Dorothy Day, who spent much of her life trying to love people who both mainstream society and many fellow Catholics had deemed unlovable, was fond of a line from Dostoevsky: “Love in pra
Trang 1Learning to love
differences can be
interesting and tough
In the spirit of St Vincent de Paul, the mission of the Colorado Vincentian Volunteers is to invite young adults into a process of transformation through companionship with those who are poor and marginalized.
Autumn 2017 | Denver, Colorado | Vol 23, No 1
By Naoki O’Bryan
CVV Year 23 Volunteer
Iaccepted the invitation to
spend a year with CVV
on the morning of Holy
Thursday, shortly before
being received into the Catholic
Church at the Easter vigil I knew
I did not want to receive the
sac-raments without embracing the
love within them, and that a year
of service would be a good way
to keep walking with God
I figured that, after emerging
from the Jordan, I should spend
some time in the desert
I’ve been in the “desert” for
more than a month now This
par-ticular patch of desert is two
build-ings on Pearl Street, two blocks
from the Basilica and a 20-minute
walk from the St Francis Center,
where I’m working this year Much
like the desert where Jesus spent
his 40 days, our home has no wifi
Unlike that desert, it has bags of
bagels and pastries gleaned from
Panera bread, a fridge full of
pro-duce and milk, and comfortable
beds in spacious rooms It also
has, most importantly, 19 friends to
spend the year with
We have a lot in common, as all
of us are setting aside comforts and
ambitions for a year spent “walking
with the poor and marginalized.”
But I’d like to focus here on our
differences, as the way we respond
to those reveals much about the practice of community life
As I got to know everyone, I became keenly aware of my dif-ferences, which from some angles seem a lot like shortcomings All
of my fellow CVVers have at least
a bachelor’s degree, and some have professional credentials on top of that, while I only have a high school proficiency certificate and less than a year of college cred-its Every mention of college and graduate school, or the sight of a Ziploc bag of GRE practice cards
on the breakfast table, reminded me of what I didn’t have
And as a convert, I had found my-self attracted to parts of the faith like the social conservatism of Catholic teaching and the solem-nity of more traditional liturgies for which some of my fellow CV-Vers did not share my enthusiasm
These differences could make for interesting conversa-tion, but they could also hurt
After one particularly difficult question about a particularly difficult issue, I sequestered myself and questioned my vocation: Am I really meant to
▲ CVV volunteer Naoki O’Bryan, right, works with fellow volunteer, Faith, at St Francis Center.
spend a year here?
I’ve thought and I’ve prayed, and I’ve decided yes We are enriched by each other’s differ-ences, even when they are difficult
Dorothy Day, who spent much of her life trying to love people who both mainstream society and many fellow Catholics had deemed unlovable, was fond of a line from Dostoevsky: “Love in practice is a harsh and dreadful thing com-pared to love in dreams.”
Sometimes community life means making a sacrifice of per-sonal preference or convenience
This might include listening to someone talk about their day when you’d planned on taking time for yourself, or cooking din-ner with different seasoning than you prefer so that everyone can enjoy it But sometimes commu-nity life means breaking bread with people who see things in an entirely different way than you do
This is where things get harsh and dreadful This is where love hurts and gets a chance to grow
deep-er You don’t have to agree But you have to know that the person next to you, the person who thinks
a different way, has a name and a face and a story, just like you To
do so doesn’t require a sacri-fice of certainty, and it certainly doesn’t require an irreverence toward truth Rather, it requires a sacrifice of self-certainty; I need
to recognize that the relationship can continue without my being right all the time
I’m looking forward to the 20
of us finding common ground, and those differences that are easier to celebrate But I’m also ready for the difficulties that inevitably arise and the sacrifices they will require But such sacrifices are never done alone,
as Love has not only been given
to us but modeled for us perfectly
in the life of Jesus
Naoki O’Bryan works
at the St Francis Center
“Love in practice
is a harsh
and dreadful thing
compared to
love in dreams.”
