Next Meeting
When: Saturday, July. 20, 2024 from 9:30-10:30 a.m.
Where: Parish Life Center, 32 St. Gregory the Great Drive, Bluffton, SC 29909
Reading Mark 12:28 – 33
One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him, “Which is the first of all th
commandments?” Jesus replied, “The first is this: Hear, O Israel! The Lord
our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second
is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other
comandment greater than these.” The scribe said to him, “Well said, teacher.
You are right in saying, He is One and there is no other than he. And to love
him with all your heart, with all your understanding, with all your strength,
and to love your neighbor as yourself is worth more than all burnt offerings
and sacrifices.”
Reflection :
People tend to boil today’s Gospel down into the phrase “love God and love
your neighbor.” It seems like such a simple formula. But perhaps the phrase
loses some of the power behind it if we don’t have a true understanding of
love. Love is not simply respect or admiration, or even romantic feelings.
The Gospel tells us that love is committing our whole selves: heart, soul,
mind, and strength. Each of these must be oriented toward God so that we
can comprehand the love that he has for us. Then we must turn and give that
same love, the gift of our whole selves to our neighbors.
Our Mission Statement
Inspired by Gospel values, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, a Catholic lay organization, leads women and men to join together to grow spiritually by offering person-to-person service to those who are needy and suffering in the tradition of its founder, Blessed Frederic Ozanam, and patron, St. Vincent de Paul.
As a reflection of the whole family of God, members, who are known as Vincentians, are drawn from every ethnic and cultural background, age group, and economic level. Vincentians are united in an international society of charity by their spirit of poverty, humility and sharing, which is nourished by prayer and reflection, mutually supportive gatherings and adherence to basic Rule.
Organized locally, Vincentians witness God’s love by embracing all works of charity and justice. The Society collaborates with other people of good will in relieving need and addressing its causes, making no distinction in those served because, in them, Vincentians see the face of Christ.
Deacon Thomas J. Berney
Conference Overview
Many conferences of St. Vincent de Paul around the country run food banks of thrift stores. The Deacon Thomas J. Berney Conference has decided, instead, to get more deeply and personally involved in the lives of the poor in our community. To that end we run a helpline which is available for those un need to call to request assistance with any acute financial burden that is currently affecting their lives. Prior to starting the conference in 2010, Deacon Berney was the primary social outreach resource at St. Gregory the Great. His untimely death in 2009 left a void in our community. We are trying to fill that void and keep his memory alive through our work.
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