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VOLUME 3, ISSUE 5 JANUARY 2021 Loading the truck at the food pantry (continue on page 14) St. Martin of Tours Serves During Pandemic Rosary Crusade in North Beach Prayer for Our Country LOC New Leadership (ADW, DC, PG) Community Harvest Dinner Giveaway St. Matthias LOC Serves During Pandemic OLPH Christmas Giveaway Project Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory, Archdiocese of Washington ADW Day of Reflection - “Fall Cleaning” 1st African American Cardinal in the United States. (continue on page 5) RELIGIOUS LEADERS Treasurer Newsletter Cynthia McFarlane Editor/Layout Design Spiritual Advisor [email protected] Website Manager Rev. Michael Barth, S.T. Toni K. Gaines [email protected] [email protected] Corresponding Secretary Robin Hutchinson-Cole Vincentian [email protected] Newsletter Spiritual Moderator Distribution Manager Sister Claire Debes, D.C. Jacqueline Bates [email protected] Immediate ADW [email protected] Past President Viola Johnson-Robinson Lay Vincentian [email protected] Spiritual Moderator AREA PRESIDENTS: Arlene Taylor [email protected] Calvert County Junior LOC Co-Moderator Ann Klein Beverly Motley [email protected] BOARD OF DIRECTORS [email protected] President District of Columbia Deborah “Debbie” Self Bertha Guerra [email protected] Historian/ [email protected] Junior LOC Co-Moderator Gloria Rose Vice President [email protected] Montgomery County Jamila Stone Maryann Rooney [email protected] [email protected] LCUSA Middle Atlantic Recording Secretary Region Director Prince George’s County Donna Fisher Deborah “Debbie” Self Marie Turgeon [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] http://ladiesofcharityadw.org JANUARY 2021 | ADW NEWSLETTER - 2 We begin another year. Dear Ladies, recently I Yes, it is the time for New tested positive for the COVID Year resolutions but let us -19 coronavirus and am in walk into this year follow- home isolation. Unfortu- ing the advice of St Louise to an early Daughter of nately, I haven’t been feeling Charity. L 557 Spiritual great and ask for your contin- Writings of Louise de Marillac, ued prayers. In place of a p 520 message from me, here is a prayer I feel suitable during ”We greatly deceive our- this pandemic. selves if we think we can Sr. Claire Debes, D.C. ADW LOC attain perfection by our Vincentian Spiritual Moderator own efforts and by con- stantly and closely watching over all the movements A Prayer as I put on my mask: and dispositions of our souls. It is a good thing, once a year, to apply ourselves seriously to this kind of Creator God, as I prepare to go into the world, help examination while being duly distrustful of ourselves me to see the Sacrament in the wearing of this cloth - and recognizing our weaknesses. But to put ourselves let it be an outward sign of an inward grace - a tan- through a continual purgatory to analyze our souls gible and visible way of living love for my neighbors and to give an account of all our thoughts is useless, as I love myself. even dangerous. I am repeating to you what I was told long ago. I beg you, … to help me by your Christ, the Son, since my lips will be covered, un- prayers, as I will help you by mine, so that we may cover my heart, that people would see my smile in obtain from God the grace to walk simply and confi- the crinkle of my eyes. Since my voice may be muf- dently along the path of His holy love, without too fled, help me to speak clearly, not only with words, much introspection, lest we resemble those persons but with my actions. who, instead of growing rich, become bankrupt while striving to find the philosopher’s stone. We can be Holy Spirit, as the elastic touches my ears, remind certain that the divine goodness will not withhold me to listen carefully - and full of care - to all those I grace from us if we come simply and with the desire to do God’s will”. (with some paraphrasing) meet. May this simple piece of cloth be a shield and a banner, and each breath that it holds, be filled with I suspect this advice may had been given to Louise, your love. In your Triune Name and in that love, I who tended to much introspection in her early years, pray. by St Vincent. Louise learned to accept her limita- tions and came to realize that God accepts us as we May it be so. May it be so. are, both our good and bad points. Vincent freed her of her inner worries so that she could use her By Rev. Dr. Richard Bott wonderful gifts of management skills, organization, persuasion, spiritual insights to assure that many of the poverties of her time, so like our realities today, As always, I appreciate all of your continued war, famine, epidemics (plague, cholera, small pox), support of those in need especially during these child abandonment, mass migration of people, disre- troubling times. gard of women. In Vincentian Spirit, So, in this time of the pandemic, just remember you are attempting to alleviate the suffering of many who directly or indirectly are impacted by the virus. In St Deborah Self Vincent’s writings, there are 300 mentions of the Deborah “Debbie” Self plague. You are in GOOD COMPANY with Vincent 2018-2022 President and Louise, your founders and God is with you all at ADW LOC Board of Directors this time. What is your New Year’s Resolution go- ing to be??? http://ladiesofcharityadw.org JANUARY 2021 | ADW NEWSLETTER - 3 Dear Ladies of Charity, ward nationalism. It is interesting to note that the word “walls” appears 14 times as a symbol of our ay the grace and M temptation to shut ourselves off from the needs of peace of the Holy Spirit others. be with us forever. As we end this year of 2020 with all its chal- As you all know Pope lenges and need for isolation this call of Francis and Francis recently signed this encyclical is timely. As we strive, walking in the his encyclical “Fratelli charism of St. Vincent de Paul to commit ourselves to Tutti” while visiting Assisi seeking freedom from injustice, oppression and pov- on the Feast of St. Fran- erty and the restoration relationships between peo- Father Mike Barth, S.T. cis, October 4th. In our ple and God, we can find ample material here to ADW LOC Spiritual Advisor effort to “think with the guide and sustain us in this goal. Church” I encourage you each, individually and communally, to read and re- In closing, I use the prayer that ends the encycli- flect on this important document for our current time cal. May this prayer be our prayer: and in light of the good work each of you are en- gaged in. I would like to offer here a few brief A Prayer to the Creator thoughts on the encyclical and highlight some areas Lord, Father of our human family, for your reflections as Ladies of Charity. you created all human beings equal in dignity: pour forth into our hearts a fraternal spirit While there are many media-worthy and twee- and inspire in us a dream of renewed encounter, table lines in the document it is, at a deeper level, a dialogue, justice and peace. work of spiritual reflection and discernment. It is a Move us to create healthier societies call or an exhortation for the world and each Chris- and a more dignified world, tian to move and engage in relationships and friend- a world without hunger, poverty, violence and war. ships rather than the current tendency of disposability and indifference to the other. To do this Pope Francis May our hearts be open reflects on the good Samaritan parable and invites to all the peoples and nations of the earth. us to think about which character we identify with or May we recognize the goodness and beauty resemble. In the end we are left with the question: that you have sown in each of us, Will we bend down to touch and heal the wounds of and thus forge bonds of unity, common projects, others? and shared dreams. Amen. For those of us living and ministering in the United In the Most Holy Trinity, States the letter pulls us back from the tendency to- Michael K. Barth, S.T. 40th Annual National Assembly Knoxville, TN August 27—28, 2021 Crowne Plaza Knoxville Hotel 401 West Summit Hill Drive http://ladiesofcharityadw.org JANUARY 2021 | ADW NEWSLETTER - 4 Excerpts taken from US & World as published in the Catholic Standard After having served as an associate pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Glenview, IL as a member of the faculty of St. Mary of the Lake Semi- nary in Mundelein and as a master of ceremonies to Cardinals John Cody and Joseph Bernardin, he was ordained an auxiliary bishop of Chicago on Decem- ber 13, 1983. On February 10, 1994, he was in- stalled as the seventh Bishop of the Diocese of Belle- ville, IL where he served for the next eleven years. On December 9, 2004, Pope Saint John Paul II ap- pointed Bishop Gregory as the sixth Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Atlanta. He was installed on Janu- ary 17, 2005. In April 2019 Pope Francis appointed Gregory Archbishop of Washington, to succeed Don- ald Cardinal Wuerl, who resigned amid allegations that he had covered up sexual misconduct. Gregory was installed the following month, on May 21, 2019, Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory, Archdiocese of Washington becoming the first African-American to hold the post. On October 25, 2020, Pope Francis named Cardinal Gregory has served in many leading roles Archbishop of Washington Wilton D.