of contingency reserves, in order for the 42 million people who benefit from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to be able to buy food next month. It would be simply intolerable for people to unnecessarily go hungry as the shutdown heads into its second month.”

I encourage all of you to join John in calling on Congress to urge the USDA to immediately use every available mechanism to avoid a lapse in SNAP benefits, as well as implore Congress to work towards a bipartisan solution to end the shutdown. You can easily do so through the Society’s electronic advocacy campaign available here. The platform allows you to easily send a pre-written message to your U.S. Senators and Representative, while also giving you the option to personalize the message.

Your experience as Vincentians is powerful. You recognize the God-given human dignity in everyone you meet, and you have unique perspectives on both the root causes of poverty and successful ways to help people out of poverty. Beyond the critical urgency of this moment, your expertise will continue to help shape our advocacy priorities and inform policymakers.

Please use the email address stories@svdpusa.org to send me your observations of how your communities are being impacted by the shutdown and recent changes to the social safety net. Please send me examples of both success stories and challenging scenarios. Most importantly, please pray for our growing advocacy work so that together we may build a more just society.

With gratitude,

Ingrid

The government shutdown is increasingly devastating with every passing day, leaving most federal workers without pay and causing uncertainty and delays in federal programs that serve the poor.  Our most economically vulnerable brothers and sisters should not be forced to go without basic needs as a result of a partisan impasse, and it is time for both Republicans and Democrats in Congress to come together to ensure that the most marginalized among us will not abruptly lose critical benefits.

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul USA, therefore, urges the U.S. Department of Agriculture to immediately use every available mechanism, including the utilization of contingency reserves, in order for the 42 million people who benefit from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to be able to buy food next month. It would be simply intolerable for people to unnecessarily go hungry as the shutdown heads into its second month.

As one of the largest nonpartisan, lay Catholic charitable organizations in the U.S. with more than 80,000 volunteers, it is not our role to take sides in a political fight. But it is our role and our duty to speak on behalf of the friends and neighbors we serve. Let’s end the partisan politics and find a solution for the common good that will sustain needed programs and the people they serve.

# # #

People have asked, “How are SVdP Thrift Stores connected to our overall mission?”

This is a great question. Many SVdP thrift stores have been around for a long time raising financial resources and giving merchandise from their stores to help their Neighbors in Need (NIN).

Other stores, like the one you will see in the video link below, are an example of how a SVdP Conference began operating a store and can now expand their resources to serve their NIN better with greater resources generated from their store.

The Conference in St. Johns, Mich. (current population <8,000) was aggregated in 1946.

For 50 years, this conference served Neighbors in Need (NIN) who called their St. Joseph Parish office seeking assistance. Vincentians would respond to calls and assist Neighbors in Need (NIN) with monetary donations that had been received by the Conference.

In 1996, this Conference’s annual client aid was around $7,000.

In that same year, the Conference was asked to take over the operations of a clothing center that was planning to close. Vincentian-John Thelen stated, “A small group of Vincentians met, discussed the pros/cons to getting into the retail arena, then prayed about what to do.” Thelen added, “If our small group of Vincentians had decided not take over the operation of that store, we wouldn’t be able to serve our Neighbors in Need (NIN) like we do today.”

The store has grown from all-volunteer run to a staff of fifteen paid employees and over one hundred active volunteers!

Nearly 30 years later, this SVdP Conference store has been blessed to be able to give over $250,000 annually in client aid to their Neighbors in Need (NIN)!

This Conference continues to look for ways to serve Neighbors in Need (NIN)in a way that gives them a leg up out of a situation, rather than just a handout towards their need.

This store in a small rural community is like many stores across the United States providing the financial resources to their Conference or Council to serve our Neighbors in Need (NIN).

SVdP stores do make a difference in the lives of those who are in need.

Video link: https://youtu.be/2asWT9lA1Lo?si=iRvPcOBxA7mXavt_

If you have questions about what’s involved with opening a store or if you would like to see how your store can generate more revenue to meet the expanded requests of our Neighbors in Need (NIN), please reach out to Jeff Beamguard, Director of Stores Support, at jbeamguard@svdpusa.org.

Additional resources are also available on the SVdP National Thrift Stores website at https://thriftstores.ssvpusa.org.

