love...lived in service

Thoughts from Jen

2011-05-17T17:06:00.004-04:00

Here is a story written by FVM Jen Midura who is living and serving in Camden.

We were finally on our way to the bookstore.

For a few months, Vianca (a cute-as-a-button, whip-smart 7th grader at St. Anthony’s school) and I had planned a trip to Barnes & Noble. She had a few gift cards saved up, but her Mom worked so much she couldn’t take her daughter there, and didn’t even know where the store was located. There aren’t any bookstores in Camden, after all.

That Sunday, our schedules finally lined-up. Vianca and I chatted away as I drove her to the Barnes & Noble in the neighboring town. We talked about her friends, school, what college was like. Conversation flowed as she peppered me with questions about the people she saw in pictures on my phone.

When we arrived at the bookstore, Vianca didn’t know where to go. She stood stunned at all the shelves, and when I steered her into the children’s section, she gasped in awe at the sheer number of books. We made a beeline for the shelves. Suddenly, she paused, turned to me and asked, “Jen, are these the kind of books we have to return in two weeks?” It was her first time in a bookstore!

Watching her pick out books both melted and broke my heart. Being a voracious reader, I know the excitement and potential of a good book -- or a good bookstore -- holds. To open Vianca’s eyes to this was fulfilling, but hard to swallow, since she has limited opportunities to read or own books.

When we went to pay, Vianca found that a book she wanted pushed the total over the limit of her gift cards and allowance. I bought her a sugar cookie from the café and gave it to her along with the book she had put back on the shelf. Who knew when she’d ever make it back if it had taken so long to get there? Besides, I hate to see a good book left behind. Her smile was worth a million bucks as we left the store. “I went to a library one time during summer camp and it was kind of boring,” she confided in me. “But who knew book places could be so much fun?”

A Message from and FVM

2011-04-05T17:33:00.004-04:00

Hey all!

Here is a link to a blog post from one of our FVMs, Kelly, who is currently serving the Philadelphia community at the St. Francis Inn. I hope you enjoy it!

http://prostitutesdrugsandawholelotoflove.wordpress.com/2011/04/05/lets-pray-for-him/

MJ

Springing forward...

2011-04-04T15:30:00.003-04:00

With the season slowly changing from winter to spring, transitions are on the mind of many. This holds true for FVM as well. With the influx of sunny days, comes the inevitable question about "next year". How many volunteers will we have? How many sites will be open? What sites will be open? Great questions, and we will try to alleviate some of your curiosity.

As of today, April, 4 2011, we have accepted, and have been accepted by (the most important aspect of this) three prospective, now future FVMs. We are thrilled to share this news with our FVM family and community. The future FVMs come from three separate schools (Washington State College, Le Moyne College, and Siena College) and will begin their year on August 22. Please keep them in your prayers as they finish their college degrees, and prepare themselves for an amazing experience. We know that three confirmed FVMs for 2011 doesn't seem like many so far, but we are confident that all three houses (Camden, Wilmington, and Philadelphia) will be filled with FVMs, as we have many applications pouring into the office, and plenty of visits/interviews on the horizon.

Keep your eyes open on the Facebook page for a new project we are working on. We understand that not all prospective FVMs can visit each site in person, so we are trying to bring that experience to them. We are undertaking a project that will give potential FVMs and insight into each community and their corresponding ministries in a series we are calling "A Day in the Life". We have been, and will continue to follow our current FVMs during their days to encapsulate what it is to live, pray, and work as an FVM. We are excited about this project, and it will be ready for consumption soon.

Finally, we are proud to announce that Fr. John Coughlin, ofm, will be moving on from FVM to take on new ministries and community life at Mt. Irenaeus, our Franciscan Retreat community near St. Bonaventure University. Fr. John was the pioneer site supervisor for the Camden FVMs since its inception in 2006-07 and has seen the role of FVM become an integral asset to the Camden community. Fr. John has touched many hearts and minds over his nine year stay in Camden, and will be missed by his community and ours dearly, as will his compassion, infectious personality, and fondue expertise, but we wish him nothing but the best in his future endeavors.

-MJ

Start of a new year...

2011-01-06T11:13:00.002-05:00

To start off, everybody involved with FVM would like to wish you and your families a very Merry (belated) Christmas and New Year. This time of year is always crazy and hectic, and it is no different here at FVM.

Since we have descended from Mt. Irenaeus, the FVMs have been doing some amazing work. In Philadelphia, the FVMs ran the Christmas present effort for more than 50 children of the Inn. I can personally attest to the enormity of the undertaking, and must give them credit for getting it all finished and delivered in one piece. And if they didn't have enough on their plates already, they organized and threw the annual Inn Christmas Party. Some FVMs from Wilmington and Camden came to help serve pizza, cookies, and most importantly, presents from Santa himself to the almost 50 kids. It was a great event as always, and the FVMs should be credited for putting on such a great event for the kids.