Fyodor Dostoyevsky,
The Brothers Karamazov
Love: Harsh and dreadful
Inside
A simple can
of flavored water … combined with the generous heart of a CVV volunteer makes for
a beautiful story and
a meaningful lesson for all Page 2
Annual Report Page 5
It’s Pancake Time!
Join us at Holy Family Church
on Sunday morning, Oct 22, 2017
Trang 2By Jasmine Jacquay
CVV Year 23 Volunteer
She was stumbling around the middle of
the road, shouting hysterically to no one in
par-ticular It was 7 a.m on a Wednesday and I had
arrived to Stout Street Clinic early, trying to get
a bit of reading in before my shift began
I had occupied the bench in front of the
clinic for all of two seconds when I first heard
her She instantly got my attention as curse
words shattered the morning’s peace A horn
blared and the woman reluctantly dragged
herself to the sidewalk, trailing profanities
as she lugged her bags out of the way of
im-patient cars As she walked closer to me, we
made eye contact, and I did my best to offer
a sympathetic smile She looked exhausted
and upset Her hair was wild, her clothes
unkempt, and she seemed to be holding
back tears All of a sudden she asked me, “If
someone sleeps with you and they don’t tell
you they got AIDS, it’s rape, huh?”
Without giving me a chance to respond
and I’m not sure how I would have she dove
into a story about an encounter she’d had the
night before I listened and nodded, doing my
best to string together bits and pieces of her
story The more she explained the situation,
the faster she spoke The faster she spoke, the
more freely tears streamed Entirely
sur-prised, pretty angry at last night’s partner and
honestly a bit judgmental about the whole
situation, I felt so much for her as she spoke
Finally, she stopped to take a breath “I’m thirsty,” she stated, matter of factly
Just the night before, I had made a trip
to my neighborhood grocery store with the sole purpose of purchasing a La Croix flavored water to enjoy with my lunch the next day I could feel its coolness through the bag on my lap that morning I had no inten-tion of parting with it, but I knew I could no longer enjoy its yummy and bubbly good-ness if I did not offer it to the thirsty woman
in front me So I presented it to her, hoping she would decline Not only did she accept it, she immediately popped open the can and drained it Impressive, I thought to myself
Not only was it carbonated, it was extremely cold I could nearly feel her experiencing that good sort of pain, as it slid, icily, down her dry throat As she wiped away the mel-on/grapefruit-flavored goodness dripping down her chin, a smile spread across her face She sat down next to me on the bench
So many stories, so little time
Everybody needs
something whether
real or imagined
and said, “That water saved my life!” I quietly smiled in relief Not only did she want that drink; she enjoyed it much more than I would have Looking back, I wouldn’t have wanted that precious drink to be consumed for any less worthy cause
Since arriving in Denver, I’ve heard quite a few stories Stories that are hard to stomach and often have no fairy-tale ending Stories that leave me feeling heavy, uncom-fortable and on the verge of tears Stories
of pain, addictions, sleepless nights, anger, confusion and broken relationships things that I can’t fix As my path unexpectedly and sometimes painfully intersects with others, I’m slowly learning what it means to ac-knowledge and embrace the ugly situations within which we occasionally find ourselves Some people want money, some bus passes, some marijuana … some merely a drink It seems that, mostly, people want to
be sat beside and listened to I don’t have the capacity to solve the circumstances of these people’s lives, but I can offer a listening ear and a cold La Croix, which surprisingly takes
a great deal of surrender Trusting that God
is holding that woman’s situation in His hands
is more difficult than trying, fruitlessly, to take care of things on my own
I’m finding that God’s invitation into someone else’s story is a beautiful thing, regardless of the role I play in their lives Sometimes just sitting on a bench with a cold drink can be enough … next time I’ll bring two
Jasmine Jacquay works at Stout Street
Health Center
By Sammy Eckrich
CVV Year 22 Alumnus
Last night I gathered with a few fellow CVV alumni for a night We reflected on how natural it felt to be with one another Despite our diverse identities, the past year has pro-vided an intimate knowledge of one another Even the language we used carried its own vocabulary: love language, enneagram num-ber, gleaning
This intimacy comes from a year of intentional relationships and conversations,
of patience and sacrifice Even though there
is a sense of sadness at the physical distance between many of us, I know the impressions we’ve made on one another will be carried
to all the places and people meeting us in the future I’m excited to share the adventures the CVV22 alumni have already begun
▲CVV Volunteer Jasmine Jacquay on the bench outside the Stout Street Clinic.
