Spirituality of Advocacy
Voice of the Poor Prayer
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Lord of all people,
During your time on earth you identified with the poor and instructed us to care
for one another, for our neighbor and especially for the least of our brothers and
sisters.
Be with us as we advocate for the poor.
Help us to persevere in joy and love on their behalf.
Add your voice to ours as we speak out for those who are not heard in our
communities.
Guide us as we work, comfortable in the knowledge that we are doing your will
for this day and time and place, and that you will take care of tomorrow.
We ask this in the name of Jesus, his Blessed Mother, our patron St. Vincent and
our founder Blessed Frederic.
Workshop Outcomes
This workshop will take a Vincentian view of
the USCCB document Forming Consciences
for Faithful Citizenship.
We are not telling you who to vote for or
what issues to use to make your decisions.
We will try to help you use your Vincentian
experience to for your conscious.
Agenda
Understanding of Vincentian Advocacy
Some Vincentian highlights of Faithful Citizenship
Group Activity around 4 national SVDP Position
Papers
Advocacy Tools
Vincentian Civil Discourse
“Let us learn, first of all, to defend our
belief without hating our adversaries,
to appreciate those who do not think
as we do, to recognize that there are
Christians in every camp, and that
God can be served now as always!
Let us complain less of our times and
more of ourselves. Let us not be
discouraged, let us be
better.” Blessed Frederic
(Baunard, Correspondence, p.304)
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Foundations the Society’s Systemic Change
Effort
Empowerment
Collaboration
Catholic
Social
Teaching
Advocacy
Mentoring
VOP Advocacy Foundational Principals
Dignity
Life
SolidarityBased On
Home Visits
Common
Good
Subsidiarity
Solidarity/Subsidiarity
Affordable Housing
Hunger
Healthcare
Homelessness
Immigration
Education
Predatory Loans
Human
Trafficking
Wages
Restorative
Justices
Life
Dignity
Common Good
Popes and Politics
“‘A good Catholic meddles in politics.“
Pope Francis (9/16/13)
“Under the guidance of Sister Rosalie Rendu, Vincentian Armond de
Melun convinced the Legislative Assembly to improve the lives of those
living in poverty.
Among these were:
Establish a social center for young prisoners
Addressed unsanitary housing
Provided legal assistance for those in need
Created credit unions
Reformed hospitals and hospice”
A Heart on Fire, Apostolic Reflection with Sister Rosalie Rendu, Sisters Joan Gibson, D.C. and Kieran
Kneaves, D.C., 2013
"Responsible
citizenship is a
virtue, and
participation in
political life is a
moral obligation.“
Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship: A Call to Political Responsibility
from the Catholic Bishops of the United States Copyright © 2007, 2011 United
States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, DC
US Bishops
4. The work for justice requires
that the mind and the heart
of Catholics be educated and
formed to know and practice
the whole faith.
9. The Church's obligation to
participate in shaping the
moral character of society is a
requirement of our faith. It is a
basic part of the mission we
have received from Jesus
Christ, who offers a vision of
life revealed to us in Sacred
Scripture and Tradition.
SVDP Rule
7.1 The Society gives immediate
help but also seeks mid-term and
long-term solutions
The Society is concerned not only
with alleviating need but also
with
identifying
the
unjust
structures that cause it. It is,
therefore,
committed
to
identifying the root causes of
poverty and to contributing to
their
elimination.
In all
its
charitable actions there should
be a search for justice; in its
struggle for justice, the Society
must keep in mind the demands
of charity.
12. The Catholic community brings important assets to
the political dialogue about our nation's future. We
bring a consistent moral framework—drawn from basic
human reason that is illuminated by Scripture and the
teaching of the Church—for assessing issues, political
platforms, and campaigns. We also bring broad
experience in serving those in need—educating the
young, caring for the sick, sheltering the homeless,
helping women who face difficult pregnancies, feeding
the hungry, welcoming immigrants and refugees,
reaching out in global solidarity, and pursuing peace.
14. Unfortunately, politics in our country often can be a
contest of powerful interests, partisan attacks, sound bites,
and media hype. The Church calls for a different kind of
political engagement: one shaped by the moral
convictions of well-formed consciences and focused
on the dignity of every human being, the pursuit of the
common good, and the protection of the weak and the
vulnerable. The Catholic call to faithful citizenship affirms
the importance of political participation and insists that
public service is a worthy vocation.