In Camden and Wilmington, the FVMs took part in all of the Christmas festivities of their respective parishes of St. Anthony's of Padua and St. Paul's. Some of the FVMs also took part in what is now an annual event, heading to Georgia for the School of Americas protest just before Thanksgiving. The FVMs braved the 30 hour drive (round trip) to Ft. Benning to show their solidarity for the people of Latin America. Here is a link to the event: School of Americas Protest.

The FVMs in Camden and Wilmington both took part in Posadas as well during Advent. Posadas are the reenactment of Mary and Joseph asking if there is room at the inn, and the willingness of strangers to let them in. I was able to witness the Posada in the FVM home, and it was beautiful. There was singing, in Spanish and English, storytelling and a ridiculous amount of food.

So that is the abridged version of FVM for the past month. Hope you are all well, and we will be talking to you soon.

Matt

St. Bonaventure

2010-09-21T16:17:00.003-04:00

I have landed in Olean, NY, and on the campus of St. Bonaventure University. There is a great chill in the air, and the reminder that winter is just a few short months away. I am braving the frost to promote FVM to the students, faculty, and friars of St. Bonaventure.

In the short time since I have arrived, I have spoken at two masses, four classes, three RA meetings, set up information tables, have been interviewed on the radio, the newspaper, and have handed out hundreds of brochures.

There is something comforting about seeing friars walking around in their habits, knowing that there is a real sense of love and community on this campus.

Here's hoping for a great relationship with, and presence on, this beautiful campus.

Day 2 continued...

2010-08-23T23:45:00.003-04:00

Our afternoon was free time for the first time. Almost everybody took advantage of our location and headed to the Potomac River for a dip. The water was a bit warmer than most were used to, but it still refreshed us and kept us cool from the 95 degree temperatures. It is always nice to see everybody meshing with each other, and to watch the greater FVM community form before your eyes.

After dinner we had a bit more free time, but many of the FVMs were together planning for Mass or prayer. The backgammon and cards came out, and the competitive spirit followed.

At around 8, we gathered for our first Mass as an entire community. Fr. Michael presided and had help preparing from Kelly (Philadelphia), Dorothy (Wilmington), Tom (Camden), and Jen (Camden). Jen put one of her many talents to work as she lead our hymns and responsorial psalms.

During Mass on retreat, we open the format up a bit and let the FVMs work their creativity into the Mass. Tonight, the planners decided that we would write our name on a rock, and then randomly select a different one. Then, the name we ended up with, would be our "prayer partner" for the year, and that would be the person one would pray with more intention for. It was a beautiful Mass, and a great way to end our first full day together.

Goodnight from Maryland.

Day 2

2010-08-23T16:46:00.002-04:00

We woke this morning to the sun beating down on the Potomac. An "early" breakfast (okay it was at 8) saw about half the crew make an appearance. It is always interesting to see how many will show up the first day.

After breakfast, we had a brief orientation to the retreat house by one of the staff members here. Once that finished we jumped right into a morning prayer. Prayer focused on praise of God, as well as asking God for confidence in the things we all were lacking, or hoping to achieve this year.

Once prayer finished, we continued our jam-packed morning with a history lesson of FVM presented by Fr. Michael. He took us through the program from the very beginning at Siena college, up to today. Michael has an ability to make even the seemingly boring things interesting by intermingling stories and reflections into his talks, and everyone was engaged into the history lesson.

After about 20 minutes, we had another history lesson, but this time on St. Francis and St. Clare. Fr. John led this talk and gave us a very detailed, and very entertaining view of their lives. To finish his presentation, John told the story of The Wolf of Gubbio. John's story telling is amazing, and even though many of us had heard that story countless times, it wasn't like listening to a song on replay.

Lunch brought some nourishment for our bodies, and also brought the arrival of and FVM alum. Colleen McCarthy, a former Philadelphia volunteer, came to speak to us about one of the three pillars of the program: community. Colleen shared with us how she came to be an FVM and some of her experiences at the Inn. The individual communities then broke into groups to come up with examples of what they expect of their year in community. Each house came up with artistic ways to display their ideas of what community means to them.

We would like to thank Colleen so much for taking time out of her schedule to be with us during this important time for our FVMs. Colleen brought so much energy and enthusiasm to the group, and we are very thankful for the gift that she shared.

More to come later...

Opening Retreat 2010-2011

2010-08-22T22:38:00.003-04:00

The year has finally begun! All three new FVM communities have arrived safely at the Loyola on the Potomac retreat house. Katie and I were here to greet the new communities as they arrived. Philadelphia shocked the world by arriving first, followed by Camden and Wilmington. For those of you who remember Fr. Chris, there was the annual honking of the horn arrival at the pseudo-silent retreat house.

After everybody got settled in to their rooms, we gathered for evening prayer led by out Program Director Katie. We talked about what we are trying to free ourselves from in this upcoming year, and a little about ourselves as an icebreaker. During the prayer, we tossed around a yellow ball of yarn after we shared our little bits to a random person. This eventually created a web of our community, showing that no matter where we are from, who we are, or where we are going, we are together as one community, and that we are only strong if all of us are strong.

