Apostles for Today
Prayer and reflection August 2019
Holiness: A Path Traveled Together
“Let us not forget that Jesus asked his disciples
to pay attention to details. The little detail that
one sheep was missing.”
Gaudete et Exultate 144
The Beginning
My introduction to the Pallottines happened when I joined Holy Cross Catholic Church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin after I moved into the neighborhood. I was married and pregnant with my first child and this was my neighborhood Parish. I was welcomed by a wonderful community of religious and lay members. I had never heard of St. Vincent Pallotti but I am eternally grateful to have found this place to grow and flourish and I remain a member of the parish now known as St. Vincent Pallotti Catholic Church.
Both of my children were baptized in our faith by Pallottine priests or deacons and experienced new joy and deepening faith in Reconciliation, Holy Communion, and Confirmation. We grew in our faith and love of Christ together as they attended our Parish school. I became a very active member of the parish having volunteered in various capacities and holding leadership roles in both the school and parish. As a result of this deep involvement I got to know our Pallottine priests very well and learned more and more about St. Vincent Pallotti. I soon realized that his charism and teachings, as well as the way he lived his life in Rome, were very much in line with my personal feelings and beliefs. How lucky was I to be in the midst of this community?
Of the many friends I made during this time I became especially close to one of the founding members of the UAC in the United States, Elizabeth (Betty) Reichertz. Oftentimes she would tell me about the UAC and the activities she was involved with including the NCC and attending worldwide meetings of the UAC. Fast forward to 2005 and I received an invitation to be a part of a newly formed UAC group at our parish from Fr. Joe Koyickal and Fr. Leon Martin. When I met personally with Fr. Joe to ask him for more information about this organization, and sharing with him how busy I already was with my professional and home life, as well as the many volunteer commitments I had, he convinced me that I was already walking in Pallotti’s footsteps by doing the work in the community that I was doing and that this would give me a spiritual connection to bring it all together. I am happy to say that I accepted their invitation to join the UAC, went through eighteen months of formation with a wonderful group of people and on January 21, 2007 I made my Apostolic Commitment to The Union of the Catholic Apostolate. “Even one person filled with the spirit of Jesus Christ will do much.” St. Vincent Pallotti
My Personal Encounter with St. Vincent’s Charism
I began my volunteer work in the field of Domestic Violence when my youngest child moved away to college and I became an “empty-nester”. I knew that I needed to fill the “void” in my life and while I had been a financial supporter of this organization for many years, I felt I had more to offer. A notice appeared in our church bulletin asking for volunteers and I signed up. This was in the late nineties. I have been involved with Sojourner Family Peace Center and the shelter, known as Sojourner Truth House, for well over twenty years now. Let me tell you a little bit about our namesake, Sojourner Truth. She was born into slavery in 1797. In 1843 she walked onto the pages of history when she became Sojourner- God’s pilgrim. A second name – Truth- came to her “in a voice as true as God’s is.” Sojourner Truth was a woman of fierce determination who traveled widely speaking about slavery, women’s rights and the dignity of all people. While doing some research to write this it struck me that she lived at virtually the same time as Vincent although on different continents and under vastly different circumstances. He was born just 2 years before her and lived 7 years longer. One was a priest and the other was a slave. Each in their own way were helping the most vulnerable and needy of society and I choose to believe that their work was equally important and vital. “Even the best efforts of individuals cannot be successful unless they are united and directed to a common goal.” St. Vincent Pallotti All of us live in communities where Domestic Violence exists and in many cases is prevalent in our society. The Mission Statement for my organization is powerful.
Our primary goals are to ensure the safety of victims of family violence and provide a pathway out of violence for victims and abusers through opportunities to make positive and lasting changes for themselves and their children. I hold many roles at Sojourner. I volunteer on the Hotline, which is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I speak with victims who seek safety and shelter, counsel others who are in need, work with law enforcement and medical personnel to assist victims. In addition, I work closely with the residents of the shelter, both women and children. We try to meet all of their needs for housing, food, clothing, medical needs, and most importantly safety and healing. We are the largest facility in my state.
In addition, I work on fund-raising efforts as the Chairperson of the Engagement Committee, a group of volunteers who raise money to support the organization’s mission. It is sometimes hard for anyone to understand and grasp the impact that this issue has on a community. Here are some numbers that illustrate what I am talking about:
Statistics for 2018
18,821 calls on the 24-hour crisis hotline
4.481 people helped in applying for Restraining Orders
12,040 survivors served
91,678 points of contact with people in need
This mission brings me closer to God as I help to guide and work with survivors to help them understand that they are valued and loved and we will do everything we can to help them on the path of wholeness again. These victims come to us broken and battered, sometimes severely, and our entire staff does everything we can from the minute they call us, to arriving at our door, to help them cope, heal and feel safe. It is so personally rewarding and fulfilling to see them flourish, grow in confidence and faith, and gain the strength to change their lives. This doesn’t happen for everyone but when it does and they leave us with big smiles and tears of joy we know we have given them a better chance at life.
My ongoing efforts make me feel, in the very slightest way, that I am carrying on Vincent’s work in today’s world. No one should be left forgotten, broken and in need without a helping hand. As Pope Francis reminds us, “Let us not forget that Jesus asked his disciples to pay attention to details. The little detail that one sheep was missing.” (Gaudete et Exsultate 144)
Pope Francis recently addressed this issue in June of this year. He sent a message to the Catholic Church in England and Wales as they prepared to celebrate the Day of Life which focused on the theme of Courage of Domestic Abuse. In his message the Pope said that as the bishops consider the theme of Domestic Abuse, “and in particular the shameful ill-treatment to which women are sometimes subjected (cf. Amoris Laetitia, 54),” he prays that the efforts of the bishops’ to “support the most vulnerable of our brothers and sisters will bear much fruit and contribute to a growing commitment to fight against all forms of exploitation.”
“The responsibility to share the good news that every human life is beautiful and sacred is a noble calling”, said Pope Francis. He continued offering “his encouragement to all who strive to promote a culture of life, gladly imparting his Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of strength and peace in the Lord.” The full article from the ‘Vatican News’ can be viewed in the below link.
Pope Francis recently addressed this issue in June of this year. He sent a message to the Catholic Church in England and Wales as they prepared to celebrate the Day of Life which focused on the theme of Courage of Domestic Abuse. In his message the Pope said that as the bishops consider the theme of Domestic Abuse, “and in particular the shameful ill-treatment to which women are sometimes subjected (cf. Amoris Laetitia, 54),” he prays that the efforts of the bishops’ to “support the most vulnerable of our brothers and sisters will bear much fruit and contribute to a growing commitment to fight against all forms of exploitation.”
“The responsibility to share the good news that every human life is beautiful and sacred is a noble calling”, said Pope Francis. He continued offering “his encouragement to all who strive to promote a culture of life, gladly imparting his Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of strength and peace in the Lord.” The full article from the ‘Vatican News’ can be viewed in the below link.
In closing, there is another quote from Vincent that I hold dear. I try to live by these words.
“God is ready to do more than we can ever request or imagine.
Yet God wants us to do all that is humanly possible in this world.”
St. Vincent Pallotti
Linda Barikmo, Mother of God LLC, GCC Member
Milwaukee, Wisconsin United States
Segretariato Generale, Unione dell’Apostolato Cattolico
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Piazza San Vincenzo Pallotti 204, 00187 Roma, Italia uacgensec@gmail.com
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