You follow through when you work with the needy

Committing yourself to the underprivileged demands integrity

By WCR Staff
Stony Plain

The story is her involvement with the St. Vincent de Paul Society.

"I love the poor," said Lynn L'Heureux, national society representative from Calgary.

"I feel I am driven to love and serve the poor. If the poor call, my tiredness leaves me. It doesn't matter how tired I am. I will visit and then look for Jesus in their eyes. I then know I'm not serving the poor, but serving Jesus who is in the poor."

But in her role as national rep, L'Heureux said her visits to the poor became less frequent. Over an eight-month stretch, she felt the presence of the poor slipping away. She was beginning to lose contact.

She spoke with the WCR while attending the society's western regional conference's annual meeting at Ephphatha House May 28-30. L'Heureux has since gotten back to her roots, back to frequent contact with the poor. "Now I'm back to making everyday visits. I'm back to my roots in the society."

She says that through her prayer life she learned she needed to love the poor. The feeling she gets in her heart when she makes a home visit lets her know she is alive. It tells her that what she is doing is service to others, and not a burden upon herself.

"I have been involved with the society for about 20 years. Something we do is follow up with a phone call. It is like any friend who is in trouble. You don't just hand them $5 and say good-bye. You are going to call them again and ask how they are doing," she said.

"When I bring Christ with me and look and see Christ in them, then it is a love story with the poor. And it isn't a one-time thing.

"We have to bring the poor back to Christ through prayer.

"When I bring Christ with me and look and see Christ in them, then it is a love story with the poor." - Lynn L'Heureux

Back to her roots

Before he became involved in the St. Vincent de Paul Society, he was a sleep-walking Catholic. He just went along with the world. But he began to pray. He soon felt God call him.

"Eventually, I was invited to join the society and we have been bombed with requests," he said.

"Some nights we visit people until midnight because when children don't have food, they don't care how late it is, as long as you come."

Amerongen believes serving the poor through the society is a great opportunity for the laity to practise their faith. And it can be arranged according to a person's individual schedule.

"We see cases where people have been robbed and they have nothing. When I meet them, I try to see them in Christ.

"Our devotion to the Blessed Sacrament should be matched with our service to the poor. With Christ in us, we bring Christ to them and see Christ in them.

"In a prayerful way, it becomes manifest mystically," he said.

People weep

Attending his second meeting, Sid Steel, from Edmonton, has yet to make a home visit.

"I work for the Christian History Project which publishes books on the history of Christianity. We have people from different denominations and a lot of my friends were with the society. We talked about St. Vincent de Paul and I thought it was quite interesting, so I came," he said.

"This definitely speaks to my spirituality. I might not be the most spiritual person, but I know I'm helping people with their needs."

The poor might be struggling with issues other than money, says Heather Hemsing James, president of the Calgary South conference.

Regardless, service is paramount.

"They might be struggling through domestic violence, or sickness or possibly the loss of a job," she said.

"We try to express that God still loves them, we love them, and that is really what it's about.

"We are trying to do God's work."

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