Being the first day, we then broke into some free time and let the FVMs hang. They were playing games, listening to music, but most importantly, being with each other. The energy they bring is contagious, and everybody had a great time.

Stay tuned for more updates throughout retreat!

Closing Retreat Day 4

2010-08-09T17:11:00.002-04:00

The final day of the 2009-2010 FVM year started the same way opening retreat began. We gathered in the chapel to have Mass said by Fr. Michael. The song "Voices that Challenge" was played as it has been for many years, and our volunteers were guided to think about the people they came in contact with over the year, and who's voices challenged them. Many of the FVMs had their eyes closed, and it was easy to see they were imagining the people who touched their hearts.

Fr. Chris played a beautiful rendition of "Pescador de Hombres" that brought tears to a few eyes. The way he played and sang showed so much passion and love that it was hard not to get emotional.

After communion, each community received a farewell blessing, and were anointed with oil by their site friars.

After Mass, we gathered for a photo shoot outside. It took many tries to get good pictures, but we finally found some that worked. To see more photos from retreat, head to our Facebook page.

In closing, we were truly blessed to be able to work with such a great group of volunteers this year. They challenged each other as well as us, but their commitment to their ministries, communities, and each other are to be commended greatly. It was evident than our volunteers were working for God, and that God was truly working through them. Good bye to our 2009-2010 FVM class. Thank you for everything, and may God bless you.

Closing Retreat Day 3

2010-08-03T17:03:00.006-04:00

Wednesday Morning came a bit sooner than normal due to the fact we were up late. Really late. A few of us stayed up to greet one of our FVMs who had to go home for some personal reasons. We thank you for your prayers regarding this matter!

When the whole crew finally woke up, we had a Mass led by Julianne, Chris, Rory, and Anna. We gathered in the Chapel of the retreat house and then made a pilgrimage outside to a crucifix and statue of Mary. While outside, we went around the circle and had a very personal prayers of the faithful. We then headed inside to conclude the Mass. Chris and Julianne shared their amazing musical talents by singing and performing a song during communion. It was truly beautiful.

After Mass, we got together for a presentation by FVM alum Kelly Quist (Philadelphia 2003-2004) about life AFTER FVM. Kelly shared some stories from her personal life about how hard it was to readjust to life outside of the FVM world. This really helped many of our FVMs who are in a position of transition. Kelly was able to bring such a personal experience to a group setting easily, and said many times how lucky our FVMs were to be in the program.

We would like to thank Kelly greatly for being present and for such personal sharing!

During lunch, the annual mystery ride was announced. We had 15 minutes to get ready and pile into every car we had. Twenty minutes later we found ourselves at a ferry to head to MARTHA'S VINYARD! This marked the third "off continent" mystery ride. The weather was a bit shaky in the morning, but once we boarded, the sun came out in full force. Once we hit port on the other side of the water, groups broke off to explore. Some went to go eat, some went to the beach, and some went bike riding around the island. We were able to spend about four hours mixing it up with the tourists and millionaire mansion owners and we all enjoyed it thoroughly.

After we grabbed some dinner, Wilmington led our final prayer for the 2009-2010 year. For the prayer, we lit candles and said a prayer of thanksgiving for something in our FVM lives, and then one for the incoming FVMs. Although we were all pretty tired, it was the perfect way to end a perfect day.

Closing Retreat Day 2

2010-08-02T10:55:00.003-04:00

We woke up Tuesday after the rain had passed, and had a Mass down at the boat house again. The Mass was put on by Celia, Kelly, Mary and Norma, and was celebrated by Fr. Chris. We sat on the beautiful porch of the house looking over the bay. Music again was brought to us by Chris and Julianne, and all four girls gave reflections after the Gospel. For the remainder of the Mass, we headed to the beach where we had communion and a few songs. The feel of the sand between our toes and the sun beating down on us gave us a great realization of nature and how blessed we are to be a part of it.

Following Mass, the director of the Cabrini Mission Corps, Gina Scarpello, started a presentation about transitions. Gina, a former volunteer herself, gave great insight in to how difficult it is to transition from a year of service. Gina explained the difference between a transition and a change, and how both can be dealt with. After a short lunch break, each individual community broke off, friars included, to discuss and brainstorm what they have learned this year communally, spiritually, and personally.

We would like to thank Gina greatly for sharing her gifts with us, and for facilitating sharing and understanding for our communities.

After dinner, we had a great prayer led by the Philadelphia community. During this prayer, we all got up one-by-one, and gave affirmation to a particular member of the 2009-2010 FVM community. Each person was given a name randomly, and was asked to get in front of the whole group to affirm their name. This was a beautiful demonstration of how deeply we each cared for each other, even if we weren't the closest to the person on the paper. Everybody took this exercise very seriously, and the mood of the rest of retreat seemed to be more relational.

More to come...

