For disarmament and peace.  Let us pray that nations move toward effective disarmament, particularly nuclear disarmament, and that world leaders choose the path of dialogue and diplomacy instead of violence.

Month of St. Joseph (March): 

Throughout March, the Catholic Church and Vincentian priests often focus on the virtues of St. Joseph, the foster father of Jesus.

March 17: St. Patrick

The patron saint of Ireland who brought Christianity to the country in the 5th century. 

“Lent is a time in which the Church, guided by a sense of maternal care, invites us to place the mystery of God back in the center of our lives, in order to find renewal in our faith and keep our hearts from being consumed by the anxieties and distractions of daily life.”

https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/messages/lent/documents/20260205-messaggio-quaresima.html

“The Stations of the Cross invite us to enter into Jesus’s suffering on his journey to Calvary. As members of the Vincentian Family, we see Jesus every day in the faces of our neighbors: those who have no place to call home, those struggling to put food on the table or keep the lights on, those living in fear of deportation, and so many others. This Vincentian Family Stations of the Cross invite participants to journey alongside these neighbors who are “Jesus in our midst” and reflect on the ways that unjust policies continue to condemn so many of our borhters and sisters to suffering and even death.”

https://famvin.org/en/2026/02/20/vincentian-family-stations-of-the-cross/?utm_source=FAMVIN&utm_campaign=66dfd73556-DAILY_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_7b71ef2eff-66dfd73556-407315673

United Way of Central New Mexico provides this free tax-filing resource for people whose household income is less than $67,000.  Please share this information with your neighbors.

Appointments can be made online below. If you need assistance scheduling an appointment, please call the 211 hotline.

NOTE: New appointments will become available on the following dates:

March 3

March 17

March 31

Please check back on these dates to schedule an appointment. Availability is limited and appointments fill quickly.

Question: I know it says somewhere in the Rule that we cannot provide assistance to another organization outside of SVdP.  Where would I find that?

Answer: Statute 26: Use of Funds

The funds of the Society shall be used for the works of the Society, including Vincentian

twinning and collaboration in payments for people we serve. However, no matter how worthythe cause, funds shall not be diverted in the form of donations or contributions to other

organizations or charities, except, occasionally, for other branches of the Vincentian Family.

The Treasurer is charged as the responsible officer to ensure adherence after consultation

with the Conference or Council.

Question: We want to appoint a new officer but she is not a member yet.  Is it necessary that all officers be active members?

Answer: Statute 3: Membership and Admission An Active Member accepts the Rule and Statutes of the Society, belongs to the Catholic Church, and is received as a Vincentian brother or sister into the Society’s Conference or

Council with which he or she is affiliated. Normally, membership implies Conference affiliation. Less commonly is membership obtained through direct Council affiliation. Only Active (Full) Members hold office in the organization.

St. Pier Giorgio Frassati Conference at Sacred Heart Parish in District Council C. Thanks for welcoming our new Vincentians.

This Conference recently held a toiletry and paper goods drive. Vicki Berlanga, Conference President, says, “Many of the neighbors we visit receive SNAP, which cannot be used to purchase toiletries or paper goods. So, this is another way to help them out. The families we visit are pleasantly surprised when we walk into their homes with a shopping bag of goodies.” 

The Nominating Committee for Archdiocesan Council President is pleased to announce that we have a candidate who has stepped forward to advance to a vote to potentially become our next Council Board President: Ms. Denise Brunner!

Denise has been a Vincentian for the past 4 1/2 years. For 3 1/2 of those years, she has served as Conference President for the Our Lady of Belen Conference. During her time with SVdP, she has opened up a full-time Food Pantry with daily distributions serving 300+ families, opened the Belen Thrift Store on Saturdays, created a Conference website, and established a Conference social media presence for the community. 

Under Denise's leadership, Belen achieved Non-Profit of the Year through the Valencia County Resource Center. She has also created and currently serves as president of the non-profit Hearts for Children: Uganda, helping children in Uganda with housing, tuition, and basic needs. 

Denise's vision for our Council is grounded in three core elements: SPIRITUALITY--strengthening our Vincentian spirituality. FRIENDSHIP--supporting and empowering our Conferences. SERVICE--ensuring responsible and compassionate stewardship of our mission.

Look for a separate email with Denise's full platform for Council President within the next week. We will also provide guidance for the Conference voting process.

We are thrilled to report that our SVdP network supported communities and neighbors in 2025 with over $5,000,000 in support--all relational, all based in compassion and faith. (See high resolution 1-pager attached to this email.)

February was a big month for food work at SVdP. In addition to the normal, faithful distributions of our 19 SVdP food sites (which can be seen on our website here), two important events took place in our network this past month: the first digital convening of our food leaders and Hunger Action Day at the Roundhouse (in partnership with Roadrunner Food Bank). These two events reminded me of our joint purpose of serving compassionately through person-to-person assistance as well as advocating for and with our communities. 

Spirits were high at our digital call for food site leaders. It was a joy to hear from 13 of our 19 sites on the nuances of the food distribution work of each of these Conferences. We enjoyed getting to know each other more and agreed to schedule a quarterly call for further support, encouragement, and collaboration across sites. (More on this soon, food leaders!) The sharing of observations of neighbor need and wisdom learned among this group is a type of formation highlighted in the Rule with a purpose to "improve the sensitivity, quality and efficiency of...[our] service to the poor and help...[us] be aware of the benefits, resources and opportunities that are available for the poor" (Part 1, 3.12). I am thankful to all of our Vincentians and volunteers broadly who make these regular distributions available to our communities! Because of you, we distributed just shy of $3,000,000 in supplemental food in 2025--an amazing accomplishment and essential support to our neighbors. Thank you!

The Rule guides Vincentians to approach social justice "from the perspective of those we visit who suffer from injustice" (Section 1, 7.4). Thus, we showed up on March 18 at the Roundhouse for Hunger Action Day to share stories and pespectives from food distribution leaders based on what they see and hear from our neighbors about their food needs. I was so thankful to be accompanied by Ken and Rosa Armijo (from our La Joya Conference and Mobile Food Pantry) to speak with legislators on the importance of funding for supplemental food in our state and form relationships with other food providers in the state. In the photos below, you can see the leadership from all the major food banks in our state followed by our SVdP contingent for the day. 

Linda Strasburg – President

Dawn Miller – Vice President

Governance and Twinning

Larry Gonzales – CFO

Trish Novak – Secretary

Linda Stubbs – Spiritual Advisor

Formation

Barb Garrity – DC A

Margaret Trace – DC B

Gerry Rohrkemper – DC C

Marie Kemmeren – SW DC

Dorothy Duran – NW DC

Mark Sadowski – Santa Fe DC

Jared Weatherholtz - ED

We wish all of our Vincentians a blessed Lenten season.