Just Ask — Sharing the Blessing Of Our Vocation

As Vincentians, we are each called to live our vocation through the simple yet profound acts of friendship, service, and spirituality. Every home visit, every prayer shared, and every meal served brings us closer to Christ through those we serve. But this vocation—this blessing—is not meant for us alone. It is a gift to be shared. That is why we are launching a national initiative called Just Ask.

The idea behind Just Ask is simple. Each of us can invite just one person to join us in this journey. When we take the time to personally invite someone—perhaps a friend from Mass, a fellow parish volunteer, a young adult searching for purpose, or even someone we meet in service—we are opening the door for them to encounter Christ through others. Eighty percent of Vincentians joined because someone took the time to ask them. Imagine the joy and renewal that could follow if every one of us did the same.

This is not just a numbers goal, though we will track our growth throughout the year. It is a spiritual movement of renewal. As we grow, we strengthen our Conferences and deepen our collective impact in the lives of our neighbors in need. We also grow in faith, friendship, and love for one another. As our founder Blessed Frédéric Ozanam reminded us, charity must never be inert; it must act, it must live, it must multiply.

So, I invite you—no, I challenge you—to be brave and Just Ask. Ask one person this week to join you in your Vincentian calling. Together, let us ensure that this beautiful vocation continues to flourish, and help others “see the Face of Christ and be the Face of Christ.”

Sean Myers

National Vice President, Membership & Leadership Development

We Are All Called To Be Vincentian Fundraisers

“I didn’t join the Society of St. Vincent de Paul to become a fundraiser.”

“I don’t know how to fundraise, and I thought we hired people who already do that.”

“I don’t like asking people for money.”

I hear these comments quite often when I speak to Vincentians around the country about raising money for their respective Conference and/or Council. In fact, I have said these words myself – many times. As an accountant, I’ve always preferred budgets to conversations, especially when those conversations involve asking for money. The thought of approaching someone with a fundraising request made me anxious and reserved.

Then, now years ago, I heard our former National President, Gene Smith, lead a training session on Vincentian fundraising. While I don’t remember everything Gene shared with us that day (I apologize, Gene) I clearly remember two transformative lessons:

• St. Vincent de Paul was a fundraiser.
• Each of us, by virtue of the fact that we have accepted God’s calling to be a Vincentian, is continuing Vincent’s enduring legacy of charity and love.

Gene made it very clear that afternoon – We are called to be fundraisers.  Every one of us.

So, what exactly does it mean to be a fundraiser, and more importantly, what is it I am supposed to do? I’d like to share a few thoughts gleaned from over the years.

At the outset I wish to note, with all due respect to universities and organizations that offer degrees and certificates in fundraising, you do not need one. Honestly, you do NOT need any formal designation or training to be an effective fundraiser for your Conference and/or Council. Instead, it is important to remember three things we all MUST DO in our roles as Vincentians.

First: Tell stories about SVdP. Tell your family. Tell your friends. Tell colleagues, neighbors, work associates, everyone you know. Tell them about the extraordinary work taking place in your Conference.

Tell them about the 30-year-old single mother clutching her children’s hands as she anxiously watches the clock tick down to eviction, and how tears streamed down her face as she whispers “I don’t know where we’ll go.”   Tell them how the Vincentians stepped in and paid her overdue rent and utility bills, and how the relief in her voice was palpable when she said, “You saved my family. My children get to stay in their school, and tonight, we have a home.”

Tell them about the 75-year-old Vietnam veteran sitting alone at his kitchen table, the cupboards nearly empty. Tell the how when Vincentians arrived with a food box, gas voucher, and grocery store gift card, he smiled through tears and said, “I didn’t think anyone remembered me. Thank you for treating me like family.”  Tell them how you will check on him next month to ensure he has support.

Tell them about the father who was recently laid off after 17 years working for the same company and how his wife started working two jobs cleaning office buildings and homes to pay the bills.  Talk about how the Society of St. Vincent de Paul provided financial assistance and moral support so the family did not lose their apartment during this arduous time. Tell them how the father shared, “Those months were the hardest we’ve ever faced, but you gave us hope. Now I’m back at work and our family is okay.”

Each of your stories remind us that those whom we serve are not strangers. They are our neighbors created in the image and likeness of God.