Closing Retreat Day 1

2010-07-27T11:56:00.006-04:00

Well after our unforeseen lack of internet connection, here is the final blog for the 2009-2010 FVM year. (Don't worry, the next blog will be up in less than a month for 2010-2011)

For our closing retreat, each community, Katie, and I met up in Wareham, Massachusetts, at the Sacred Hearts Retreat Center. This particular retreat location has seen two years of FMV closing retreats, and this one was just as fantastic as the previous years.

Our retreat was a reunion of sorts, and saw people come from many different places to come together one last time. Due to various circumstances, we had people come from Maine, New Hampshire, Buffalo, Las Vegas, and of course from our three ministry sites.
The first full day on retreat we had a great prayer down by the water. Camden led the prayer and had us realize the nature and our places in the living world. We listened to some amazing readings and then were asked to draw pictures of what we think our lives are in a representation of a house. This was tough for the non-Picassos of the FVM world, but we all truly found something prayerful in whatever we put down on paper.

After lunch we continued a tradition FVMs have done for many years now. We wrote letters to ourselves about how we have grown during this past year personally, communally, and spiritually. The letters were then sealed, and will be sent to us at some point during this upcoming FVM year. Once those letter were written, everybody wrote letters to next year's FVM class. Words of wisdom, advice, and prayers were put down on the paper, and will be presented on opening retreat.

Post dinner. We had Mass down at the boat house led by Leo (Philly), Brad (Wilmington), Eddie (Wilmington), and Josh (Camden). Fr. John celebrated and we had music by Julianne (Wilmington) and Crhis (Camden). It was the perfect ending to a great first day of retreat.

Hot and Humid

2010-06-07T10:13:00.002-04:00

The temperature in the mid-Atlantic is up, and so is the action for revolving around FVM. Over the past month, we have accepted, and been accepted, by seven applicants for next year's FVM class. They come from all over the map, and are eagerly awaiting their site placements. With this many people already accepted, we have been running around like crazy with interviews, site visits, and entertaining. It is a labor of love, and we are very excited to have such a strong number so early (for us anyway).

Although work has picked up, we still find time to enjoy ourselves. I took six FVMs to Baltimore, along with two St. Francis Inn interns, to see the Red Sox and Orioles duke it out. The game was a bit lop-sided (going the Red Sox direction), but we all had a great time. It is always nice to get out of the ministry setting and have fun.

The St. Francis Inn block party is only a week away as well, and we expect all of our FVMs to be in attendance for this amazing event.

Peace

Springing forward

2010-05-20T10:53:00.003-04:00

Spring has arrived, and with it, the formation of FVM 2010-2011. WE obviously realize that the current FVM year isn't over quite yet, but we have to start working on next years group as well.

Over the past month, we have received many applications and have generated much interest in out program. To date, we have accepted, and been accepted (the most important part), by two applicants for next year. This week we are hosting three prospective volunteers at each of our ministry sites. This is a very exciting time for us as we strive to maintain all three of our sites for the first time in a very long time.

As a reminder, we are looking for donations, no matter what amount, to reach our goal of $12,000 by the end of June, to be matched by a generous benefactor dollar for dollar. We realize this is a tough economic time, but any donation will be welcomed with much gratitude.

Peace,

Matt

April showers, brings May...

2010-05-01T17:32:00.002-04:00

Donations?

We here at FVM hate to do it, but we are asking for your help. Over the past 20 years of our programs history, we have been totally supported by the many generous benefactors of the Holy Name Province by way of the Benevolence Fund. We are fortunate to have been free of fund-raising duties, but now we need your support!

Beginning this year, our funding has been decreased by 33% and we are responsible to pick up the rest. That is where you come in. No matter the amount, your donation will go directly to help an FVM serve our brothers and sisters in the Camden, Wilmington, and Philadelphia communities. And to top it off, any donation you make will be doubled (up to a total of $12,000) from now until the end of June by a gracious anonymous donor.

We realize that the economy has been tough and money is short all around, but we would love you to consider a contribution so others may be able to experience and realize the amazing powers of the Franciscan Volunteer Ministry.

Donations can be made directly on our official website at www.franciscanvolunteerministry.org, or you can send your gift to:

FVM Program Director
P.O. Box 29276
Philadelphia, PA 19125

Thank you again for your generosity!

God Bless

Ecumenical Advocacy Days

2010-03-23T12:56:00.004-04:00

Camden FVMs Anna and Chris, as well as Julianne from Wilmington headed to Washington D.C. this weekend to take part in the Ecumenical Advocacy Days. Here are some pictures from the event.

Meeting with Rep. Robert Andrews

Norma's family welcoming the Camden community.

It's been a while

2010-03-17T10:38:00.003-04:00

Sorry this has taken so long to get up. The past month has been crazy with events, retreat, travel, and some personal struggling. So here we go.

During the beginning of February, I spent a week at Siena College speaking with students, friars, and faculty. Whether with the Career Center, Student Senate, freshman classes, or on the radio with the school's president, FVM was everywhere for the week. I also held a reunion for the Siena students who had visited the Inn over their winter break. we had a great time, and then started a St. Francis Inn club on campus. They are scheduled to be back to the Inn in late May!