What’s up
▲CVV Volunteers from Year 22 have gone on to busy lives and careers; eight have
remained in the Denver area as they begin new lives.
Trang 3By Allison Duber
CVV Year 23 Volunteer
Before I left for CVV,
friends told me that it
would not be in my
ac-tions alone that the kids
I work with would be changed
Before I left, I was hoping that the
children could encourage me to
be joyful and willing to give
Before I left, I anticipated
that the kids who do not have the
most lighthearted outlook on life
view the world with anxiety and
brokenness I decided my best
plan of action was to live every
moment with a childlike attitude
I was unsure what to expect, but
I knew I wanted to give as much
love as I was physically and emo-tionally capable of giving Before this year, I surrendered all of my own hopes and dreams about helping these kids and prom-ised myself to have open hands, hands willing to hold, hug, wipe tears, and love
It wasn’t long after I started working at Mount St Vincent that all of my predispositions were turned upside down I had so many misconceptions about the children at Mount St
Vincent, and now looking back,
I didn’t know any better Mt St
Vincent is a treatment center for children with severe behavioral and emotional challenges due
to mental illness, trauma, abuse,
or neglect The first day I started work, the kids curiously ob-served me, trying to figure me out Within a few days, they were pulling on my arms, asking me
to help them with their school-work, and knocking me over with love and hugs
As much as I thought I was going to teach these kids about life, they have been the ones teaching me From the start, I assumed these children would be different from most kids However, they are still the same playful, lovable kids even though they have been through horrible circumstances They are still children who beg me to play house with them, and con-vince me to cuddle with them
on the couch
As I interact with them more and more, I notice that we are more similar than I thought We both just desire to love and be loved, and that is what it all comes down to I may only be present in these children’s lives for a short year, but I trust God with the end result, because I am ultimately planting a seed that I hope grows and flourishes
The beauty I see in these children mirrors the beauty I see in the mountains as I drive
to work every day Both views make me look forward to going more out of my comfort zone and taking on a journey I want
to walk with the kids side-by-side and hand-in-hand, loving
Eight of us could not get
enough of the Mile High city
Theresa, myself (Sammy),
Mack, and Abby stayed at our
placement sights (Urban Peak,
Arrupe Jesuit High School, Stout
Street Clinic and The Gathering
Place) in new capacities Kalyn
now works at Earthlinks and
Emily has shifted her talents to
a financial firm Brigid is a savvy
waitress, discerning careers
while taking advantage of
vari-ous professional opportunities
(including a period as a life
coach!) Beauclarine is
pursu-ing a Master in Public Policy at
DU and working in international
development research
Also bettering themselves and the world through education
are Marco, aka “Mr O,”
teach-ing high-school math/science
in Los Angeles during his first
year of ACE and Smalls (Teresa),
getting her Master of Counsel-ing Psychology while workCounsel-ing
at a school in Massachusetts In the application process for grad
studies, Molly is currently a
nursing assistant and barista-ex-traordinaire in Illinois, and Tris-cuit (Miranda) is an instructional assistant at her local community college in Texas Unable to stay away from the realm of higher
education, Anna works as a
Resi-dent Minister for John Carroll’s
Campus Ministry Department
Pursuing her passion with
seniors, Bailey is in Nebraska
working for Home Instead Se-nior Care as their Relationship
Enrichment Coordinator
Kath-erine is in Nashville, applying
her medical-field experience
at Walgreens as a pharmacy
technician Kristina returned
to New York to discern her next steps while working the front
desk at a gym Coincidentally in
the same city at the same time,
Maggie and Brian moved to
Portland; Maggie is teaching pre-K, and Brian works at a hous-ing nonprofit
Maintaining that Vincentian spirit of serving God through
serving others, Nolan moved to
New York for a second volunteer
year doing service and
evangeli-zation River El Rio is in
Loui-siana starting the Jesuit novitiate
by performing apostolic work in local communities
Even with distance I believe there’s a common thread of mutual experience and
intention-al relationship that still ties us intention-all together We are people formed
by many finger-prints All the struggles and joys of CVV life will
be carried along to the doors we continue to open, the paths we forge, and the lives we hope to touch It can feel like a vast abyss
of the unknown before each of us, but I know we can trust in this mantra I used to navigate commu-nity life: God is present in the messiness, in the conflict, and
amidst it all, trust the process
▲CVV Volunteer Allison Duber, left, with a student at Mount St
Vincent.
