2020 North Central Regional Meeting

"Reigniting The Vincentian Fire" 175 Years

June 11 - 13, 2020

Milwaukee Marriott West

W231N1600 Corporate Court

Waukesha, WI 53186

(262) 574-0888


Overnight accommodations are available $109.00 plus tax (Cut-off date is May 20, 2020)  To make your reservations online, click HERE or by phone (877) 651-7666, (mention that you are part of the St. Vincent de Paul Block to secure the discounted room rate).

Hotel is located about 27 miles from Mitchell International Airport (MKE).   Transportation to/from the Airport(s) is available thru Taxi Service or Uber.  

Directions

If you have any questions regarding registration please contact Michele Schurk, otherwise please feel free to contact Deb Wilke-Klug with any other questions.

  • (Includes all meals and Friday Banquet)


Please review the agenda below, and select all items that you wish to attend.

Schedule, Wednesday, June 10


4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.Welcome Table Open

(pick up your materials)


Dinner On Your Own


Schedule, Thursday, June 11


9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.Registration Table Open


W280 N2101 Prospect Avenue
Pewaukee, WI 53072
(No transportation available, approx. 9 minutes from the Marriott)

(Time available - contact Julie McIntyre at [email protected])

This session is for National Council Members and Executive Directors. It will cover progress on the strategic plan and other key issues impacting councils and conferences.

"Glorifying God through a life of Radical Holiness and Hope" View the phenomenal video presentation by Bishop Donald Hying with intro and small group discussion lead by Deacon Rich Gulig


Most Reverend Donald J. Hying National Council Episcopal Advisor

Most Reverend Donald J. Hying was installed as the Fourth Bishop of Gary on January 6, 2015, was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee on May 20, 1989. On July 20, 2011, he was ordained the seventh Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. Prior to being named auxiliary bishop, Bishop Hying served as Rector of Saint Francis de Sales Seminary from 2007 to 2011, appointed by then-Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan. Bishop Hying served as Temporary Administrator at St. Augustine Parish, Milwaukee in 2006; Dean of Formation at Saint Francis de Sales Seminary, from 2005 to 2007. He was Pastor at Our Lady of Good Hope Parish, Milwaukee from 1999 to 2005; Associate Pastor at St. Anthony Parish, Milwaukee from 1998 to 1999. Hying served as Temporary Administrator at St. Peter Parish, East Troy, 1998; Team Member for La Sagrada Familia Parroquia, Dominican Republic from 1994 to 1997. His first priestly assignment was as associate pastor for St. Anthony Parish, Menomonee Falls from 1989 to 1994. He currently serves as the Bishop of the Diocese of Madison in Wisconsin.


Buses Departing 4:45pm, 5:00pm & 5:15pm (Buses begin loading 10 minutes prior to departure)

Schedule, Friday, June 12


7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.Registration Table Open


One of the Society's Cultural Beliefs is "One Society" - I contribute to the success of our Vincentian work when I support ONE Society." This presentation will provide a "state of the union" review of a broad range of initiatives underway in the U.S. Council.

Raymond L. Sickinger, Ph.D., National Board of Directors, Formation Liaison, Chair of the National Leadership Task Force
Ray has been an active member of the Society since 1985. In the past, he has served as a conference president, council president, and Regional Vice President for the Northeast Region. He is currently a member of the National Board of Directors as a Liaison for Formation, chairs the Leadership Task Force, and has produced materials and videos for the formation of the Society’s members and leaders.  

 A member of the Providence College ordinary faculty since September of 1974, Ray has served in a variety of administrative and teaching positions.  Formerly an Assistant Dean,  Ray is currently Professor of History and Public and Community Service Studies. He was appointed Director of the Feinstein Institute on July 1, 2003 and served until June 30, 2012.   He was Chair of the Department of Public and Community Service Studies from 2006-2012 and Chair of the Department of History and Classics from 2015-2019. His research interests in history have revolved around the impact of faith and service in the case of Frédéric Ozanam spanning to the Nazi Era in German History, the connection of superstition and folklore in popular culture.  

