An Advent Retreat for All
Anne Marie Bartlett, St. John's Social Justice Coordinator

On Saturday, December 2, the Social Mission Advisory Board is sponsoring a morning Advent Retreat for all of St. John's parishioners who have been involved in Social Mission work on behalf of our faith community. We have invited the Visitation Sisters, who are a presence in North Minneapolis, to come spend the morning with us and share their wisdom about the beautiful season of Advent as it relates to the Social Mission of  the Church. We will be blessed to have Sister Mary Francis and Sister Joanna with us. The Visitation Sisters have been serving in North Minneapolis since 1989. 

From their mission statement:

"... We are present on the North Side to 'Live Jesus' by being part of this multicultural community -- to share prayer, hope, and God's blessings. Our friends are drawn into a circle of faith that brings us all to a clearer vision of the face of God. We will show gentleness and offer peacefulness to the community, if only for a moment."

It will be a wonderful morning to hold up the work of the Gospel that happens here at St. John's, and to pray with the good sisters who (very intentionally and prayerfully) witness God's love. If just reading this has nudged you to find out more, come and share the morning. All are welcome!

What better way to begin our Advent Season?

St. Vincent de Paul Society
Anne Marie Bartlett, St. John's Social Justice Coordinator

As many of you know, and perhaps many of you don't, our St. Vincent de Paul Society (SVDP) is a vibrant ministry at St. John's.  SVDP focuses on most of the outreach calls that come to our parish. Most often, these calls come from people here in our own parish and the surrounding community.

There are far too many families struggling to make rent, buy prescriptions, get the gas tank filled, and keep food on the table. Most of the calls we get are for the basics. Sometimes these needs are present because of unemployment or lay-offs. Other times, these needs are because of health problems, and, sometimes, too, people have fallen into hard times for reasons that are far reaching and systemic.

In any case, SVDP spends from $10,000 - $15,000 annually to  help meet these needs and alleviate some of the day to day suffering. This happens through several means of monetary resources: money is budgeted out for SVDP each year as part of Outreach, the Thanksgiving and the Holy Thursday collections are marked for SVDP, and individual monetary gifts throughout the year are given. Your generosity is appreciated and needed.

It seems the needs of the poor are certainly always with us, but they are becoming more and more pressing. This is one of the main reasons we also work toward systemic change in our communities and legislature so that all people are afforded a living wage, education, healthcare, and decent housing.

SVDP focuses on charity, which can really take the edge off for a family or individual trying to get things back in focus. We ask for your monetary help and prayers as we reach out to others by assuring them of God's love for them, of our care for them, and the ongoing invitation to worship, pray, and become part of our community here at St. John's. We also try to not only help, but to let others know how they can be a gift to us. Perhaps it is just to pray for us and our community. Someday, when life is easier, it may be to "pay it forward."

I am deeply grateful to the faith filled people who serve on this ministry, and we are thankful to the good people of St. John's who allow us to serve those who come to our door because you share your resources. We are good stewards of your gifts, and we believe that the goodness of God cannot be outdone. If we live as we are called to live, we will serve in the ways of goodness and life and have whatever is needed to bring that to fruition.

The Capital City Grief Coalition meets weekly at the House of Hope Presbyterian Church, 797 Summit Avenue in St. Paul, on Thursdays, 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. These grief support groups are intended for those who have suffered the loss of a loved one through death. This is an ecumenical group, and all are welcome. The series is ongoing, but newcomers can drop in at any time. If you, or someone you know, could benefit from this ministry, please call Lois Knutson, Coalition Coordinator, for more information at (651) 227-4430.

Pope Benedict XVI on the Environment:

"In dialogue with Christians of various churches, we need to commit ourselves to caring for the created world, without squandering its resources, and sharing them in a cooperative way. In particular, environmental degradation makes poor people's existence intolerable."