them with every part of my be-ing All of us will walk out into the world, stronger in Christ from having shared this time
As I continue to surrender my fears, I can give more of myself
to these kids, who desperately want to be heard and known They are hurting and struggling and broken, but if I can fill their hearts with love and guidance from God and the Holy Spirit, it will be so rewarding
As I learn from them step-by-step, I can empty myself of any burden, and be free to share with
my community the hard days and the good days, every day, yearn-ing for those precious smiles and big hugs from my little buddies at Mount St Vincent
Transitioning into this new phase of life was a leap of faith, but it was comforting and still is to know that these kids and I can journey
togeth-er, hand in hand
Allison Duber works
at Mount St Vincent.
with CVV Year 22s
Changing
… all of my predispositions were turned upside down
Trang 4Bringing his critical thinking skill, along with a strong
faith, Michael Bruno comes to CVV from Texas, but
but he grew up in the state of Washington Michael’s
work site is Samaritan House, an overnight shelter
The folks he encounters find a passionate and
caring person His Criminal Justice background from
Eastern Washington University gives him an under-
standing of systems that will help him in his future work
“Individuals who are ignored by society often have a series of events
that led them to be there…they just need another chance to feel
human again.”
Julie Medenwald chose to use her Masters
education in Speech Pathology and Audiology by serving at Sewall Child Development Center here
in Denver Julie’s studies were at Marquette University, and now she is supporting children with unique needs who learn together with children with typical needs Integration is what Julie
is about: work with faith, community with values, and studies with
experience, all done with a positive outlook “I hope that through
community, prayer, and reflection, I will be nourished in my desire to
live my faith to better the lives of those around me.”
Mirka Gallo has found a cultural home at Aurora
Community Connection, a family resource center
serving the needs of the neighborhood Mirka
studied Social Work at Xavier University and hopes
to combine that education with her cultural
understanding so that she can serve those who have
fewer resources available to them Her passion,
confidence and commitment guide her and inspire
others “I feel that living simply means living in the moment and
satisfying your most basic needs…I’m hoping to be more present and
to value the basic needs I take for granted.”
San Francisco, California is home for Naoki O’Bryan, and
he also has he has also found a home in the Catholic Church, having
recently experienced RCIA and baptism How
refreshing it is to hear the passion for his faith as he
continues to learn and form his spirituality, deepening
his education through reflective questions The folks
who come to St Francis Center where Naoki works
and his community will challenge him on this journey, as
he will do the same for all of us “All of us, whatever our
differences, are defined by our creation in the Divine Image…There’s
plenty to celebrate in human accomplishments and abilities, but those
are the fruit, not the root, of our humanity.”
Sunny weather is no stranger to Palos Verdes,
California native Lauren Franklin, affectionately
called Frankie After finishing her degree in English
at the University of San Diego, Frankie is putting her
belief in a faith that does justice to practice with the
Jesuits at Arrupe High School as an assistant in the
work study program Frankie brings a wealth of
questions and thought-provoking insights into
discussions The students at Arrupe find a compassionate friend and
supporter in Frankie “I want a firm foundation…which is unshakable
love, a love which is not contingent upon anything It is my desire to be
a woman who grows upon that kind of love.”
A desire to serve people with developmental delays led Michelle Maskeri to her current placement site of Laradon Her degree in Biomedical Sciences is from
Marquette University, not too far from home in Winfield, Illinois Michelle’s interests are wide and her gifts many, including a love of playing piano Her sweet disposition brings joy and peace to those around her, and she enters CVV with high hopes and conviction
“Joy is my favorite word Not only do I allow myself to express joy at every opportunity, but I also aspire to be a vehicle of joy for others in every aspect of my life.”