Second: Ask people to support our efforts. A survey conducted by Arizona State University found that the number one reason people donated to an organization was because they were asked by someone they know well. This ranked higher than volunteering at an organization, higher than reading or hearing a news story about an organization, higher than being asked by clergy to give (little did you know you have more power than your parish priest), higher than seeing a TV commercial, or receiving a solicitation in the mail, email, or by phone. The inverse is also true: when people were asked why they did not support an organization, they often noted they were never asked.

When we ask someone for a donation what we are really doing is giving them the opportunity to experience the joy and the grace that comes from giving. We are asking on behalf of others, those less fortunate, and in doing so we become the voice of God’s poor.

Third: Say Thank You. And Thank You. And Thank You. And…. Letting people know that “They” made a real difference in the life of someone; that “Their” gift prevented a family from becoming homeless; that “Their” gift meant a veteran will not lose his apartment; that “Their” gift ensured a family had a nourishing meal and food in the pantry.

An unexpected handwritten note a few weeks AND a few months after someone’s gift, telling them the real difference they are making in the lives of our neighbors, brings joy and meaning to the life of the donor. It is your gift back to them – but only if it is personalized. A blast email to numerous people does not count. That’s what other organizations often do. Personalized communications tell the donor just how important “They” are to our mission and that “They” are the ones who make possible the critical work we do as Vincentians.

When our donors begin to refer to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul as “We” and “Us” instead of “They” and “Them”—when they repeat the stories we share with them—then we will know we are doing our job well. And, that Vincent is smiling, along with Frédéric and Louise and Rosalie—all of whom are proud of us.

It’s true that sometimes people will decline our requests. That’s okay—asking is never wasted. What I have experienced over the years is that often, at a later date, maybe at Thanksgiving, or Christmas, or year-end, or just with the passage of time, along comes a donation to further our efforts from the person who had previously said no. Come Holy Spirit!

Ultimately, the most important skill in fundraising isn’t technical expertise.  It’s authentic passion for our stories, and the courage to share them, followed simply by: “Would you be willing to support our life-changing ministry?”

While we may never be “officially” canonized by the Catholic Church, wouldn’t it be wonderful if St. Vincent de Paul were standing next to St. Peter when we approach the gates of Heaven and to hear him say:

“______ is a Vincentian. She not only did home visits to assist those less fortunate, but she also helped to raise money for the Society. I would like to escort her into Heaven.”

St. Vincent de Paul was a fundraiser—and so are YOU.

Steve Zabilski is a vice president of the SVDP National Board of Directors. He can be reached at szabilski@svdpusa.org

When More Is Less

As Vincentians, we all see the increase in requests for assistance coming into our Conferences and Councils every day. And as that demand grows, expanding services for people in need causes us to face a difficult challenge: how to remain faithful to Vincentian values and spirituality while embracing new systems, technologies, and structural models that promise to help more individuals. This delicate balance raises a critical question: When is more less? In other words, can a well-intentioned push for greater reach or efficiency actually diminish the heart of Vincentian charity, transforming a spiritual ministry into just another transactional agency?

The Foundations of Vincentian Values

At its core, Vincentian spirituality is defined by the conviction that charity is a direct response to Christ’s presence in the poor, and that service must always be personal, relational, and rooted in love and respect. This involves commitment to values such as humility, compassion, solidarity, and seeing Christ in every person served. Vincentian personalism teaches that each individual has a unique story and sacred dignity. Service then is not simply about dispensing resources, but about encountering, listening, and accompanying those in need.

As Pope Leo so eloquently stated in his Exhortation ‘Dilexi Te’ (I Have Loved You), issued last week:

“No Christian can regard the poor simply as a societal problem…we are asked to devote time to the poor, to give them loving attention, to listen to them with interest, to stand by them in difficult moments, choosing to spend hours, weeks or years of our lives with them, and striving to transform their situations.”

For Blessed Frédéric Ozanam and St. Vincent de Paul, charity was inseparable from spiritual friendship and mutual transformation, challenging volunteers and staff to continual conversion and growth in holiness.

The Temptation to Become Transactional

As demand for our services grows and donor expectations shift toward measurable outcomes, we face pressures to “scale up” and professionalize operations. Technology, evidence-based models, and more centralized delivery can help reach more people and use resources more efficiently. However, these positive trends pose the risk that the spiritual and personal aspects of the work will recede into the background, replaced by impersonal transactions and bureaucracy.