 Along with multiple speaking engagements representing the Society around the country, primarily focused on Frédéric Ozanam,   Ray has also authored many papers, writings and books.  Most recent, in 2018, his book, Antoine Frédéric Ozanam, received first prize for best biography from the National Catholic Press Association.  Contact: [email protected]


9:10 a.m. - 10:25 a.m.Workshops Block 1


  • Jeanne Harper & Tom Pelger
    (Is your conference losing membership? Struggling to maintain Vincentian Friendship? Falling short of Standards of Excellence and the Rule? ... How to Get Back on Track)

  • Mary Steger & Joe Kruse
    (Serving with a Vincentian Heart requires taking the time and acquiring the skills to really listen and make a relationship possible. We will look at those qualities that make it possible to listen and respond to the needs of those we serve. True servant leadership involves putting those served first, wanting the best for all. This workshop will help Vincentians to lead with loving, listening hearts)

  • Carol Maurer & Jody Cleary
    (Learn more about the program’s new initiative to involve all members of the community to work for change. In addition to the 18 Getting Ahead Workshops they have held, successful monthly graduate program meetings, and quarterly poverty seminars, Getting Ahead in Waukesha County has expanded on the individual focus, with Community Voice for Change. Join the program leads in this session to learn about their monthly dinners, discussions, and reports that aim to engage all economic classes in working for a thriving community)

  • National Stores Staff/Committee
    (The Stores workshop will be held at the Waukesha Thrift Store and will include a store tour. Stations will be set up throughout the building for Q & A - - sales floor, dock, intake, textiles-bailing, processing pricing center, POS, opening and closing process, giving you an inside view of Waukesha’s procedures & practices. The entire operation will be on display. The Waukesha store is a 53,000 square foot former grocery store that has to run as a well-oiled machine because of its size. Come spend the day with us to learn about this operation. The group will gather and discuss/share best practices with the Waukesha store staff. Lunch will be provided at the store location)


10:45 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.Workshops Block 2


  • Ed Koerner
    (Follow a path for success when starting a new or clustering conferences -- From gaining permission from the local Bishop and Parish Priest, presenting the 'Invitation to Serve' Program, walking through the discernment process, what happens in the first six meetings of joining or forming District Councils. The workshop will consist of a short power point and much open discussion)

  • Deacon Rich Gulig
    (The actions of Christ, Evangelizer of the poor, are key to the spiritual experiences of St. Vincent de Paul; for in the heart of Vincent, lies the heart of Christ. Therefore, it is Christ who is the center of Vincent's thoughts, his actions, his entire life. This presentation will look at Jesus Christ, and see how Vincent incorporated Christ's actions into his ministry)

  • Tom Pelger
    (Our friends in need are frequently vulnerable; policies and practices for screening and training Vincentians to ensure we protect those we serve and the Society)

  • National Stores Staff/Committee
    (Full Day Program Continued)


1:15 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.Workshops Block 3


  • Regge & Karolyn Krueger
    (Key principles of Serving in Hope Module VII, Session 4: Discerning with a Vincentian Heart, will serve as a foundation for this workshop. This interactive session will include a broad discussion of discernment, from the initial contact, preparation for the Home Visit, through the Home Visit, to the follow-up. Bring your personal conference experiences!)

  • Marty Cormack & Bill Soucie
    (This presentation will revolve around the recent work done by the SVdP National Task Force for Leadership. Items to be discussed include formation of servant leaders, results of a survey of new conference presidents, review of the National website’s usability and for the location of available materials for new conference president formation and training, the creation of a video tour of the current website intended for new conference presidents, creation and presentation of webinars for new conference presidents, creation of a leadership recruitment letter, and the next steps to be taken by the Task Force.)

  • Deacon Henry Knapp
    (Last year the National Office and experienced Spiritual Advisors developed a new, day-long program for the formation of new SA's and the rejuvenation of existing SA's. This program will be presented in its entirety in this four-part track today and tomorrow)

  • National Stores Staff/Committee
    (Full Day Program Continued)

Special Works Best Practices
("Fair" style mini exhibits on conference/council led programs: Charitable Pharmacy, lockers for the homeless, Getting Ahead & community collaboration, Jail Ministry, Youth international twinning, Back2Work & Immersion reentry, Micro Loans)

Bishop (Emeritus) Richard J. Sklba, Milwaukee, WI

A native of Racine, WI, Bishop Sklba studied several years in Rome where, in 1959, he was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.   In 1979, he was ordained an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.  He has taught Scripture studies at Sacred Heart School of Theology and at at St. Francis de Dales seminary, where he was appointed rector in 1976.  A Scripture Scholar in his own right, he is a past president of the American Biblical Association of America.  

Bishop Sklba is very active in ecumenical and inter-religious relationships on a national and local level.  He has co-chaired the national Lutheran/Catholic Dialogue for many years. He has been an invited ecumenical guest at many national meetings of the country’s mainline Protestant Churches. He has also participated in countless meetings and projects with Jewish scholars of the country in an effort to promote interreligious understanding and cooperation.

His many professional memberships include the Catholic Theological Society of America and the Society for Biblical Literature. Bishop Sklba has also published articles, books, papers and occasional book reviews. In 1988, he was awarded the Catholic Theological Society of America’s John Courtney Murray Award for achievement in Theology.

