President's Letter, July 2025

My Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ and our patrons, Saints Vincent de Paul, Louise de Marillac, and Elizabeth Ann Seton, I hope you are enjoying this summer season, despite the weather! I wanted to share something with you pertaining to this time of year we are in – something for you to reflect on in your leisure time (hopefully, you are getting some!) In my quest to that end, I came upon a past article on a Vincentian website I hope will speak to you in any season.

“If you go back and look at the schedule of the Daughters of Charity—the community founded by Louise de Marillac and Vincent de Paul—you will see they were very intentional about their time. Their day started at 4:00 AM and was scheduled to the minute until 8:15 PM, when they prepared for bed.  Something striking—aside from their ability to function at a seemingly superhuman capacity—was that their schedule included designated times for recreation and learning how to read. Even in the midst of curing the
ills and woes of the day and tending to a broken society, they prioritized time every day for leisure, respite, and personal development. Louise understood that these daily routines, which created space to care for the whole person, were essential for sustaining the community’s long-term effectiveness as agents of change.”

Let us especially pray for our country this month as we approach the Fourth of July. I borrowed the following from my Statio book of prayers.

“Grant, we pray, O heavenly Father, a clear and united voice to all Your sons and daughters gathered in Your
Church in this decisive hour in the history of our nation, so that, with every trial withstood and every danger
overcome—for the sake of our children, our grandchildren, and all who come after us—this great land will
always be “one nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.” We ask this through Christ our
Lord Amen (USCCB, 2012)

LCUSA News -New address is: National Service Center, 8001 Longview Road, Kansas City, MO 64134.  I hope many of you are planning to attend the National Assembly as it is “in our neck of the woods” this year.  The hotel is in Bethesda, Maryland. Information can be found on the LCUSA website. There will be a Day of Reflection at the Seton Shrine led by Fr. Richard Gielow, CM, Vincentian Spiritual Advisor, LCUSA, on September 11. The assembly is September 12-13.

Annual Meeting 2025 - As I am writing this letter the annual meeting registration is being prepared for mailing by the end of the week.  A copy of the registration form is attached to this president’s letter.

The Spiritual Society of the Unclaimed Dead – If you are interested in receiving a decedent’s name, please contact Janet Stahlman via our office, 412-456-6924. 

Twinning Project – Please contact our office if you think your group can benefit from financial help for any project. All requests will be kept confidential.

Social media - Sherrie Dunlap Gallagher, social media chair, updates our Facebook page regularly. Please let her know of any activities you are currently doing that she can highlight. She can be contacted at sherrie.e.dunlap@gmail.com.

Junior Ladies of Charity (JLOC) – For more information on JLOC, please contact Mary Diaddigo Rex or Hailey Innocenzo Dube’ or call the LOC office at 412-456-6924.

Nursing Home Network – Please remember that if you have someone that is going to a nursing home outside of your area to contact Cindy Smith so that she can reach out to the local Ladies of Charity to visit.

501(C)(3) – Below is the updated distribution information for the quarterly submission of Treasurer Reports and Bank Statements. The March, April & May 2025 information is due by 6/15/2025. Updated sales tax exemption forms are available by contacting Judy Weismann at weismann2@comcast.net.

DeMarillac Newsletter – It’s always great to see what other organizations are doing. Please remember to email any articles to Peggy Keene or mail them to our office at the address at the top of this letter. A picture is worth a thousand words so a picture or two of the events is welcome. 

July 2025 Rosary Intention - For the men and women in our military at home and abroad, and for all the public safety personnel who serve our nation: that they be kept safe and rewarded for their generosity and sacrifice.

Prayer to the Vincentian Family

Lord Jesus, you who willed to become poor, gives us eyes and a heart directed to the poor. Help us to recognize you in them in their thirst, their hunger, their loneliness, their misfortune. Enkindle within our Vincentian Family unity, simplicity, humility, and the fire of love that burned in St. Vincent DePaul. Strengthen us so that faithful to the practice of these virtues, we may contemplate you and serve you in the person of the poor and may one day be united with you and them in your kingdom. Amen.

Mark your Calendars

• August 16, 2025 – Annual Meeting at Sts. Martha & Mary Parish (St. Richard Church, Dickey Road)
• September 11-13, 2025 – National Assembly in Bethesda, Maryland

Miscellaneous Information

• Pittsburgh Website: locpittsburgh.org
• LCUSA Website: aic.ladiesofcharity.us
• Vincentian Family:  http://famvin.org
• FACEBOOK:  Ladies of Charity USA, Association of Ladies of Charity Diocese of Pittsburgh

If you have questions or suggestions, please call and leave a message with the LOC office at 412-456-6924.

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In the Vincentian Spirit,
Karen Tomaszewski, President
Association of the Ladies of Charity, Diocese of Pittsburgh