We celebrated the Birthday of Fr. John Coughlin, ofm (Camden site supervisor) on Jan. 31, as well as a big birthday, I won't mention how many years, for Fr. Michael Duffy, ofm, on Feb. 11.

At the end of February, March Madness began at the Inn with the arrival of yet another group from Siena College. They were a great group again.

Following Siena, St. Anselm College arrived at the Inn. We (FVM) have had a strong connection with St. Anselm over the past few years as evidenced by four volunteers this year, and one the two years before this.

As of now, the University of Eastern Illinois is at the Inn, and next week the Inn hosts St. Francis University.

Camden is making progress...

2010-01-27T14:37:00.001-05:00

Just an article from the Philadelphia Inquirer about a project our FVMs have taken interest in.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/80521777.html

Back from Georgia

2010-01-27T14:27:00.004-05:00

Just got back from a four-day trip to Athens, Georgia. We visited the University of Georgia and had a fantastic time!

On Thursday evening, Eddie (FVM Wilmington), Rory (FVM Philadelphia), and I spoke with 22 students at an event called Thursday Night Theology. We sat in the living room of the friary and discussed FVM and volunteering. We had a great response from the students. The event began at 8 and was supposed to end at 9, but we ended up talking until almost 10, with many students hanging around after for more. It was a great turnout, and a fun event.

Over the next few days we spoke at a confirmation retreat and four Masses. We probably spoke to around 800 students over the Mass schedule and also were able to talk to a group on a confirmation retreat. Each one of these times were very positive and generated great interest.

We also survived two tornado warnings and a power outage our last night in town. Life is always interesting in FVM!

Peace

Merry Christmas

2009-12-30T09:03:00.003-05:00

First off, the Franciscan Volunteer Ministry would like to wish you and your families a Merry Christmas (belated of course), and a Happy New Year (anticipatory). These holiday times are of course crazy, but we hope they are filled with joy, happiness, and family.

Here is a link passed to me by several people featuring FVM alum Karen Pushaw in an MSN Money article about charities and the holiday season.

MSN Money article

A snowy weekend

2009-12-22T11:22:00.002-05:00

This weekend marked the wedding of a couple who met at the St Francis Inn. The groom was a former FVM, and the other volunteered at the Inn during her years at Villanova University. The two met in the whirlwind that is the St. Francis Inn, and wouldn't you know it, their wedding wasn't a walk in the park either.

For some reason, Mother Nature decided to drop 20+ inches of snow on Philadelphia the day of the ceremony, and for a city WITHOUT snow plows, I'm sure you can imagine the mess it was. However, folks came from as far as Chicago, Boston, and Virginia in the worst snow storm in over a decade to see these two fantastic people devote their lives to one another.

One of our FVM site supervisors presided over the mass, and in total, 19 years of FVM were represented at the ceremony. We all had a fantastic time, and couldn't be more happy for Dan and Laura!

Congratulations Dan and Laura from all of us at FVM! We eagerly await the coming of generation #2 of volunteers!

Peace,

Matt

Hope

2009-11-24T15:05:00.001-05:00

There is always hope in the world...

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/11/23/emmanuel.jal/index.html

Finally home...

2009-11-23T12:37:00.002-05:00

The travel has stopped for the time being, and I have returned home for the first time since Oct. 30.

I was able to take part in the Catholic Network of Volunteer Service (CNVS) National conference in Durham, N.C. last week and found it extremely helpful. What a wonderful time to spend with other program directors and staffers who spend their lives dedicated to serving others.

This time of the year always reminds me of the S.O.A. protest that occurs at Fort Benning, Georgia. For those of you who are not familiar with the S.O.A., check out the link below to see what the protest is all about.

http://soaw.org/

A picture from this year's protest

Back to it

2009-11-08T16:37:00.003-05:00

Sorry I haven't written in a while. Traveling has taken over with college volunteer fairs, retreats, and meetings around the east coast. Stay tuned for a bi-weekly commitment (at least) to our blog for the next little bit of the year.

Since my last post, I have been to St. Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, Sacred Heart University, Boston College, Stonehill College, Assumption College, College of the Holy Cross, St. Anselm College, and St. Bonaventure University. During my visits to these schools, we met hundreds of students interested in volunteer work after their undergraduate degrees are completed. It is a beautiful thing to see so many young people interested in service! I participated in career/volunteer fairs, personal information sessions, and had time to speak of the program during student masses.

We also just got back from retreat a few days ago. Each community headed to West Clarksville, NY to Mount Irenaeus, a Franciscan retreat community close to Buffalo. We spent four days in the mountains watching the snow fall, feeding chickadees, and enjoying the entire community. It was refreshing to see grass, trees, and all of God's other creations in nature after spending so much time surrounded by concrete and high-rises.

