As I mentioned in my letter to you all last month, I am using this space over the coming months to highlight some of our parish ministries and the incredible work that they do week in and week out. Last month, we spotlighted our parish Gift Store, and this month I would like to focus on our St Vincent de Paul Society. You see them twice a month after the Masses with their collection baskets by the church doors, but there is so much more to this ministry you may not see.
Ralph Stoddard, president of the Sacred Heart Conference of the Society gives us a sample here of how the ministry works:
“A family of four; mom, dad, a six-year-old and six-month-old had moved to Tampa last year to follow a very good job, but the company closed, and the father was out of work for three months during which time they not only got behind in rent, but had to go to court and were ordered out. The deputy that came to evict them told them kindly but firmly that they had to be out in five days or she would be back with a crew to move their belongings to the street. They were lucky to find another place, and he had found work and had some money, but even that with whatever they could borrow was not enough to pay the first and last month’s rent and security deposit.
“They were close, but still short, and out of time. They had called every social services agency they could think of, but couldn’t even get an appointment in time. A friend told them a Catholic church downtown might be able to help so they said a little prayer and called our help line. “Three days later, our Vincentian team met with the family and then made arrangements directly with the landlord. As we are not a service agency but a ministry we talked and prayed with the family and they were grateful , which was rewarding for us and as Dad was a thoughtful man, made me promise that I would thank the people who gave the money, the parishioners of Sacred Heart and so on that family’s behalf, I say THANK YOU!
Stoddard, right, alongside his fellow Vincentians at our most recent Giving from the Heart drive.
“Locally we are known as the Sacred Heart Conference of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Our conference is the Florida West Coast’s second oldest, founded on April 22, 1932. We are just a small part of the international St. Vincent de Paul Society which was founded in Paris in 1833, one of the oldest and best known of all the Catholic Charities. Formally, we are a state registered non- profit corporation and registered with the IRS so contributions are tax deductible.
“Our vision is simply what you’d read from Matthew’s 25th chapter: For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me… | Matthew 25:35-36
We consider our mission to be a network of friends, inspired by Gospel values, growing in holiness and building a more just world through personal relationships with and service to people in need.
What Vincentian Volunteers Do:
Confidentially answer calls for help, by phone and through home visits, to discern legitimate, qualified requests
Document accountability when one-time financial assistance with basic necessities is provided
Provide referrals to government and private support services
Listen to and comfort the needy through prayer and encouragement
“The sum total of our tangible corporate assets are a handful of brochures, four collection baskets and a small bank account to deposit donations and pay for clients’ needs. From that modest system, you, the parishioners of Sacred Heart, were able to pay over $63,000 across 2024, helping 132 families, including 176 children and 325 individuals, stay sheltered and keep the utilities on. We have only a few hundred dollars in administrative expenses annually, mostly dues. The sum total of our most valuable assets are our 22 volunteers and of course, you, Father Steve’s beloved ‘Saints of God.’
“If you are interested in helping or just learning more, just dial the help line, (813)-229-1595, ext. 302), follow the prompts, give us your name and number and just say “call me, I’d like to learn more” or “I’d like to help,” and someone will call you back. Thank you, and God bless you all.”
Quotes from SVdP volunteers:
“As members of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, we’re blessed with the opportunity to walk alongside our neighbors in need, offering compassion, dignity, and respect—no matter their background or beliefs. Through simple, person-to-person outreach, we do our best to bring hope, share God’s love, and live out the heart of our Catholic faith.” | Gaile & Noel Rametta
“Volunteering with St. Vincent de Paul provides the unique privilege of helping our needy neighbors in a direct and meaningful way. It is a blessing to be associated with a group of parishioners who want to make a difference in the lives of others.” | Susan Coppin
Miranda, right, spent the majority of his career as an engineer and project manager before a vocational switch to teaching these last 12 years.
