John Freund, CM
Author
Is your pastor worth $12,000?
A recent article by Peter Feuerherd in the series "The Church as Field Hospital" got me thinking about what is a pastor worth. And as I thought about it I also wondered what people ought to legitimately expect from a pastor. The article begins... The buzz went around...
Systemic change, learning organizations and the SVDP
At the conclusion of an excellent article, Frederick Ozanam: Systems Thinking and Systemic Change, noted Ozanam researcher Ray Sickinger, points out that the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, for which Ozanam was such an inspiration, is a learning organization which has...
Following Vincent – “Wherever He Went Good Things Happened”
Let's get right to the point! Do good things happen wherever you and I go? Why is this question important? For at least two reasons! We call ourselves Christians, followers of Christ. And of him, it was said, "You know what has happened throughout the province of...
Does Laudato Si matter to you?
Was Laudato Si a "blip" or a "game changer"? An important question, no doubt. But a more important question for us is, does Laudato Si matter to you...and the Vincentian Family? Someone recently said of the Church “We’re collectively the largest global humanitarian...
Vincentian systemic change – within our institutions
What about systemic change within our Vincentian Family sponsored institutions?
What was it like to learn from Vincent?
You have seen the graphic for this series. What was is like to sit across the table from Vincent and learn from him? Each Tuesday the more pastorally concerned clergy would gather to learn from Vincent. Abelly states that more than 12,000 ordinands made their retreats...
Vincentians making a dent in the universe
“I have a passion for the issues that face those we visit. And I know that advocacy would help. But I’m just one person. What can I do?”
Make impossible things happen
Can you make impossible things happen? I had never heard of “massaging life into a wooden leg.” In Central and Eastern Europe it means making the impossible possible. Mark McGreevy, CEO of Depaul International then explains that “What I want to talk to you about this...
How St. Vincent went from retail to wholesale
The story of the impact of one of Vincent early sermons is well known in Vincentian circles, especially among the Ladies of Charity. Indeed, it is their “foundation story.” Four hundred years later that story is still being told. But it is a story with even wider...
Systemic Change Projects – Vincent de Paul Society (2 minutes)
Got 2 minutes?, Sheila Gilbert, SVdP National President, describes systemic change projects. Gilbert and National CEO, Dave Barringer appeared on an episode of EWTN's "The Church Universal" in April. https://youtu.be/h4PHlGK4UZw See many other brief videos at SVDP...