29. Racism and other unjust discrimination,
the use of the death penalty, resorting to
unjust war, the use of torture, war crimes, the
failure to respond to those who are suffering
from hunger or a lack of health care, or an
unjust immigration policy are all serious
moral issues that challenge our consciences
and require us to act. These are not optional
concerns which can be dismissed.
34. Catholics often face difficult choices about how to vote. This is
why it is so important to vote according to a well-formed
conscience that perceives the proper relationship among moral
goods. A Catholic cannot vote for a candidate who takes a
position in favor of an intrinsic evil, such as abortion or
racism, if the voter's intent is to support that position. In such
cases a Catholic would be guilty of formal cooperation in grave evil.
At the same time, a voter should not use a candidate's
opposition to an intrinsic evil to justify indifference or
inattentiveness to other important moral issues involving
human life and dignity.
42. As Catholics we are not single-issue voters. A
candidate's position on a single issue is not sufficient
to guarantee a voter's support. Yet a candidate's
position on a single issue that involves an intrinsic evil,
such as support for legal abortion or the promotion of
racism, may legitimately lead a voter to disqualify a
candidate from receiving support.
51. Pope Benedict XVI has taught that "love for
widows and orphans, prisoners, and the sick and
needy of every kind, is as essential to [the
Church] as the ministry of the sacraments and
preaching of the Gospel" (Deus Caritas Est, no.
22). This preferential option for the poor and
vulnerable includes all who are marginalized in our
nation and beyond—unborn children, persons with
disabilities, the elderly and terminally ill, and victims
of injustice and oppression.
Group Exercise
 Form 4 groups
 Discuss the issue in light of the USCCB and SVDP Position
Paper
 What questions would you ask a public official about the
issue?
 What is your personal position on the topic?
 What is your Vincentian view of the topic?
 What story would you tell to convince someone of your
position?
 Report our your groups two most significant learnings
USCCB
Wages
52. The economy must serve people, not the other way
around. Work is more than a way to make a living; it is
a form of continuing participation in God's creation.
Employers contribute to the common good through
the services or products they provide and by creating
jobs that uphold the dignity and rights of workers—to
productive work, to decent and just wages, to
adequate benefits and security in their old age, to the
choice of whether to organize and join unions, to the
opportunity for legal status for immigrant workers, to
private property, and to economic initiative. Workers
also have responsibilities—to provide a fair day's work
for a fair day's pay, to treat employers and co-workers
with respect, and to carry out their work in ways that
contribute to the common good. Workers, employers,
and unions should not only advance their own interests,
but also work together to advance economic justice
and the well-being of all.
SVDP Self Sufficient
Wage Position Paper
As Vincentians, we believe in
living gospel values. As the
largest Catholic lay organization
in the United States, it is essential
that
we
support
Catholic
teachings. I urge you to ensure
that those employed by the
Society in the United States be
afforded the greatest possible
respect and a wage that reflects
our values of creating selfsufficiency for whomever we
serve.
Restorative Justice
USCCB
SVDP Position Paper
85.
An ethic of responsibility,
rehabilitation,
and
restoration
should be a foundation for the
reform of our broken criminal
justice system. A remedial, rather
than a strictly punitive, approach
to offenders should be developed.
In my personal experience, and
in the stories that I have heard
from Vincentians involved in
prison ministry, we have a great
opportunity to bring to light issues
involving victims of crime, as well
as persons responsible for the
act, their families, and those
responsible for administering the
Criminal Justice process.
I encourage all Vincentians to
commit to this necessary work.
USCCB
On Health Care
SVDP Position Paper
80. Affordable and accessible health care is an
essential safeguard of human life and a
fundamental human right. With an estimated
47 million Americans lacking health care
coverage, it is also an urgent national priority.
Reform of the nation's health care system
needs to be rooted in values that respect
human dignity, protect human life, and meet
the needs of the poor and uninsured,
especially born and unborn children, pregnant
women, immigrants, and other vulnerable
populations.
