News - January 2021

Soldiers’ Angels invites all to help spread the love this Valentine’s Day. Send a Valentine’s Day card along with $1 (to cover postage) and they’ll share it with a deployed service member or veteran. Click above to learn more.

Seattle University invites all to their winter Catholic Heritage Lecture on Thursday, January 28 at 4pm via Zoom. “The Nonviolent Shift” features Ken Butigan, PhD, senior lecturer in the Peace, Justice, and Conflict Studies Program at DePaul University. The lecture will focus on nonviolence as a spiritual journey, a way of life, a method for social change, and a universal ethic. It will explore how the Church is responding to this call and how we can all be part of this nonviolent shift. Click above for more details.

NAMI offers a free, 8-session education program for family, friends, and significant others of adults with mental health conditions (anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, etc.). The program covers various conditions, communication, problem solving, treatment and recovery. It is designed to increase understanding and advocacy skills while helping participants maintain their own well-being. Click above for more information.

In 2020, our Conference delivered an overall total assistance value of $245,000 to over 3,000 neighbors in need. This represents a huge increase in both the generosity of Our Lady of Guadalupe and Holy Family parishes and the assistance we were able to provide to our West Seattle neighbors. Thank you for making a difference, and for being there for us as we continue to navigate these times together.  Your prayerful and generous support enabled our St. Vincent de Paul Conference to serve as a beacon of hope to the marginalized and the poor in our midst. 

Pope Francis calls us to respond with justice "today, not tomorrow" in response to the coronavirus and climate crises. The Pope can't heal the world alone! Sign the Global Catholic Climate Movement's petition to support "the original harmony of creation and to heal strained human relationships." Click above for more information.

The Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center is offering educational programs with new COVID safety protocols. Join an outdoor walk through Hah-ah-poos Duwamish Village on the river across from the Longhouse. Learn the history of the village site, the impact of colonization in King County, some traditional food sources, and traditional ecological and stewardship practices. Click above to learn more.

Pope Francis recently released an encyclical entitled Fratelli tutti - Brothers and Sisters All. Our time is marked by significant challenges: war, poverty, migration, climate change, and pandemic. Recognizing a friend in everyone creates responses that reaffirm the dignity of every human person created in the image of God. Click above to read the letter.

In July, the federal government resumed capital punishment for the first time in 17 years. Catholic Social Teaching is rooted in a belief in the inherent dignity of the human person and the sanctity of all life. Capital punishment contradicts this ethic. The death penalty not only violates the sanctity of human life, it also threatens innocent life. Despite our best efforts, our criminal justice system imperfect. Click above to learn more.

CRS is taking every precaution to continue their life-saving work. At food distributions in Ethiopia, they're providing face masks to staff and partners to prevent the spread of COVID-19. They have handwashing stations for everyone who picks up food. Meanwhile, as Ethiopia tries to contain the spread of COVID-19, access to clean water is more important than ever. CRS and USAID are working together to build integrated water systems to reach communities in some of the most remote corners of the country. Click above for more details.

The Welcome Table serves lunch to neighbors in need in White Center every Saturday. In addition, snacks and clothing are handed out. Support the meal by donating non-perishable food and supplies. Drop off donations between 11-11:30am in the back parking lot before guests arrive. Volunteers will unload it for you! Click above to learn more.