Coming up, I am heading to Durham, N.C. to attend the CNVS (Catholic Network of Volunteer Services) National Conference. I will be attending presentations for new employees most of the time, but also will be able to visit Duke University for a volunteer fair.

That's it for now. Updates to follow!

Olympic Flare Out

2009-10-02T19:45:00.000-04:00

I thought I would take advantage of another beautiful day in Chicago(my last) and see something I have never seen before. Watching the news when I woke up, I saw that there was a rally going on in Daley Square, as thousands of people were watching the unveiling of the host city for the 2016 Olympic Games. I have heard over the past few months that Chicago had a pretty good chance at landing the Olympics in the U.S. again, and now with President Obama AND Oprah as liaisons for the Windy City, I figured it was in the bag. Oh, how wrong I was.

At 10:24 Chicago was officially eliminated from the possibility of having the Olympics in 2016. The disappointment and stunned attitude was something I have only witnessed when Aaron Boone launched a home run into the left field seats during the 13th inning of the 2003 ALCS. Shock was feeling being most emoted by the Chicagoans, and I had to sit back and take it in for a minute.

I watched the larger-than-life television screens give reasons for why Chicagoan should keep their heads up, and that the over four-year-long effort to bring the Games to Chicago didn't go wasted. I watched people actually cry over the announcement. WHAT??!?!?! That's right, CRY!

For a minute I thought that because of this decision and the reaction of the crowd, Chicago would no longer be heralded as one of the great cities in America. That Da Bears, Da Bulls, Da Cubs and Da Sox were leaving town. That the thin crust pizza was officially better than the deep dish. Common people. You lost, wait, not even lost. You just weren't chosen.

In my befuddlement of what I was seeing, I wondered whether the same reaction would be emoted if pictures of suffering children, women, and men of Chicago were flashed across the big screens. If people realized that over 17,000 people are homeless in the state of Illinois. My guess in probably not.

So let's be real. I am as much of a sports fan as there is, but there are so many larger issues in our country than "losing" the Olympics to a CONTINENT that has never hosted an Olympiad. Let's give some love to Rio de Janeiro and South America, and stop wallowing in our own ridiculous misery. There are better things to worry about.

Chicago

2009-09-29T22:10:00.002-04:00

I am in the "Windy City" for a few volunteer fairs. I have been to DePaul University and Loyola University today, and tomorrow I head to the University of Notre Dame. Chicago is such a beautiful city, and I am glad to be here for an extended period of time.

We had a lot of interest at both fairs which is an encouraging sign the volunteering isn't on the back burner in these tough economic times.

That's it for now.

Peace.

A week of service...

2009-09-22T11:45:00.006-04:00

Last week I was able to get to all three ministry sites and live the life of our volunteers. My journey took me to Francis House, St. Anthony's school, the St. Francis Inn, St. Benedict's Thrift Shop, St. Francis Urban Center, St. Paul's school, and Delaware Park. Each ministry is so different in job description, but the love and and energy put into them by the FVMs is out of this world. Here are some pictures from the trip, and of the FVMs in action.

Alum making movies

2009-09-10T13:16:00.001-04:00

Check out FVM alum Katelyn Bagtaz narrating a video about the St. Francis Inn Ministries

St. Francis Inn Ministries Video

Summer is over...

2009-09-10T12:51:00.002-04:00

Labor day marks the unofficial end of summer. Don't be mad at me, I'm just the messenger. It does however mark the beginning of a new school year for students, more alone time for stay-at-home parents, but more importantly, less free time for most of us. During the summer, many people take vacation to enjoy the warm weather, the beaches, and to see family. A lot of people also take time to volunteer because their schedules aren't as busy. Most students don't have classes, deadlines aren't as frequent due to summer recesses, and many educators aren't in their classrooms everyday.

The phrase, "time is money," is significant in our culture, especially in this economic hard-time we are facing as a collective nation. It is necessary to realize how important making money and saving for our futures, but also recognizing that our time is still valuable and needed in the volunteering world as well. If everybody who reads this blog could take some time and remember what it feels like after giving some of your time for others, the craziness of life now that summer is over might not be as tough to deal with. We should feel blessed that we have lives in which we have so many things going on at all times. Too many of the poor and marginalized wish they could have the opportunities and experiences we take for granted.

I challenge you all to take some time, even if it is just to say good morning to the beggar on the street, because really, our lives aren't THAT busy.

Sites of sites

2009-09-10T11:22:00.003-04:00

Here are a few links to the different ministry host sites.

St. Francis Inn in Philadelphia, PA

St. Anthony of Padua in Camden, NJ

St. Paul's in Wilmington, DE

Check them out and see if you can find our FVMs in some pictures.

A little late...

2009-09-03T13:13:00.006-04:00

Amanda Lengauer

Katelyn Bagtaz

Noé Granados

Amanda, Katelyn, Fr. Michael Duffy, ofm, and Noé

This post is late in it's publishing, but with the change of FVM Promoter, it got lost in transition. As our new volunteers begin their amazing journey (about 3 weeks into their ministries), I would like to take a step back and recognize on the blog, the FVMs who passed the torch to this year's group. The entire FVM program would like to graciously thank, and wish nothing but great things for Amanda Lengauer, Katelyn Bagtaz, and Noé Granados.