Since 2010, Bishop Sklba continues to serve the archdiocese as a "retired" bishop assisting in providing weekend help at parishes and presiding at confirmations. 


6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.Social Time & Banquet

(Please select your dinner option below)


Schedule - Saturday, June 13


7:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.Registration Open


"Healed in God's Embrace"
(Ritual is a language that goes beyond words where God embraces our brokenness and healing begins. Come and encounter the living God through full active and conscious participation in life)

John Angotti,  Music Missionary, Director of Music and Liturgy at St Philip Catholic Church in Franklin, TN

John was raised in Clarksburg, West Virginia, a small community nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.  Third, in a family of four adopted children, (an older brother and two sisters) John’s first ability to speak without stuttering was at the age of four with the hymn “The Church’s One Foundation.”  How appropriate for the mission God has planned for him thus far.

An accomplished pianist, John began studying piano at the age of seven.  His mother, who has been a church musician for over 50 years, motivated him to become involved with the children’s choir at a very early age.  “I believe it was there where I truly began to form my beliefs about God through the songs we were singing,” Angotti says.

John has been writing Christian music since his teen years at St. Joseph Seminary, where Angotti was considering priesthood.   “After I left the seminary it never dawned on me that God perhaps wanted me to do something else for the church, perhaps more suited for the gifts God gave me,” he says jokingly.  It was in the music director positions where Angotti found himself composing songs for worship and meditation.  He wanted the congregation to participate in song and prayer during worship services on Sunday.

John spreads the Gospel message through word and song, stressing the importance of finding God in the everyday lived experiences.  His witness and music has inspired and changed the lives of thousand’s.


9:25 a.m. - 10:40 a.m.Workshop Block 5


  • Tom Fahl, Julie McIntyre & Zoltan Eszes
    (If your Council or Conference operates a Special Work such as a Thrift Store, a Free Pharmacy, Housing, a Community Food Pantry, a Meal Site, or other similar program, there are invariably going to be questions on how it should be operated and be maintained under the control of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Questions such as the role of your Board of Directors, your Officers, your paid staff, or your volunteers and how they interact will surface. This workshop will attempt to lend some clarity.)

  • Jeanne Harper
    (This workshop will help you better understand poverty and the friends in need you serve through the lens of two SSVdP national approved poverty organizations: Communication Across Barriers, Donna Beegle; If Not Me, Then Who? Empowering our Neighbor, Aha! Process, Ruby Payne & Phil DeVol - Bridges Out of Poverty and Getting Ahead in a Just Gettin' by World)

  • Deacon Ed Cody
    (Part 2 of this four-part track on formation of new SAs and the rejuvenation of existing SAs.)


11:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.Workshops Block 6


  • Bill Gosse & Christopher Zahn
    (Back2Work and Immersion have been recognized at the community and national level, as being beneficial to systemic change because they address the root causes of why our Friends in Need visit St. Vincent de Paul in the first place. This workshop will help the attending conference or council representatives discern when/if the time is right to implement these awesome programs, and then how to do it.)

  • Deacon Rich Gulig
    (Part 3 of this four-part track on formation of new SAs and the rejuvenation of existing SAs.)

  • Mike DeFoe
    (This session will utilize the Serving in Hope Module VII, Lesson 7.3, Advocating with a Vincentian Heart. After an introduction, we will use the video clip for this section, go around the room and have people read a paragraph, and then engage in small group discussions with the questions. This will model the format recommended for using the Serving in Hope Module VII in your conference. Come with an open mind and heart, and leave with strategies to help move people out of poverty, follow the call to systemic change, and respond to the call to become advocates with a Vincentian heart!)


1:30 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.Workshops Block 7


  • Tom Pelger
    (What makes effective conference meetings? Balancing spiritual growth, friendship, and service. Handling conflicts and making decisions)

  • Marian Lamoureux & Pamela Matambanadzo
    (As Vincentians, we are called to be the Voice of the Poor, bringing the best of ourselves and our faith to the public square -- and yet, many shy away from involvement because today's national and local conversations are too often filled with vitriol. When personal attacks replace honest debate, no one wins, and our communities are divided. We'll discuss a non-partisan approach that recognizes the dignity of all people, even when we disagree, and puts faith in action by bearing witness to a better way forward)

  • Brad Blauvelt
    (The final segment of this four-part track on formation of new SAs and the rejuvenation of existing SAs. )


3:00 p.m.MEETING ENDS


5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.Mass - St. Anthony on the Lake, Pewaukee

No Transportation Available


6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.Dinner on Your Own


Workshop Speaker/Presenter Bios

To View Workshop Presenter Bios, copy & paste this link or click on the icon below: https://www.svdpusa.org/Portals/0/Workshop%20Speaker%20Bios.pdf



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