It’s been a leap from Belgium, where Miguel Fojas
attended school, and a leap of faith as well, to Denver where he now works with youth studying for their GED
at Urban Peak Miguel bursts with energy and his positive outlook is contagious He grew up in New Jersey, and graduated from Providence College As he enters the CVV program he hopes to “live the dream,”
and to find his calling “An old Dutch saying,
‘laughing at myself is the beginning of living a full life,’ means having a sense of humble humor … which can facilitate meaningful discussions on the deeper levels of life.”
Christin Seward’s love of nature makes her an ideal fit
for The GrowHaus, a neighborhood-based food system
that is healthy, equitable and resident-driven Christin
attended Aquinas College, where she received a degree in Environmental Studies and Geography She
is ready, willing and able to help anyone, and she does
it with joy and humility She is originally from Bay City, Michigan “My mission is to experience and learn what it
really means to live with a preferential option for the poor through
my work and through the work by my fellow volunteers.”
Coming to CVV has been a return “home,” in a sense for Jasmine Jacquay, who recently returned
from Guinea, though her original home is in Florida Volunteer work is not new to Jasmine, who has worked with refugees in Georgia, children in Guinea and seniors in assisted living It demonstrates not only her concern for others, but her ability to respond always with gentle kindness Now she serves as a nurse at Stout Street Health Center. “The refugee friends that
I made there (resettlement area) challenged my way of thinking and reminded me that relationships are far more important than money.”
Angela LaVecchia has come from her home in High
Bridge, New Jersey to the mountain views in Denver Her degree in Interdisciplinary Health Services from the University of St Joseph has prepared her to engage with folks at Senior Support Services, where she connects the members with needed resources Angela always has a smile, even when she is not feeling well Her energy and enthusiasm brighten the day for all of us “To respect someone is to dignify their
humanness and essence, so in giving someone the sense of dignity they deserve we are not only doing the kind thing, but the right thing.”
Twenty volunteers!
Trang 5St Louis, Missouri native Christina Sinak has chosen to
put her values to work at Dominican Home Health Agency, which provides care especially to elders and chronically ill so that they can stay in their homes
Christina has embraced this mission with her authenticity and values-based outlook on life She studied Exercise Physiology at the University of Dayton, and has jumped into all aspects of CVV with both feet firmly planted
“’Be where your feet are’ is a motto I adopted after attending a retreat
and being reminded of the importance of true presence.”
From Olmsted Falls, Ohio to Hillsdale College in
Michigan to Denver, Allison Duber is not only crossing
the country, but also cultural norms, as she finds
herself working with children with severe behavioral
and emotional challenges at Mt St Vincent’s Her deep
desire to connect work to her faith serves as her starting
point Her major was Sociology and Social Thought, which
planted seeds of insights and questions that she shares with her
community “I want to get my hands dirty, experience more of the
hard truths in this world, and be humbled by this experience.”
Loyola Marymount University offered Mariana Ugalde an
initial understanding of Political Science and French (and
she speaks Spanish, too!) Now her work at Annunciation
Catholic School will deepen that understanding Mariana
lives paradox as a very sweet and gentle person whose
strength is grounded in her faith Her openness to risk
and try new adventures encourages others to do the same
She came to Denver via her home in California “I view
integrity as acting ethically, by your morals and your values, not because
you have to, but because it is what your heart says.”
Stephanie Darby is making her way north from a
childhood spent in Austin, Texas Darby (her preferred name) graduated from St Edward’s University with a
BA in graphic design She now works at The Gathering Place, a day shelter for women and children Some of Darby’s life experiences have led her to see beauty and life in all things Her belief in the presence of the Holy Spirit colors her world, and therefore, ours as well “Through service, I
have discovered and reinforced my own belief that we must look past
ourselves in order to grow; the collective potential we possess when we
come together to lift one another up is infinite.”
