I should not have been but I was surprised by some of the things Pope Francis included in his Lenten Letter 2020
Advocacy
Bl. Rosalie Rendu: Serving and Advocating for Persons in Need of Health Care
In addition to caring for the sick poor in their homes, Blessed Rosalie collaborated closely with the civil authorities responsible for the assistance of those who were poor.
Speaking the Truth to Power at Any Age
Profiles in courage from the present and the past, young and old.
How Hard is it to Make a Telephone Call?
What holds us back from lifting the phone and speaking for those who do not know how to negotiate our system?
When St. Vincent spoke the truth to power…
When St. Vincent spoke the truth to power… and what we can do today! Vincent’s courage in speaking the truth to power While Vincent is best known for his practical works of charity, he also served as an advocate for the poor before the highest authorities, at times at...
Notice from the SVDP USA
The SVDP USA changed their advocacy platform last month to "VoterVoice." Many in the Vincentian Family are accustomed to "CapWiz," and now when you go to the CapWiz link you get a message with only this information: The SVDP writes The new link is:...
Seeing Better and Systemic Change
In his wonderful new book Vincentian Meditations, Tom McKenna has a chapter on “seeing better.” He asks “what does standing under Vincent’s influence do to an individual?” And one response is that one can see better. That can mean many things but it might would...
Intersections
“Those on top, like politicians and church leaders, talk a lot about peace, but not about justice, because speaking of peace sounds good to others on top and to the naïve on the bottom, but to speak of justice sounds bad to those on top because it opens the eyes of...
Bullfights and Systemic Change
It caught my eye immediately. A statue on his desk—a bullfight scene. But not what you would expect. This one was strikingly different—here the bull was sitting on the matador holding him down! Talk about the unexpected. A paradigm shift? No, a complete reversal! We...
Systemic Change Seminar: Lucena City, Philippines
Recently, Ana Maria Escano, our SC coordinator for the Philippines, gave a 2-day seminar at Sacred Heart College in Lucena City, a Daughters of Charity Institution located 4 miles from Manila. The 58 participants of this seminar were the staff of the different...
Advocacy and Systemic Change
“Speaking truth to power….Making our voices heard---" Advocacy: the process of supporting a cause or proposal, pleading or arguing in favor of an idea or policy. Advocacy is active, not passive, and can take many forms. But for Vincentians it means taking the...
Ladies of Charity – Primer on Advocacy
The Ladies of Charity present 8 quick answers to "What is advocacy?" Advocacy (n) The act of pleading or arguing in favor of something, such as a cause, idea, or policy; active support. From the Latin: ad = to; and voc = voice: To add voice. Advocacy. Dictionary.com....
