This marks the 16th year that part of a weekend Mass celebration has been designated to highlight, celebrate and thank the men and women in consecrated life and to pray for an increase of vocations.

Forms of consecrated life include monastic life, the order of virgins, hermits and institutes completely devoted to contemplation, apostolic religious life, secular institutes and societies of apostolic life.

For more information on the diverse forms of consecrated life, visit www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/vocations/consecrated-life/world-day-for-consecrated-life.cfm.

“I had needed a little assistance with a light bill, and I was so grateful for the help and assistance that I received, so I decided, how can I give back?” she recalls. “And so this place took me in.”

From left, Vincentians Richard and Pat Flick and Cindy Freed pack boxes to be given out at the Holy Trinity Food Pantry sponsored by the St. Vincent de Paul Society conferences of Lima. (Photo courtesy of Mike Briley)

Ms. Davis became an associate member of the Society and was put in charge of monitoring donations of furniture, clothing, appliances and other household goods, which are stored in two garages on parish property and given away free of charge to clients in need.

Now after three years of volunteering with the conference at Little Flower, Ms. Davis is preparing to be received into the church as a new Catholic this Easter.

“I was looking for a faith, a religion and a way to live. And I found it here,” she says. “I’m just happy to be here, and I’m grateful for the people that I know.”

Ms. Davis understands the importance of the mission of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, a Catholic lay organization that offers person-to-person service to those who are needy and suffering in the tradition of its founder, Blessed Frédéric Ozanam, and patron, St. Vincent de Paul.

Little Flower is just one of the 59 parish-based St. Vincent de Paul conferences operating in the Diocese of Toledo.

In addition to distributing food, clothing, furniture and other household goods, most provide direct financial assistance to assist clients with various needs including utility bills, rent, transportation expenses and prescription drugs. If they cannot meet a need directly, members often work to connect clients with other community services and agencies.

Vincentian volunteers operate food pantries throughout the diocese as well as thrift stores in Fayette, Lima, North Baltimore and Tiffin.

In Lima, a thrift store and food pantry are sponsored by the four parish conferences and operated entirely by volunteers. Anyone who comes to the pantry is eligible to receive food, according to Mike Briley, a member of Lima St. Charles who serves as president of the St. Vincent de Paul Society’s southwest district.

“We don’t turn anyone away,” says Mr. Briley. “I look at it like this: Christ said, what you do for the least of my brothers, you do for me. And we need to help some of these people out there that really don’t have anything.”

He notes that few other area organizations offer direct assistance with utility bills or rent, or provide motel rooms or bus tickets for people who are stranded.

“Any way that we can possibly help, we do,” says Mr. Briley, who explains the ministry of the Society is supported by the Catholic parishes of Lima, thrift store proceeds and donations from other community organizations.

In Mansfield, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul works closely with other community agencies including the local Catholic Charities office. Vincentian volunteers collect food donated by parishioners for the Catholic Charities pantry in Mansfield, and organize a parish giving tree that provides hundreds of Christmas gifts to people in need in the community each year.

Laurie Jordan, president of the Mansfield conference, says the Society is sometimes contacted by other social service entities that have run out of options for their clients.

“We assist those in need spiritually and financially and often in unique ways from other community agencies,” explains Ms. Jordan. “Our group has knowledge of community resources that allows us not only to be more effective linking up our clients with other entities of support, but also to be good stewards in the use of our funding.”

Referrals are also an important service provided by the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Fostoria St. Wendelin, which assisted 1,149 clients in 2011.

Carol Lininger, conference president, explains that since the city straddles three counties, the Vincentian volunteers have to be especially well-versed in knowing the services that are available to residents.

Members interview clients twice a week at their office, which is housed in the former St. Vincent de Paul thrift store building. Though the conference had to close its store more than a year ago, it still has donations of furniture, appliances and other household items available in a nearby trailer to give to clients in need.

“Our purpose is to help people with basic needs at their time of need,” says Ms. Lininger.

Amy Aschemeier, a member of Rossford All Saints who serves as communications liaison for the Toledo Society of St. Vincent de Paul, says the spirituality of the organization is what sets it apart from others that offer similar services.

“It’s not just the spirituality that we bring to the clients; it’s also the spirituality that we bring to each other,” says Ms. Aschemeier.

“To be a Vincentian, it’s an honor and it’s a ministry,” adds Ms. Aschemeier, who says members of the Society see “the true face of Jesus” in the poor.

“Some people just help them and that’s it,” she explains. “But we follow through, we call people up, we pray with them.”

Panelists include Beth Church, editor of the 
 Rossford Record Journal, Welch Publications and
 adjunct professor at Owens Community College; Debra G. Schaefer, 
executive vice president and secretary of
 Brooks Insurance; and Gabrielle Edwards, a firefighter and paramedic 
for Perrysburg Township Fire and EMS.

The cost is $16 per person, which includes lunch. Reservations are due by Jan. 27 and may be made by calling 419-244-6711, ext. 516.

The First Thursday Dialogue is a luncheon series that features prominent speakers addressing social issues of our time. The hope is that through shared conversation, marketplace decision-making may be enlightened and help affect the shape of the culture.

The program is made possible by donations to the Annual Catholic Appeal and is sponsored by the Evangelization and Parish Life Secretariat of the Diocese of Toledo.

The workshop, presented by Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Toledo, begins at 9:30 a.m. and features presentations on victim awareness by Roxanne Swogger, program coordinator in the office of victim services for the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction.

The day also includes lunch, refreshments and time for questions. The program concludes at 3:30 p.m. with prayer.

Pre-paid registration — $12.50 per person — is due by Feb. 28. To register, send name, address, email, phone, parish and the facility at which you volunteer to Germaine Kirk, Catholic Charities, 1933 Spielbusch Ave., Toledo, OH 43604-5360. Checks should be made payable to Catholic Charities Diocese of Toledo.

For more information, contact Ms. Kirk, social ministry coordinator, at 419-244-6711, ext. 431 or gkirk@toledodiocese.org.

Members of the Toledo Diocesan Council of Catholic Women (TDCCW) presented a check for $15,000 to the National Council of Catholic Women (NCCW) for programs it supports through Catholic Relief Services. From left are Tamy Franz, TDCCW president-elect, Sue Swartzmiller, TDCCW president, Patti Johnson, NCCW president, Joan Rosenhauer, executive vice president of U.S. Operations for CRS and Sue Charney, TDCCW vice president. (Photo courtesy of Toledo Diocesan Council of Catholic Women)

Sue Swartzmiller, president of the local group, along with Tamy Franz, president-elect, and Sue Charney, vice president, presented the national organization with a check for $15,000 for use in three programs the national group supports: Water for Life ($5,000), Madonna Plan ($5,000) and Help-A-Child Latin America ($5,000).

More than 700 affiliate leaders, individual members, Catholic thought leaders, exhibitors and friends of the National Council of Catholic Women (NCCW) met in Chicago Nov. 9-12 to reinvigorate and expand their commitment to spirituality, leadership, and service through speakers, liturgical celebrations and reflection on best practices for evangelization and social justice.

During their annual business meeting, NCCW members approved a resolution calling for the end of the use of the death penalty.

During the opening convention liturgy, Cardinal Francis E. George, Archbishop of Chicago noted that “if we know who Jesus is, we discover who we are. In meeting Jesus, our destiny becomes clarified.”

Cardinal George commended members of NCCW “as women who know the Lord and know the dignity of every human made in God’s image.”