Justin Dimase joins CVV from Albany, New York He
studied at The Crane School of Music of the State
University of New York at Potsdam, where he also
earned a degree in Literature Justin is eager to serve
seniors, and so has chosen to work with St Francis Center’s
Cornerstone housing for those who were homeless
He brings a sense of groundedness and shares
great listening skills with others in community “One of
the most palpable things I’ve learned as Albany tries to become an age-
friendly community is that issues faced by the elderly affect more deeply
than one may realize.” As a nurse, Santiago Solorio could have chosen any
number of jobs, but decided to dedicate a year to learn more, to grow in social justice, and to give to those who are most in need at Clinica Tepeyac Santiago is from Bridgeton, Missouri and studied nursing at St Louis University His commitment to his culture, to justice, and to his deep values supports him as he both challenges and accepts the challenges from others
“In working with marginalized communities I was able to learn some- thing incredibly beautiful about them I realized just how intimately connected they are, a living example of what a community that supports one another ought to be.”
A degree in Holistic Studies from Western Michigan
University has prepared Erin-Lynn Salazar well for her
work at Metro Caring, a food resource center in Denver Erin-Lynn is excited to learn and to share in a mutual relationship with those at work and in her community
As a companion on the journey, her openness to others and her ability to listen are gifts she shares
“I want to be a Vincentian Volunteer to help the people progress in
their own community, empower the people, exchange knowledge, and to create relationships with the people of the community."”
to create relationships and trust with the people of the community.”
Cassady Allen’s journey to CVV began long ago, but
more recently was affirmed at the University of Texas, where she studied Health Education and Kinesiology Ft Worth, Texas is home to Cassady but this year, she landed at CVV-and with great enthusiasm and with her heart firmly planted in our mission She shares her positive energy with the children at Laradon, who experience physical and developmental disabilities Maybe they will pick up her lovely Texas
accent! “My personal mission is to live with purpose, deepening my
faith and spirituality to where I can see and feel issues when I interact with everyone.”
Missouri has been home for Liz Barreca since birth,
first in Cuba and later at Truman State University.
Liz has a quiet strength that serves her well as a case manager at Urban Peak, where she works with homeless and runaway youth Her degree is in Health Science, and Liz plans to work in public health in the future Liz’s openness to others and her compassion for those in need is evident in her
gentle demeanor “Compassion is a gift that God gives us to help
us understand more of what it is like to be another person and helps
us walk with them in life’s trials.”
Though Carlo Castillo spent the past years studying
Chemistry, he also has a great love of music and
plays many instruments He originally hails from Lisle,
Illinois and earned a degree from The Ohio State
University When you first meet Carlo, he strikes you
as a quiet, reserved guy, but get him on stage and his
inner camp counselor comes to life Carlo works with
refugees at Lutheran Family Services and enjoys and
respects the many cultures he experiences “I want to be a Vincentian
Volunteer because I’m really drawn to a way of life that emphasizes
service, simplicity, and spirituality…I want to take the time to refocus
my life on what’s really important.”
Meet CVV Year 23
Trang 6By Angela LaVecchia
CVV Year 23 Volunteer
When I landed in
Denver on Aug 5,
my mind and heart
were a whirlwind of
emotions I was excited, anxious,
and curious about meeting my
community, serving at Senior
Sup-port Services, and growing in my
spirituality
As several weeks have come
and gone I have learned more
about love, humanity and grace
than I have in my 22 years on this
earth, and I know that will continue
Learning real love
My community is made up of
10 wonderful people from all over the country Intentional community life is entirely different from what I was expecting I thought I already knew what it would be like, based
on the experiences I had in col-lege with my roommates who doubled as my best friends
Community is not a place or
a set of people, but rather a feel-ing, an innate sense of belongfeel-ing,
a sense of knowing that we are home Community is made up of the people who fill walls with love and laughter And living with and
▲ CVV Volunteer Angela LaVecchia works with Glen, a client at
Senior Support Services.
