![\"Hands](\"https:\/\/www.svp.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/SVP-Renewing-commitment.png\")
\u201cI was hungry and you fed me A stranger and you welcomed me Naked and you clothed me Sick and you visited me Whenever you did this to one of my dear brethren, you did it to me\u201d\n(Matt. 25- 35 ,45)<\/p>\n
\u201cI was hungry and you fed me A stranger and you welcomed me Naked and you clothed me Sick and you visited me Whenever you did this to one of my dear brethren, you did it to me\u201d
\n(Matt. 25- 35 ,45)<\/p>\n
These words of Jesus underpin the vocation of each member of the Society of Vincent de Paul.\u00a0 They call us to follow his way of life, \u201cthrough Service to those in need and through Person-to-Person Contact\u201d (R.1.2) These same words inspired St. Vincent de Paul to give \u201cPriority to the Poorest of the Poor\u201d(R 1.6) in his ministry to others.\u00a0 The turning point in his life was when he recognised his own poverty, weakness and sinfulness \u2013 when he saw how really poor he was himself.\u00a0 He states that we can no longer speak of the poor out there but to realise we too are his poor ones serving the poor. Their pain is our pain and so we approach them with reverence, gentleness and a listening ear above all.<\/p>\n
In our Conference in St. Brigid\u2019s Kilcock,\u00a0 no work of charity is foreign to us.\u00a0 We constantly adapt to the specific needs of those we visit hence our visitation has many strands.<\/p>\n
One group in Kilcock are those who are emotionally, psychologically and spiritually poor.\u00a0 Some may be suffering from loss, isolation and ill-health. Hence they live private lives, are housebound and rarely socialise. They appreciate our visits as then they are enabled to tell their stories and express their hopes and fears. Though not materially poor, they are emotionally starving and in need of company.<\/p>\n
Another Group in our ministry of visitation resides in a local Nursing Home.\u00a0 Our weekly visits bring us in touch with many vulnerable people who are away from their homes and their families.\u00a0 We are put in touch with the most needy and those who rarely have a visitor.\u00a0 Here again a Listening Compassionate approach is needed as well as \u201cAn understanding beyond words and appearances\u201d (R. 1.11).\u00a0 These visits are appreciated by staff, families and indeed all those we visit.<\/p>\n
A major part of our visitation is concentrated on those who are materially poor. We find that new needs arise frequently calling for new ways of approaching visitation. We experience from time to time that \u201cInjustice, Poverty, Inequality, Exclusion\u2026keep some families bowed down and oppressed\u201d (R .7.6). We endeavour to help these families to help themselves, to face the reality of their situation and to strive to become free and independent. It is a joy to see the progress in families who struggle over a period of time being visited, listened to, helped to cope. A day dawns when they become independent and free and no longer need our financial or material help. We gradually terminate our visits and are happy that a new life has opened up before them.<\/p>\n
We also visit a Senior Citizen Group in the Parish. Here again we meet the active retired men and women of the Parish who are outgoing and enjoy meeting others, having a game of bowls, bingo and a hot meal. Above all this group is a Resource Group for us. They inform us of persons who are ill, alone and in need of a visit. We appreciate their valuable\u00a0 contribution to our visitation.<\/p>\n
In reflecting on our different aspects of visitation it is obvious that renewing our commitment to serve is an ongoing process. Prayer - individual and communal, is a fundamental need when the Conference and individual undertake any action (R.1.7).\u00a0 Even a moment of inner recollection is helpful before a visit - to ask the Holy Spirit for the gift of wisdom to understand a situation and for the grace of compassion and respect for all. St. Vincent said \u201cgive me a man (or woman) of prayer and he (or she ) will be capable of Everything\u201d (R.2.3).<\/p>\n
After a visit, when we have space -\u00a0 it is good to reflect on the visit - the quality of listening, the spoken and unspoken needs and above all are we meeting wants rather than the real needs.\u00a0 And so we renew our commitment to serve for:<\/p>\n
\u201cNo one is a stranger to me I see my own face reflected in You What I wish for myself, is my wish for you, And I\u2019ll find myself, When I walk in your shoes.\u201d<\/p>\n
(From Celebration song for 400th Anniversary of St. Vincent de Paul)<\/p>\n
By Sr. Genevieve Kilbane<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
“I was hungry and you fed me A stranger and you welcomed me Naked and you clothed me Sick and you visited me Whenever you did this to one of my dear brethren, you did it to me”
\n(Matt. 25- 35 ,45)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":7489,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_price":"","_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"Tribe__Tickets_Plus__Commerce__WooCommerce__Main","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"0","_ticket_start_date":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":false,"_tribe_ticket_use_global_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_global_stock_level":"","_global_stock_mode":"","_global_stock_cap":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_going_count":"","_tribe_ticket_not_going_count":"","_tribe_tickets_list":"[]","_tribe_ticket_has_attendee_info_fields":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[93],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7488","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","cat-region-east","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n