Changing of the Guard:
This past week, we formally welcomed Tony Miranda to our parish staff as the new Business Operations Manager. Tony has been a parishioner of Sacred Heart since 2018, and is actively involved in several ministries, including Hands of Hope, our Knights of Columbus Council #12110, our Parish Outreach Committee and Advisory Board, and as an usher.
Tony was our parish’s 2023 recipient of the St. Jude Medal, given each year in the Diocese of St. Petersburg as a way to recognize those persons showing distinguished and outstanding service to their parish. Tony is replacing Larry Cabrera, who will be retiring at the end of this month. Larry started working here at Sacred Heart more than 37 years ago, in January, 1988, while being a parishioner for more than 53 years. The friars and staff are currently organizing ways that parishioners can thank Larry for his service to the parish. We will announce those details very soon.
Tony is coming onboard prepared. He has already been part of the conversation about the North Campus renovations, and has been added to our Maintenance and Finance committees. He will be working hand-in-hand with Larry for the next month.
“Christ has no body on earth but ours, no hands, but ours, no feet, but ours… Ours are the feet with which He goes about doing good. Ours are the hands with which He blesses His people.” – St. Teresa of Avila
The experience of mercy, whether we are the ones giving it or the ones receiving it, leads to joy. This is because mercy opens our hearts to the hope of new life. As scripture reminds us, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3). Therefore, in this Jubilee Year of Hope, we ask God not only for hope for ourselves, but also for the grace to become instruments of His hope for others.
As part of our diocesan celebration of the Jubilee Year, through both the corporal and spiritual works of mercy, parishioners across the Diocese of St. Petersburg will make God’s mercy manifest in our communities. We will be signs of hope for our brothers and sisters who experience hardships. The works of mercy are tangible and measurable; no act is too large or too small, especially when done with great love. Empowered by the message of the Gospel, we invite our parishioners to take part in the diocesan challenge of completing 1,000,000 works of mercy.
Our Messages of Mercy Event | Families of all ages are invited to take part in a special event creating cards of kindness and compassion! As part of our parish’s commitment to the Diocese of St. Petersburg’s “1,000,000 Acts of Mercy Challenge,” we excited to make messages of mercy for military service members and veterans to honor those among us for Independence Day.
You’re invited to help us craft these Messages of Mercy on Saturday, June 28, from 10 a.m. to Noon in the North Campus Auditorium. All are encouraged to bring along additional craft items like paper, glue or glue-sticks, stickers, glitter, or markers. An adult must accompany children under the age of 18. All are welcome! RSVP by clicking the button below.
Anyone can participate—as individuals, families, ministries, or teams. The Diocese of St. Petersburg want to highlight all the good works you are already doing by bringing a focus to it and invite others to join in spreading hope! Parishioners can log their acts at dosp.org/jubilee2025/mercychallenge. In the coming weeks and months, our parish will also highlight your efforts in future bulletins.
B-Roll from Event for Media and Partner Use – Click Here
There is so much we will never know about God in God’s very Self. But there are some things we can know. To me, the most important fact we can know about God is that God is a Relationship of Love. Some great early theologians once said that if God were one “person”, God could love only Himself; God could be self-centered; if God were two “persons” God’ love could be exclusive. But the fact that revelation says that God is One God in Three Persons, means that God in God’s very being is open to love the other. God desires to love even that which is not divine, hence creation; and God loves creation so much that God, through the Son becomes part of creation in the person of Jesus of Nazareth and continues to be in creation through the Holy Spirit given to us Gift. Hence, the best thing we can know about God is that GOD IS LOVE (1 John 4:7).
This is all very “heady” stuff. In today’s Gospel (John 16:12-15) Jesus says that the Holy Spirit “the Spirit of truth will guide you to all truth.” But the question becomes what is the truth that the Holy Spirit will guide us to? I think the answer to that is found in the second reading from St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans (5:1-5). “The love of God has been poured into our heart through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.” Since GOD IS LOVE, the love of God is in fact GOD’S VERY SELF. It doesn’t get more optimistic than this.