A transactional approach is characterized by a focus on metrics, efficiency, and outputs, often at the expense of authentic encounter. Donors are treated as ATMs; recipients become numbers or cases. Staff and volunteers may feel pressured to process more clients more quickly, unintentionally reducing complex human stories to needs assessments and resource allocations. The richness of spiritual accompaniment, prayerful discernment, and mutual relationship is lost amidst procedural checklists and database entries.

The Vincentian Distinctive: Person-to-Person Ministry

What differentiates the Vincentian approach from typical agency models is the primacy of person-to-person service. The Vincentian rule insists that help must always be offered in a spirit of simplicity, humility, and respect, seeking to meet not just material needs but also the spiritual and emotional realities of each person. The act of visiting those in need, listening to their stories, and sharing life together is itself a holy encounter, a space where both giver and receiver meet Christ and find hope restored.

St. Vincent de Paul was clear that systems and organizations, while necessary, must never overshadow the foundational charism of charity rooted in personal transformation and love of neighbor. Each Vincentian is called not only to serve but to be changed by the experience, seeing the face of Christ in the poor and bringing the love of Christ to them.

“It is too little to relieve the needy day by day. It is necessary to get to the root of the evil, and by wise reforms to diminish the causes of public misery. But we profess to believe that the science of welfare reform is learned less in books and parliamentary debates, than by climbing up the floors of the poor man’s house, by sitting at his bedside, by suffering the same cold as him, and by drawing out the secret of his desolate heart through the outpouring of a friendly conversation.” (Blessed Frédéric Ozanam)

System Change: Opportunity and Risk

Changing delivery systems can offer genuine benefits. Centralized intake can eliminate redundancy, data sharing can prioritize those most in need, and technology may help connect people to resources more swiftly. With intention and creativity, these innovations can be harnessed to deepen, rather than dilute, Vincentian values, but only if we remain vigilant.

There is great risk in adopting secular agency models uncritically. Without spiritual safeguards and intentional formation, a Conference or Council might gradually slip into a mechanistic, impersonal mode of “helping” that forgets why it exists in the first place. Transaction replaces transformation, efficiency displaces encounter, and faith becomes an afterthought.

“When you go to the poor, you encounter Jesus.” (St. Vincent de Paul)

Safeguarding Vincentian Identity Amid Change

So, how can we “do more” without becoming less – less Christ-centered, less personal, less transformative? Here are some thoughts:

• Frameworks Rooted in Charism: The development of living frameworks, like “The Vincentian Way,” offer guidance to ensure that all innovation and expansion remain anchored in our spiritual heritage. These frameworks challenge leaders to reflect on whether every process or policy advances the mission of compassion, respect, and accompaniment.
• Formation and Culture: Ongoing Vincentian formation for staff, volunteers, and leadership is critical. Formation is not a one-time orientation; it is a continual deepening of spiritual roots, prayerful reflection, and mutual support, helping everyone to discern Christ in all decisions and avoid agency drift.
• Measuring What Matters: While data and metrics have their place, they should be balanced with qualitative measures that honor relationship, dignity, and spiritual growth. Stories, not just statistics, should shape the narrative of impact and success.
• Radical Hospitality and Personalization: Systems can support, but never replace, the Vincentian call to radical hospitality, creating space for each person’s story and journey, meeting individuals as they are, and affirming their God-given dignity.

“Let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” (1 John 3:18)

• Mission-Driven Leadership: Leaders must be intentional stewards of the Vincentian Charism’s true purpose, actively resisting the lure of efficiency that erodes encounter and presence. Strategic clarity centered on the Vincentian charism can bridge tradition and innovation, ensuring that change never substitutes for meaning.

The Paradox of “More” and the Test of Integrity

It is a tragic irony when a Conference or Council doubles its numbers served but loses its soul. In our ministry, more is less when increased volume comes at the cost of Christ-centered, person-to-person charity. Yet it is also possible for more to be more when expanded resources, new technologies, and creative systems amplify rather than undermine the original charism.

