Dear Fellow Vincentians:

• Retreat: The annual St. Vincent de Paul retreat was held at Marygrove Retreat Center on August 22-24, 2008.  Many members of our Vincentian family from across the Diocese gathered together for rest and renewal.  Renee Deroche, Spiritual Advisor for the SVdP Diocesan Council of Marquette, presented a very enlightening and enjoyable retreat.
• Mini-convention: The Diocesan Council of Marquette (DCM) is offering a mini-convention for our members at St. Peter Cathedral in Marquette on Saturday, October 4th in conjunction with our Corporate Communion on Sunday, October 5th.  Bishop Alexander K. Sample will preside at the 10 a.m. (EDT) mass at the Cathedral.  Call the DCM office for more details 800-430-2311.
• New Members: We need new members and store volunteers to help our dedicated "senior" members.  Please offer (and invite others) to give a little of your time and talents.
• New Conference: We welcome a newly organized Conference at St. Anne Catholic Church in Chassell.  They are part of the Copper Country District.  Thank you to Father Larry Van Damme, Sister Ellen Enright and Deacon Tom Corrigan for their support.
• Thrift Stores: The Vincentians in Our Lady of Peace Conference in Ironwood are opening a new thrift store in September. 
• Sadly, the SVdP Thrift Store in Sault Ste. Marie will be closing on September 30, 2008 due to financial difficulties.  We thank all of the dedicated Vincentians, staff, volunteers and community members for their hard work and support over the past nine years. 

Yours in Christ,

Roger Pepin

Diocesan Council President