The volunteers of St. Vincent de Paul gathered for a day of reformation and reflection on Saturday morning. Theresa McDougald, president, introduced the theme of the day, Compassion in Action: Serving With Love and Dignity, with a quote from Blessed Sister Rosalie Rondu, noting we must all “help in all possible ways”. After reading the Parable of the Good Samaritan , Theresa introduced a quote from Pope Leo , “truly helping someone (is to ) … feel the weight of another’s pain”.
Past president Rob Campbell introduced the keynote, renowned motivational speaker, Mike Moore. Mike began his presentation by emphasizing that, ”We must, as Christians, have a preferential option for the poor.” He emphasized that life is “eternally valuable” and that we were made to love one another, care for one another and the planet. He said, “Love is justice”. He encouraged us to experience, reflect and to respond to others acknowledging two realities of the lived experience, love and fear. He noted fear inhibits while love evokes sympathy, empathy , compassion and community. After Mr. Moore’s uplifting message participants broke into groups at their tables where they discussed the role of compassion in their encounters at St. Vincent de Paul. The groups noted that compassion means serving with dignity rather than pity. Groups shared their experience and emphasized the importance of love and mindfulness in their relationships with those they serve at St. Vincent de Paul.
The second part of Mike’s presentation was focused on “Caring for the Caregiver”. He used music and stories to highlight the importance of embracing humour in interactions with others and in the way you treat yourself. He talked about the positive effect humour and, of course, laughter, on blood pressure, oxygen levels, and endorphins among other benefits. In fact, humour is ‘the social glue of society.’ He reminded us that we can choose our attitude in life and encouraged us to choose joy. We then broke into groups again to discuss practical ideas for caring for the caregivers including finding laughter in our lives everyday, accepting joy in life and using mindfulness in our encounters with others. Formation day concluded with an acknowledgement that we are in constant formation and change.
Mike Moore generously donated his time and the proceeds from the sales of his books at the event to St. Vincent de Paul. Mike’s message of compassion and love was exemplified through his stories, music and insights. Many thanks and blessings.
The day ended with a lovely lunch prepared by the St Pius CWL.