Did You Know?

Our Vincentians – all Volunteers – will be handing out grocery bags this weekend - to be filled and brought to the church for the “Walk” next Saturday, following the 9:00 AM Mass! In September 1974, a group of men received a charter from the National Headquarters of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, establishing our Parish Conference. They used a large closet in Madonna Hall, to collect food and clothing for distribution to the needy in our Community. In 1980 the St. Vicent de Paul Thrift Store was opened at 220 East Meyer Drive. In 1993, the City of Sierra Vista asked our St.VdeP Conference to take over the management of the Community Food Bank. The Food Bank and Offices were then moved from the Thrift Store in 1995 to the present location at 616 Bartow Avenue. The Parish-based Conference continues to grow and provided the ‘safety net’ for the neediest people in our Community – providing food, rental and utilities assistance, clothing and furniture items through our Thrift Store. Last year, the St. Vincent de Paul Community Food Bank distributed over 1,000,000 pounds of food! All of this wonderful work of charity is made possible because of the generosity of our Parishioners – through the First Sunday Collection for St.VdeP, your donations to the Community Food Bank, and the Thrift Store – as well as many supporters through the wider Community, who recognize the vital role that St. Vincent de Paul Society plays in caring for the needy. Collaborating with the St.VdeP Conference at Our Lady of the Mountains (each Conference is ‘parish-based’ and supported by their own parish), together we have been blessed to make an enormous difference in the lives of many, many of our fellow citizens! Please know how grateful we are to ALL of our Parishioners who have so generously supported our Conference for 51 years! Our St. Vincent de Paul Conference invites YOU to consider becoming a Vincentian Volunteer – you can speak to one of our Vincentians on Saturday to learn more! A HUGE ‘thank you’ to all who participated in last Sunday’s “Parish Ministry Fair” and Parish Picnic! The attendance was tremendous, the food delicious, the music great (thank you, Bill Purciello, Steve Conroy, Deacon Lauro Teran!) the ‘ministry tables’ beautiful and inviting, the barbeque wonderful! Thank you, especially, to the Knights of Columbus (Chairman Dale Hammond) the Benton Family, and Jim Ramey, for providing the burgers and hot dogs! Thank you, too, to the Hispanic Rosary Group for the wonderful decorations! Our Staff – Rosie, Lupita and Kate, Michael and Ben were everywhere helping! Our Teens did a great job providing treats and games for the younger kids! – AND - it was a special blessing to have our Fr. Anthony Corcoran here with us from Kyrgyzstan and for him to experience our Parish at its energetic best!!

A personal word of thanks for all of the beautiful cards, gifts, spiritual bouquets and other very kind expressions received for my 77th birthday – it was the best ever! Fr. Greg