for others 24 hours a day, seven days a week can be exhausting, but so life giving because of the covenant we have made with our-selves and with one another
We promise to eat meals together, be brave together, pray together, and advocate for justice together Each individual com-pletes our home perfectly Each day I know there are nine other people who are ready and willing
to hear about my day, hold my heart when it’s difficult, and sup-port my ideas and triumphs
My work site, Senior Sup-port Services, serves (since 1976!) members of the 55 and older community who experience homelessness and are hungry
On my first day, I was greeted warmly by clients and staff The more time I spend at work, the harder I find it is to leave each day, knowing very well that some
of my clients can’t go home to the same type of community I have, let alone a roof, a bed, running water; all things I take for granted each day Case Managing at Senior Support Services has af-forded me the privilege to meet people from all walks of life
Some favorite moments so far have included moving clients into a new apartment after 20-plus years on the street; a client teaching me Chinese so we can communicate better together
On the other hand, harder
struggles have been calling clients to inform them we don’t have the funds to assist them in paying their rent, telling a client the wait list for an apartment is two to three years, or seeing a client struggle with addictions or mental-health challenges
All of the guilt and sadness that comes along with sharing bad news is hard to hold, but my co-workers speak to the clients as
if they are family and inspire me
to do the same Senior Support Services is teaching me each and every day what it truly means to love and be loved
My spirituality so far here
at CVV has flourished I came
to Denver exhausted physically, mentally and spiritually There was a crack in my heart from this fatigue and God used this as the perfect opportunity to sneak in and start to turn the wheels of change St Vincent prayed, “God, grant me the grace to see with the same eyes you do.”
And I now pray that as well
I pray to be able to see my clients, my community, and myself with the same eyes that God does, with the same heart God called
me to love with … a weaving of life this year that holds much in store for me
Angela LaVecchia works
at Senior Support Services
▲ CVV Volunteer Justin Dimase
Attempting to
By Justin Dimase
CVV Year 23 Volunteer
One of the most intriguing questions that I have pon-dered since arriving in Denver is: “How would you explain prayer to someone who is unfamiliar with it?”
Admittedly, I struggled to answer this, and began to question my own prayer prac-tices, deeming them inadequate or some-how wrong
After giving it some thought, I remem-bered one of my favorite short stories, which
I think connects well to the issues I have
been having Cathedral, by Raymond Carver,
is a story involving three people The narra-tor is a man, who’s base comments suggest disconnectedness and a bit of jealousy His wife, depicted as a loving and kind
individu-al, invites an old friend, a blind man, to their
home after the blind man’s wife has passed From the man’s arrival, the narrator is thrust into unknown territory, having but only preconceived notions about blind people
or what it means to be blind As the night progresses and the narrator’s wife has fallen asleep, the narrator and the blind man begin
to watch a TV program about cathedrals The blind man asks the narrator to de-scribe the cathedrals to him, and though the narrator has the gift of sight, he struggles to explain what he is viewing The blind man nods in patient understanding Finally, the blind man asks for heavy paper and pen, so that the narrator may physically show him the cathedrals, by way of drawing
The blind man closes his hand around the narrators’ and they begin to draw the cathedral The narrator is amazed at what he
is accomplishing, and the blind man contin-ues to offer words of encouragement At the end the blind man asks the narrator to close
explain prayer
Trang 7his eyes and continue, and the narrator gets
along just as well He instructs the man to
open his eyes and see what he has
cre-ated, but the narrator decides to keep them
closed a little longer
As I considered the narrator’s inability
to describe the cathedral, I thought of
my-self, attempting to craft a prayer, expecting
it to be intricate and profound like a
cathe-dral The blind man, though he is without
sight, was able to open up the narrator’s
view by simply reducing the grand
depic-tions of the cathedral to a simple drawing, a
simple tactile expression
I realize now that prayer does not have
to be perfect or ornate And the profundity
and sacredness of something like a
cathe-dral can be captured in the most plain and
simple of manners The most important
thing that I gathered however is that I must
open my mind and heart to accept spiritual
aid from others Turning points in our faith
stories may come from the most unlikely of people and experiences
If we hope to develop a deeper rela-tionship with God, we are obliged to look at prayer as something that evolves, something that points us in directions that we didn’t an-ticipate I look forward to the new directions
Justin Dimase works
at Cornerstone of St Francis Center.