The USCCB supports measures to strengthen
Medicare and Medicaid.
In home visits and special works
programs, we encounter the
suffering poor— individuals in
pain and families in need
because of sickness — children
whose parents cannot afford
annual check ups or basic dental
care, women without proper
prenatal attention, families in
which the main bread earner is
injured
and
cannot
afford
medical assistance, and the
elderly who have to choose
between food and medicine.
USCCB
On Immigration
SVDP Position Paper
83. The Gospel mandate to "welcome the
stranger" requires Catholics to care for and
stand with immigrants, both documented and
undocumented, including immigrant children.
Comprehensive reform is urgently necessary to
fix a broken immigration system and should
include a temporary work program with worker
protections and a path to permanent
residency; family reunification policies; a broad
and fair legalization program; access to legal
protections, including due process and
essential public programs; refuge for those
fleeing persecution and exploitation; and
policies to address the root causes of
migration.
Let us open our hearts, our minds
and our hands to all who come
from other countries so that they
will be strangers no longer. May
God bless us in these efforts and
continue this good work that
God has begun in us. At the last
judgment may God say to us,
Vincentians, when I was a
stranger, you welcomed me.”
Forms of advocacy
 1. Email/letter
to office holder/candidate
 2. Letter to the editor
 3. Visit to office holder
 4. Hearing testimony on a bill at Legislature/City Council
 5. Question at Town Hall/candidate forum/ speech
 6. Meeting of SVdP or other social occasion.
2016 Election Options
1. Coordinate with your Regional VOP Leaders to identify a state by state plan.
2. Gain Buy-In from your District/Council
3. Options
 The Circle of Protection videos can be used to organize conference/council discussions.
 CCUSA and the State Catholic Conferences are trying to organize local discussions of
political hot topics, such as the budget offered by Rep. Paul Ryan
 Voter forums and candidate visits. Some VOP committees collaborate with other
organizations to sponsor or submit questions to candidates during political forums. Invite a
candidate to visit a special work or a conference
 Fight Poverty—VOTE!
 A voter registration and education effort of the VOP
 National resources, local control
 Use both # of registered voters and % of number of registered voters
 Heavy social media-target millennial and those in poverty
 Collaborate with other community organizations
West Region
Giulio Grecchi
ggrecchi@aol.com
Michael Stratton,
michaelstrattonsvdp.
vop@gmail.com
North Central Region
Marian Lamoureux,
Waukesha, WI
marianlamoureux@gmail.com
Midwest Region
Bob Haller, Lincoln, NB
mshortt@inebraska.com
Mideast Region
Warren Wright
joannwarrenwright@yahoo.com
National Chair &
Northeast Region
Tom Dwyer
tdwyerma@comcast.net
Spiritual Advisor
Rev. Louis Arceneaux,
C.M.
East Region
Lynne Betts
svdplbetts@yahoo.com
South Central Region
Juan Pereira, Mountainair, NM
evanjuan.pereira@gmail.com
Lois Jackson
Ljgigi1936@aol.com
Southeast Region
Jack Murphy
Jack.murphy@att.net
Frank Voehl, Miami, FL
fvoehl@aol.com
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Society of St. Vincent de Paul
VOICE OF THE POOR
For further information on Voice of the Poor, see
pages on the National SVdP website:
http://www.svdpusa.org/members/ProgramsandT
ools/VoiceofthePoor.aspx
Sign up to get legislative updates
http://www.capwiz.com/svdpusa/home/
For further information on Catholic participation in
public life, see page on the USCCB website:
http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/faithfulcitizenship/forming-consciences-for-faithfulcitizenship-document.cfm
Prayer for Systemic Change
We praise and thank you, O God, Creator of the Universe. You
have made all things good and have given us the earth to
cultivate. Grant that we may always use created things gratefully,
and share them generously with those in need. Give us creativity
in helping the poor meet their basic human needs. Open our
minds and hearts so that we might stand at their side and assist
them to change whatever unjust structures keep them poor.
Enable us to be brothers and sisters to them, friends who walk with
them in their struggle for fundamental human rights. We ask this
through Christ our Lord.
(from the Letter of Superior General on theme of annual
Vincentian Day of Prayer 2008)