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Good News: Happenings that Inspire us in Colorado:
Colorado Vincentian Volunteers and Heart and Soul Concert
Originally published in E-Leaven, June 20, 2009, Issue 11
by Celeste Rossmiller

St. Vincent de Paul (1580-1660) was born to a peasant family in France, but used the office of his priesthood to climb social ladders, all the way up to serving as chaplain in a royal household. His charm guaranteed him a place as a worldly cleric in the high society of pre-Revolutionary France. But like many other great saints, such as El Salvador’s Archbishop Oscar Romero, Vincent had a conversion experience that changed the course of his life. Hearing the confession of a peasant on his deathbed, Vincent was struck by the seriousness of his vocation, and decided to dedicate his life to serving the poor, including uplifting rural folks from spiritual poverty. He also became aware of the clergy’s lack of deep spiritual formation. The Congregation of the Mission that he founded aimed to serve both aspects. The new order, along with the Daughters of Charity—cofounded with the widow Louise de Marillac—engaged in numerous projects, from hospitals, orphanages, and homes for the mentally ill, to ministry to prisoners and ransoming of slaves. Vincent, Louise and their companions lived the Gospel as servants to those in need.

This year’s thirteen young Colorado Vincentian Volunteers (CVV) carried on the tradition of Vincent and Louise in Denver. Hailing from ten states, five men and eight women lived in community with guidance from Bill and Mary Frances Jaster and Vincentian Fr. Tom Nelson. The volunteers served in several Denver-area services to the homeless, such as Denver Urban Ministries and The Gathering Place (a day shelter for women and children); taught at inner city schools; and supported senior citizen outreach programs. CVV provides a minimum of 23,040 hours of volunteer services during the year, services that would not be available—or not as fully—without their dedication. Like similar programs, such as the Lutheran Urban Servant Corps or Jesuit Volunteer Corps, CVV attracts young people in their post-college year(s) who wish to give back to communities and develop their spiritual life in service and reflection. Inevitably, they have been irrevocably changed by the experience.

The volunteers confront extreme need, and chafe under the impossibility of answering those needs as fully as they might wish. Devin Bulger of Greenwich, NY, for example, worked at Denver Urban Ministries on East Colfax, a crisis center. His first day on the job, there were 187 phone messages requesting utility assistance. He was only able to bring four cases to a successful completion during that week. Reflecting on the desperation of need and his disappointment in not responding more fully, Devin concluded, nonetheless, that all of our efforts count for something, when undertaken to build the Kingdom of God on Earth. Nikki Murillo of Baltimore taught eighth graders at Annunciation School at 34th and Humboldt. All too often she found her students deflated in their hopes for a different future, given the burdens of broken homes, poverty, drug or alcohol abuse in the household, or deportations. Nikki’s goal, however, was to restore their childhood as much as possible every day, and to remind them that when they experienced their own “Way of the Cross,” resurrection is also possible.

During the course of the year, the volunteers also traveled to El Paso/Juarez for an immersion experience at the US/Mexico border. Whether viewing life “on the other side” through the chain-link fence that our government has erected, or staying with families and being served by them during their days there, the CVV-ers reflected on the inherent equality and graciousness they witnessed in that place. The richness of their encounters gave them hope that a different future can be created. “This is what we need,” remarks Steph Auxier of Glen Ellyn, IL, “a love that can penetrate even the tallest, thickest fence to create an understanding that we are the same—one community, with every member deserving to have their basic human needs filled, being treated with dignity and leading a dignified life.”

The year of service culminates in the largest fund-raiser of the year, the Heart and Soul concert and gathering, held this year on June 15 at Denver University’s Newman Center. Fr. Patrick Dolan of Most Precious Blood parish, a professional in musical theatre, acted as Master of Ceremonies, setting the tone of joy for the evening with his singing, accompanied by pianist John Kite. Colorado duo Joe Scott and Hanna Alkire as Acoustic Eidolon composed and performed music ranging from Celtic to Latin to Gypsy. Scott plays a double-necked instrument of his own design, which he calls the “guitjo,” since one neck performs more like a banjo, and the other like an acoustic guitar. Alkire is a cellist. Scott and Alkire punctuated their invigorating performance with personal narrative, containing both humor and pathos. After an intermission, the program continued with the volunteers themselves performing a dance mimicked from the movie, Slum Dog Millionaire, followed by a set of Mexican folkloric dances accompanied by a seven-man Mariachi band. Founder and artistic director of Fiesta Colorado, Jeanette Trujillo-Lucero, was recently awarded “Living Legends of Dance in Colorado.” Their beautiful costuming, vivacious dancing, and sonorous music added to the joy of the evening. Afterwards the reception area resounded with warm greetings of old friends.

Bill and Mary Frances Jaster founded CVV fourteen years ago and have coordinated the project throughout its lifetime. Good news applies on many levels: the vision of Vincent and Louise that continues to be lived through Colorado Vincentian Volunteers, both in leaders and young people. The Good News of Gospel living, with all the joys and strains and challenges of community life and service to those whose needs exceed our humble efforts. Good News of supporters who financially and spiritually share the work. Good News of those served, whose lives are touched by someone willing to dedicate a year of their lives to bettering the world, not for fiscal gain or power, but out of love.

To make a donation to their work, visit their website, www.covivo.org and click on “Donate”, or send a check to Colorado Vincentian Volunteers, 1732 Pearl St., Denver, CO 80203.

1. See Robert Ellsberg, All Saints: Daily Reflections on Saints, Prophets and Witnesses for Our Time. (NY: The Crossroad Publishing Co., 1997), 118-120 and 420-422.

 

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