The effect of this love changes us. We become “children of God” (1 John 3:1). St. Paul tells us in today’s second reading that “we have peace with God.” The challenge is to live in peace with one another. Paul continues, “we boast of our afflictions knowing that afflictions produce endurance, endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope, and hope does not disappoint.” Again, there is a challenge in this since we are called to help those who are undergoing affliction since Jesus helped those in His own time who were afflicted. And the good news dear Saints of God in Sacred Heart Parish is that you accept the challenge. Hands of Hope, Giving from the Heart, the St. Vincent de Paul Society, Bikes from the Heart, the Liturgical ministries, the Women’s and Men’s Prayer Groups, our catechists and O.C.I.A. team, and so many others are a way of living our Trinitarian life in the world. I’ve often say is that being Catholic means that we are not called simply to worship the Holy Trinity, but become involved in and live the life of the Holy Trinity in the world today.
So on this most Holy of Solemnities, BE a witness in word and action to the Love of our God who is a Trinity of Love.
Today, we celebrate the great feast of Pentecost — often called the birthday of the Church. But make no mistake: this isn’t just a celebration of the past. It’s a reminder that the Holy Spirit is alive and moving today — in our parish community, in our homes, in our hearts.
There’s a story of a young man who grew up in church but never really believed. He went to Mass because his parents made him, and as soon as he turned 18, he stopped going. Years later, after a series of disappointments, he wandered into a church on Pentecost Sunday — out of guilt more than faith.
He sat in the back, arms crossed, heart closed. During the homily, the priest said something simple: “You don’t have to be perfect for God to fill you. You just have to be open.”
Those words pierced him. Something shifted — not dramatically, not like tongues of fire — but like a quiet wind brushing through his soul. He couldn’t explain it, but he cried that day for the first time in years. And that moment became the beginning of his return to faith. Sometimes the Holy Spirit doesn’t shout. He whispers. But when He does, lives change
That upper room moment wasn’t quiet or comfortable. It was wind and fire, languages and boldness. The Spirit didn’t come gently — the Spirit came to shake the world awake. And suddenly, a group of ordinary, hesitant disciples became courageous messengers with hearts ablaze.
Reflecting on Pentecost, we ask ourselves: Do I still burn like that? Or have I grown comfortable in my faith, content with routine but lacking that wild, Spirit-fueled passion? Pentecost is not just a one-time event — it’s an invitation to daily surrender. To open the doors we’ve locked. To let the Spirit rush in and disrupt the ordinary. It’s about more than speaking in tongues; it’s about living with the power of faith, love, and boldness in a world that desperately needs light.
The disciples were gathered in fear, hiding behind closed doors. Jesus had ascended. The world outside was hostile. They didn’t know what was next. We all have had moments like that — unsure, anxious, waiting for a sign from God. And then it happened. “Suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind… and there appeared to them tongues as of fire… and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.” A rushing wind. Fire from heaven. Languages no one had studied. Power they didn’t know they had. This was no gentle breeze. The Holy Spirit came to disrupt, to transform, to empower. And that same Spirit is still blowing today. The Holy Spirit isn’t always a comforting presence — It is also a force that pushes us out of our comfort zones, out of fear, out of spiritual laziness — and into the mission of love, truth, and bold witness. The early disciples didn’t stay in the upper room. Once the Spirit came, they moved outward — to preach, to serve, to suffer, and to love. Pentecost launched a movement that changed the world.
And that’s the challenge that remains with us today. Will we stay locked in our upper rooms of routine and fear? Or will we open our hearts to the Spirit and be set on fire? The key is to always to be open and aware of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We must stay open. The Holy Spirit can’t fill a heart that’s closed. We must be willing to be surprised, challenged, even uncomfortable. That’s how transformation begins.