Although only three, this group ministered to countless numbers of people, and touched the heart of everyone they came in contact with. We now welcome them with open arms to the family of FVM alums.

2009-09-01T15:43:00.003-04:00

Josh, Norma, and Chris

Norma and Anna

Martha, Anna, Norma, Josh, Chris

Voices

2009-08-28T10:48:00.002-04:00

Our voices are one of the defining characteristics we have as individuals. Some are soft, some boisterous. With all of the voices in the world, we might think our individual voice is never heard. This may be true, but in harmony with others', our voices can make a difference.

This past week, our new FVM's in Camden shared their voice, verbally and physically, to help create awareness and community togetherness.

We are very proud that they are not afraid to jump into the fire and let their voices be heard.

Check it out!

http://www.camdenchurches.org/photo?id=0006

FVM Wilmington

2009-08-21T18:40:00.003-04:00

From l-r: (front row) Julianne Wallace, Kelly Donnelly; (back row) Brad Landry, Fr. Chris Posch, ofm, Eddie Whelan

FVM Philadelphia

2009-08-21T18:38:00.001-04:00

From l-r: (front row) Mary Donahue, Celia Bogan; (back row) Rory Dunphy, Fr. Michael Duffy, ofm, Leo Vaccaro

FVM Camden

2009-08-21T18:34:00.002-04:00

From l-r: (front row) Norma Dhanaraj, Anna Perkins; (back row) Fr. John Coughlin, ofm, Chris Calderone, Joshua Dupuis

Start of a new year...

2009-08-21T18:16:00.002-04:00

Welcome to the beginning of the FVM year. The FVM's returned to their respective houses and communities on Thursday, August 20 from the opening retreat in Faulkner, Maryland. The week was filled with laughter, nervousness, and opening of hearts and minds.

The FVM's helped plan mass and community prayer, and shared their hopes and expectations for this upcoming year.

We were blessed to have FVM alum L.J. Milone visit with us and share a reflection on spiritual ministry. L.J. then led a group centering prayer session for anyone interested.

As the FVM's find out the nuances of their ministries and communities, please keep them in your prayers and hearts as they embark on their transformative journey of a lifetime.

Changing of the Seasons

2009-08-13T15:44:00.002-04:00

As an FVM, and now the Franciscan Volunteer Ministry Promoter, the end of summer and start of fall has been marked by one event. Opening retreat. Even though the thermometers and oppressive humidity don't agree, vacation is officially over once the FVM's make their journey to a retreat house in mid-August.

As an incoming FVM, I understood that my life would be changed quickly when my calendar noted retreat was coming. The excitement and nervousness that comes with the beginning of a new volunteer year is indescribable.

During my year of college in between FVM years, once I saw the Facebook notification that retreat was underway, I knew college and soccer pre-season was right around the corner. During that period, I wished I was heading to retreat, not double-sessions on 100 degree artificial turf.

Now, as the new FVM Promoter, the coming of retreat brings a new excitement, but again, the knowledge that another summer has come and gone. This by no means is a bad thing however. It is a feeling similar to New Year's Eve. We celebrate the year that just ended with a celebration of the year to come. That is retreat.

The band Semisonic has a song called "Closing Time" with the lyrics, "every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end..." Summer's beginning has ended, now we begin the '09-10 FVM year!

2009-07-13T12:13:00.001-04:00

Really thought-provoking article re: consumerism here.

Honest is Simple and Simple is Nice

2009-06-02T10:10:00.001-04:00

I cut a tree down today. With an Ax. It was awesome.

Did you plant a new one?

No matter if I whispered a prayer through toothy shuddering breaths, no matter if I thought the entire time of what cutting down the tree actually "did," no matter if my sense of accomplishment was slightly offset by the empty space behind my fence where this tree grew. Sometimes I'm so massively caught up in wondering how I can spiritually atone for the smallest acts that I completely forget the simple, necessary things. Like planting a new tree.
*

x-posted

auto-motive

2009-05-14T13:42:00.003-04:00

Courtesy of justneverended over in the land of livejournals, this is an article about dependence on (and independence from) automotives. Of course, this is coming from a guy who's about to hop in his car to pick up a pizza. But you can't really carry a pizza on a bike, can you?

What's this have to do with volunteering?

Great question, hypothetical person. I could give you a long-winded answer involving my nostalgic love for riding my bike around Camden, but suffice to say that any kind of change in thinking involving a paired-down life without these....things we take for granted (read: cars/gas/ease-of-transportation) is welcomed in the kind of lives of volunteers live.

Friars Underground

2009-03-14T12:37:00.002-04:00

This was shown to me by multiple sources. It's the new Franciscan ad campaign for friars, as reported on CNN. Maybe we should do something similar, no?