Prayer does not have to be perfect or ornate
Annual Report
As Colorado Vincentian Volunteers
transitions from group 22 to group 23, it
is striking to recognize the risk that young
adults take to enter into this journey with
their whole hearts, minds and souls each
and every year It is inspiring to witness
their willingness to step outside of the
norm of their culture and to embrace a
year of challenge, a year of simplicity, a
year of intentional community living, a
year of change and growth
Each year we are inspired by the
providence that brought each one to this
experience, this year that offers an
op-portunity to better understand the
pref-erential option for the poor, to know the
stories of the people living in the
mar-gins and to be touched deeply by them
Each year we once again recognize the
risk that they take to be plopped down
into a new city, a new group of potential
friends, a new job
Perhaps most striking in reflecting
back on the past year, we so appreciate
their willingness to suffer sadness and
secondary trauma as they learn to just
be present to those who are in pain At
World Youth Day, Pope Francis
encour-aged young men and women to not
“be afraid to say ‘yes’….to respond gen-erously and to follow Him (God) Don’t let your soul grow numb, but aim for the goal of a beautiful love which also demands sacrifice.”
This past year, 20 individu-als responded generously, sacrificed material goods, opened themselves
to love and to be loved This past year
20 individuals grew in their under-standing of their spirituality, of their call to serve those most in need, of their own hearts and souls This past year, these 20 individuals inspired
us to aim for that beautiful love and
to embrace the sacrifice that is de-manded And you, our readers, con-tinue to inspire us with your love, your support and your presence that makes this all possible We believe Meister Eckhart who said, “If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life
is thank you, it will be enough.”
With gratitude,
CVV Expenses 2016-2017
CVV Revenue and Support 2016-2017
These numbers include 20 volunteers in Direct Service to 18 local agencies, Volunteers’ Community (housing, food, insurance, travel); Spirituality (retreats, workshops, border im-mersion); Reflection and Discussion (weekly in-services, guest presenters, materials and publications).
n Program
n General/Administration
n Development/Fund raising
$34,000
$445,000
$30,000
Colorado Vincentian Volunteers receives support from many sources in the community We are deeply grateful for your ongoing support Thank you for companioning CVV.
isn’t as easy as it sounds
$33,000
$126,000
$75,000
$175,000
$145,000
Trang 8Page 8 CVV JOURNEY
n Board of Directors, Committee
members and The Heart and
Soul Planning Committee,
n Monthly and individual
do-nors (with more than $12,000,
you surpassed the match of
$10,000!)
n Anonymous donors
n Prayer Families who pray for
each volunteer
n Spiritual Directors
n Summer Cleaning Crew (Alison,
Brian, Carol, Charlie, Haley,
Lorie, Margaret and Mary)
n Building repair crew (Rick and
Dan)
n Melanie Simonet and Julie
Hutchinson (graphic arts and
design)
n The Bank of Denver
n Panera Bread
n Wheat Ridge Cyclery
Paul Golden CM, Annie Green,
Alanna Kimmel, Chris Lane,
Margaret Mailander,
Nikki Murillo, Isabel Sanchez,
Steve Saul, Kara Schmitt,
Josh Wise
Check us out! www.covivo.org
CVV Staff:
Katharine Montemurri
Adrienne Havey
Bill Jaster
Mary Frances Jaster
Tom Nelson, CM
R J Toledo
Non—Profit Org U.S Postage PAID
Denver, CO Permit #3171
Vincentian Volunteers
1732 Pearl St * Denver, CO 80203
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
Ways to give:
Scan the code above ▲
with your smart phone
Or Online
www.covivo.org/ways-to-give
n Egan Printing
n Janet Johnson
n Andy and Lisa Nowak
n John Oldani and Blue Ribbon Home Warranty
n Elcar Fence
n Parishioners and staff at Good Shepherd, Holy Family,
Most Precious Blood,
St Elizabeth of Hungry, Spirit of Christ, St Frances Cabrini, St Thomas More,
St Dominic
n Franciscans of the Holy Name Province, May Bonfils
Memorial Trust
n Maggie George Foundation
¡Muchas Gracias!