Stewardship of Gratitude
Peter’s Story
St. Raphael’s St. Vincent de Paul Conference received a call from a 54-year-old neighbor requesting assistance with delinquent lot rent and electric bills. Peter, who was raised Catholic, had relied on his power-washing business until drought-related water restrictions and difficult economic conditions reduced his workflow. With no savings, he fell behind on his bills, including nearly two months of lot rent for his mobile home. When St. Vincent de Paul members visited him, Peter explained that he lived alone and maintained a frugal lifestyle without cable television or internet service. He had managed until then, but even his food was nearly gone.Peter shared that he had never lost faith in God. One night, he got up in the darkness for a glass of water. In near desperation, he called out, “Is anyone here?” Almost immediately, his cell phone produced a static buzz. He was startled to see a text that read, “Jesus Christ.” In disbelief, he called out, “Jesus, are you still here?” Again, his phone buzzed, displaying the words, “I am here.” Peter carefully affirmed that he was completely awake when this happened and understood it as a divine sign that he remained in God’s loving care.
What Parish Giving Accomplished
Through the generosity of St. Raphael parishioners, the Conference was able to respond to Peter’s immediate needs with direct assistance:
- Nearly two months of back lot rent was paid, helping Peter remain in his mobile home.
- His delinquent electric bill was paid, helping keep the power connected.
- A Publix gift card from the church pantry provided groceries when his food was nearly gone.
- The assistance gave Peter time and stability while he returned to employment.
The result. Peter is now employed by Walmart and has expressed deep gratitude for the help he received from the parish.
Thank You for Making the Mission Visible
Your gifts are reflected in moments like this: a neighbor remains housed, electricity stays connected, food reaches the table, and hope has room to return. Assistance is provided with compassion, practical care, and respect for each neighbor’s confidentiality and dignity.
Thank you for standing with our neighbors.
The St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP) Society.
St. Raphael Catholic Church Conference.
Helpline at St Raphael: 727-896-6137 Our email: srccsvdp@gmail.com
The Helpline is monitored Monday – Friday and return calls made within 24-48 hrs. All inquiries are confidential.
Mission: The SVdP Society is inspired by Gospel values to grow in holiness and build a more just world through personal relationships with people in need by providing spiritual, emotional and material assistance on a person-to-person basis. We believe we see the face of Christ in those we encounter.
Who We Support: St. Raphael SVdP Conference supports neighbors (parishioners and non-parishioners) who live between 5th Ave. N and 54th Ave. N east of 4th Street including Shore Acres, Tanglewood and Denver Park neighborhoods.
Membership: St. Raphael SVdP Conference was commissioned in 1972 as a working ministry of the church. Members engage in person-to-person ministry, commit to attending conference meetings 1-2 times per month, maintain confidentiality regarding our neighbors, and support one another in our spiritual growth. New members go through a formation process including individual prayer, study, and discernment, along with formal workshops and training sessions. For more information, please email us at srccsvdp@gmail.com.
Assistance: During Home Visits, Vincentians bring hope and financial resources to neighbors in need through assistance with rent, utilities, food, clothing, furniture and other emergency needs as well as providing food from our parish-supported pantry. Along the way, we develop friendships with those in need, listening and praying together.
To our homeless neighbors, we provide “Blessing Bags” (toiletries, small food items, prayer cards, list of community services, etc.). During this engagement, we introduce ourselves, learn their name, listen and connect them with needed community resources, and pray with them.
Funding and Donation Opportunities: Parishioner donations are the sole source of our funding. The Ash Wednesday and Thanksgiving Day Mass collections are two major funding sources annually. Donation envelopes are found on tables in the narthex and in the Church. Throughout the year, financial donations can be placed in the Mass Collection baskets, dropped off at the church office, or made by designating St. Vincent de Paul when e-giving. We also periodically publish a donation QR code for PayPal in the bulletin and our email address, noted above, can be used to make online donations using PayPal and Zelle.
The Christmas Giving Tree provides our neighbors and their children with presents and funding for their immediate and ongoing financial needs, as well as gifts for children not served by other organizations.
Weekly donations of non-perishable food, paper products, cleaning supplies, and toiletries can be placed in the SVdP collection bins in the narthex of the Church. Please consider choosing foods that are whole grain, and low in sugar, salt, and saturated fat. Also, we cannot distribute out of date food items due to possible health liabilities. These are regularly distributed to many of our neighbors monthly.
Thank you. St. Raphael SVdP Conference greatly appreciates the generous financial and material support of our parishioners. 97% of all donated funds go directly to supporting our neighbors, 3% is used on administration, insurance, mailings, solidarity dues and supplies. We are honored to be stewards of your generosity. Your donations make a direct and lasting impact on the less fortunate within our community.
St Vincent DePaul is the parish support link to our Mustard Seed Ministry
For information about receiving financial assistance contact St. Raphael’s conference of St. Vincent de Paul directly at (727) 896-6137.