Another area in which we need to be careful is the use of government funding which often comes with restrictions and handcuffs that diminish our ability to provide service in accordance with our true values and Vincentian charism. What a sad outcome it would be (and regretfully IS in some places) if our Conferences and Councils accept government funding that turns them from Vincentians into quasi-bureaucrats. If a government funder requires that the delivery location, shelter, or other facility abandon or restrict any visible evidence of our heritage or our faith, the question must be asked; ‘Why would we agree to that?’ Yes, we can help people, but are we doing so not as Vincentians, but as just another agency.

The test is not only the number of people reached, but also the depth and quality of encounter. Are recipients known by name? Are hearts changed, among both those served and those serving? Is Christ’s love made visible and credible? Is help given with respect, humility, and joy?

Always More, But Never Less

For Vincentians, the answer to “When is more less?” lies in constant discernment and courageous commitment to mission. Every system improvement, every data point, and every new technology must be evaluated through the lens of Vincentian spirituality. More people served is a holy goal; but only if each person remains an end in themselves, not a means for an organizational metric.

In the end, it is not the size of the program that matters but the size of the heart with which it is delivered. Conferences and Councils, by keeping formation vibrant and insisting on person-centered service, can ensure that more never means less, that growth is always rooted in the transforming love of Christ, and that every encounter, however small, remains a sacrament of hope.

By embracing frameworks, spiritual formation, and a mission-focused culture, we can expand wisely and guard against the danger of becoming just another agency. We will remain what we are called to be: Christ-centered companions to the poor, bearers of hope amidst change, and witnesses to a charity that is always personal, always spiritual, and never simply transactional.

Peace and God’s blessings,

John

The first Apostolic Exhortation from Pope Leo XIV entitled Dilexi Te (“I Have Loved You”) is greeted with the utmost joy and appreciation by our 81,000 members of The Society of St. Vincent de Paul USA (SVdPUSA).

The vision outlined by the Holy Father to serve the poor with love and compassion is not only the call of the Gospel, it has been our mission as Vincentians each day in the U.S. and 155 countries since our founding in 1833 in Paris, France.

More than a century ago, Leo XIII began a new tradition in Catholic Social Doctrine, connecting the church’s timeless teaching directly to contemporary circumstances and realities, and reminding the world that although the face of poverty may change, our duty to the poor does not.

More recently, Pope Francis emphatically reminded us that the Church cannot be separated from the poor. The mission of the Church, he said, must always be to embrace the most vulnerable with Christ’s love by meeting their individual material needs, while diligently working to improve societal and governmental systems and structures to lessen the gap between rich and poor.

Pope Leo XIV now continues this tradition with a perceptive and bold exhortation that inspires us to see the face of Christ in each person we encounter. Pope Leo is encouraging and even demanding that each of us take action in our own neighborhoods and communities to improve the lives of our brothers and sisters as we care for them as our neighbor.

At The Society of St. Vincent de Paul, we do this every day through our one-on-one encounters, our shelters and food banks, our work with those leaving prison, our advocacy efforts in Washington, D.C. and state capitals, and so many other programs.

It is in these ways that Vincentians live the Beatitudes and will continue to answer the call of the Holy Father in his first Apostolic Exhortation, Dilexi Te.  

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The Society of St. Vincent de Paul was represented by four Vincentians – Mark Warren of New Jersey, Myron Hubbard of Chicago, Ill., Bruce Steward of Houston, Texas, and Bernard Onwuemelie of Detroit, Mich. – at the Fr. Chester P. Smith National Black Catholic Men’s Conference in New Orleans, La. on September 4-7, 2025. The theme for the conference was “The Forge” taken from Matthew 28:19-20. The Conference Mass was celebrated by Most Reverend Gregory M. Aymond, Archbishop of New Orleans.

Malachi Williams, a St. Augustine High School senior, opened the conference with a rousing address followed by a standing ovation. He reminded the attendees that “every time they fall down, every time they feel broken, and every time they ask when is this tough time going to end, just remember that every time He woke you up and sent you on your way, that was Him telling you, ‘I will keep on making a way.’”

More than 250 men heard keynote speakers and shared in multiple workshops designed to strengthen their spirituality and empower them to make a difference. The youth in attendance experienced a dynamic workshop entitled “Building Young Black Men’s Leadership Identity, Capacity, and Efficacy.”

Throughout the conference the attendees visited the SVdP booth and received literature promoting the Society. The Multicultural Diversity Committee will are following up with attendees who requested additional information.