St. Vincent de Paul Society (June Santos)

The St. Vincent de Paul Society has long been an active part of St. Mary's. The Society is an international organization is made up of lay Catholic men and women who are committed to live and grow in their Christian faith through prayer and personal involvement in charitable works. It has spread to more than 130 nations, with more than 900,000 members worldwide.

The world-wide mission is to help the needy in countless ways, primarily through one-on-one contact of volunteers with children, families and the homeless. This mission is accomplished through parish and community-based groups.

It all began in 1833 in Paris, France, when a young man named Frederic Ozanam and his friends were involved in a debate and they were challenged by the question, "What are you doing for the poor of Paris?"  Now beatified, Blessed Frederic founded the Society in the name of St. Vincent de Paul, a French priest from the late 16th and early 17th centuries who alerted the people of his day to many of society's ills.

The Society's work quickly began to spread and arrived in the United States in 1845 with the founding of what is now the Council of the United States in St. Louis, MO.  Today more than 4,055 active Conferences operate in the United States, with about 62,847 active members.

Under the guidance of its moderator, Deacon Paul Spalla, the members here at St. Mary's are involved in a number of activities. For over 20 Years, the Society has provided Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners for the lonely, homebound, and needy, with help of Immaculate Conception (our sharing parish), the Carlton House, and our school children (who decorate the tables). They also sponsor a parish pot-luck dinner each year for Holy Thursday.

The Annual Ice Cream Social in August brings in helpful contributions as well as being an enjoyable way for parishioners to get together. During the summer, the Society participates in the annual Chicago Food Depository Hunger Walk. In addition to these main events, individual members help with food and clothing pickups from our Sharing Parishes and the Chicago Food Depository Hunger Walk.

They work closely with the Community Center, making home visits; reaching out to the needy and providing whatever services are needed. For instance, one volunteer regularly takes an elderly lady shopping; others accompany people to medical appointments and hospitals. Members also visit nursing homes, hospitals, and halfway houses.

On the last Sunday of the month, Society members collect food after all the Masses. Parishioners are encouraged to bring food and place at the back entrance of the church vestibule.

For information about how you can help the St. Vincent de Paul Society, call June Santos, the President of the St. Mary of the Lake Conference, at (773) 472-3711

Ministers of Care (Deacon Paul Spalla, Loyda Vida)

Ministers of Care at St. Mary of the Lake are parishioners who bring the Eucharist to the sick and their families at Thorek Hospital, Margaret Manor, Friendly Towers and in homes of the Uptown neighborhood.  Ministers of Care help individuals nurture their spiritual lives when their physical well being is compromised and they need to maintain a connection with their Catholic community. 

Training for new Ministers of Care is held every year in the early Fall.  Please contact Deacon Paul Spalla (773-525-7523) for more information.

Lectors (English: Jackie Mohelnitsky, Spanish: Consuela Esparza)

With the advent of Vatican II, the ministry of Lector was given to lay people and the lay people at St. Mary of the Lake began reading in 1967. Many people too numerous to list have given of their time and talent to this valuable ministry.

Lectors proclaim the Word of God at Mass. Being able to proclaim the Word of God is a gift and should be shared with people. Lectoring is considered to be a service ministry.

Training is minimal. If you have a nice firm voice, can read slowly and project your voice to all four corners of the church, you might consider joining this group.

 

SPRED (Gwen Benoy)
St. Mary of the Lake's SPRED group offers an opportunity to all parishioners to become a member of a small community of faith welcoming people with special needs. SPRED is an archdiocesan program based in many parishes embracing a unique mission: to provide appropriate and meaningful experiences of faith formation, sacramental preparation and worship for children and adults with developmental disabilities (including, but not exclusive of cerebral palsy, autism, seizure disorders, learning disabilities or attention deficit disorder, behavior or emotional challenges, Down syndrome or other genetic disorders).

Curious? If you'd like to become a volunteer catechist, or if you have information about special-needs children in the area, please contact: Leader Catechist Gwen Benoy (gwenbenoy@yahoo.com, or 773-832-9165) or Activity Catechist Marianne Gaul (773-929-9493).