Community, truly

2009-03-08T12:32:00.001-04:00

This is a fantastic example of how one small act can transform a neighborhood into a community.

...in other news

2009-02-26T09:32:00.002-05:00

You should probably check out this link. Not only does our program director make a great comment on the article, but they use a picture of one of our volunteers at the St. Francis Inn, one of the ministries of our Philadelphia site! (And they strangely don't give proper credit for the photo. I'm not complaining. ...too much.)

Lent

2009-02-26T09:09:00.002-05:00

When I was in 6th grade, our CCD teacher (which apparently stands for "Confraternity of Christian Doctrine"...Sunday school for Catholics, not necessarily on Sundays) made us go around the room and announce what we were giving up for Lent. (Of course, when I tried to do this when I was a teacher, one of the students wisely remarked, "Shouldn't it be something private between you and God? And we shouldn't brag about what we're giving up, otherwise it won't count. Kind of like birthday wishes." Smart kid.) It quickly became a contest to see who could come up with the most extreme Lenten observance ("I'm giving up breathing!" was when our teacher drew the line, as the kid next to me proceeded to turn blue while everyone else laughed). When we settled down, one of my peers said, "I'm giving up time." Pretty profound stuff for a 13 year old (and it freaked the rest of us out how well he sold this "joke" straight-faced. We all started to giggle until we realized he was serious. Then we were just confused). It turns out that his "giving up" of time was simply time spent volunteering with his family at a local food bank.

While Lent is a time commonly associated with sacrifice, consider how "giving up time" might be the most fulfilling sacrifice you could aim for. A blessed oxymoron, if there ever was one.

What glories catalyze your life?

2009-02-12T12:20:00.001-05:00

"Sometimes a kind of glory lights up the mind of a man. It happens to nearly everyone. You can feel it growing or preparing like a fuse burning toward dynamite. It is a feeling in the stomach, a delight of the nerves, of the forearms. The skin tastes the air, and every deep-drawn breath is sweet. Its beginning has the pleasure of a great stretching yawn; it flashes in the brain and the whole world glows outside your eyes. A man may have lived all of his life in the gray, and the land and trees of him dark and somber. The events, even the important ones, may have trooped by faceless and pale. And then -the glory- so that a cricket song sweetens his ears, the smell of the earth rises chanting to his nose, and dappling light under a tree blesses his eyes. Then a man pours outward, a torrent of him, and yet he is not diminished. And I guess a man's importance in the world can be measured by the quality and number of his glories. It is a lonely thing but it relates us to the world. It is the mother of all creativeness, and it sets each man separate from all other men."

John Steinbeck, East of Eden

Where are you today?

2009-02-09T10:37:00.002-05:00

Home? Work? Some liminal space between the two?

Where could you be? What could you be doing?

Potential is a wonderful thing, provided it's fulfilled.

Wordle fun

2009-01-26T09:56:00.002-05:00

courtesy of wordle.net

Just to see what happened, I pasted our entire FAQ section into the Wordle program at wordle.net. It gives you an idea of not only how we describe our program, but also of the main ideas people have the most questions about. Click on the picture to see it larger at the original site, and to create your own!

Well this is something.

2009-01-16T15:18:00.004-05:00

Despite my personal preference for Dunkin' Donuts over Starbucks, the latter company is doing something pretty interesting. If you pledge five hours of volunteerism, they'll give you a free cup of coffee. If our volunteers this year tallied up their hours of volunteer work, modestly assuming they work 40 hours a week, they'd be able to drink over 1,056 cups of free coffee. That's a lot of caffeine!

On a completely unrelated note, not too long ago, if you de-friended 10 friends on facebook, Burger King gave you a free whopper. (Courtesy to Lisa for pointing this out to me. She was saved from Whopper sacrifice for her help.) Now, however:

A lesson in simple living if there ever was one.

2008-12-23T13:27:00.002-05:00

Brother Michael is a Franciscan friar often volunteering at Francis House, a social ministry catering to those infected and affected with HIV/AIDS. Check out his blog!

And Happy Holidays!

National Catholic Student Coalition

2008-12-15T10:25:00.002-05:00

I wish I knew about this organization when I was an ungergrad! They're celebrating their 25th annual leadership conference this year in Atlanta, GA; if you can't make it, at least check their site out and see if you can get your university involved!

National Catholic Student Coalition

Giving

2008-11-17T15:29:00.003-05:00

A couple of Sundays ago, The Boston Globe Magazine published "The Giving Issue" (11/9/2008), devoted entirely to...er...well, "giving." You can check their online portion of the issue here. Though Boston-centric, there's plenty that can be appropiated to your local community.

Inspiration

2008-11-06T13:42:00.002-05:00

Step one:

You should probably call (415) 546-3742. Don't worry, no one will pick up, I promise. And it's work (and school) -safe.

Step two:

When you've sufficiently smiled enough, you can check out our volunteer program at FranciscanVolunteerMinistry.org.

Happy day,

-M