Important Change for our St. Vincent de Paul Ministry
The St Anthony of Padua, St. Vincent de Paul Society Ministry continues to be a blessing to so many with such basic needs. The National Association of St. Vincent De Paul has asked the Fresno area parishes to change the name of our present Society. This decision was discussed and agreed to in late 2009 with several of the key volunteers and with the direction of the Diocese of Fresno. We will continue to provide the same good works and outreach under the new name which takes effect August 14, 2010: ST ANTHONY of PADUA PARISH OUTREACH.
This name change is necessary for several reasons: The National guidelines require annual membership fees and sharing of any property or estate funds left though wills or endowments. It also requires home visits and documentation of all visits to the National Association, which members feel is way beyond our scope. We want to keep our funds locally. Catholic Charities handles the majority of the deep and complicated services. Home visitation is a real concern and the volume is overwhelming for the limited
n umber of volunteers. Our ministry is very effective and our volunteers are deeply committed to the outreach currently provided.
The collection will continue on the second weekend of each month.
By Canon Law, all funds given under the direction of the Catholic Church through ministry or collection, those funds dedicated to helping the poor may not and will not be used for any other purpose. This change requires banking and documentation changes with the Diocese, which is the reason this process takes some time. We ask that you continue to use the printed donation envelopes through Dec 2010 when the design will be changed. This will save our parish some printing and processing costs.
Thank you for your dedication and enthusiasm for this ministry and our deepest gratitude to all the volunteer members who work so effectively and with humility. This ministry is behind the scenes but the outreach to the number of families is remarkable. Truly the work that heaven acknowledges, and so do we.
Sincerely Yours,
Msgr. Robert D. Wenzinger,
Pastor
