Michael Acaldo

During my 34 years of being a Vincentian in the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, I have met so many good people and had the opportunity to witness ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

We are all called to be more like Christ, and that is such a daunting task for all of us. Christ is perfect, and we all fall so short of His example of love and compassion. That is what I struggle with, and why His Church and my Vincentian family is so important to me.

Vincentians that are growing spiritually and putting that growth into action are truly everyday saints.

When you hear the word, “saints,” you may have a mental image of someone in heaven.

But to me, every time our Vincentian family prevents homelessness by making a home visit, responds to a disaster, provides a hot meal, or provides help with a critically needed prescription, I know there is an everyday saint behind it somewhere.

For almost three and a half decades, I have been surrounded by people that have put their faith into action by sharing Christ’s love to the most vulnerable. This has shaped me in a remarkable way.

These everyday saints share their time, talent, and treasure with our neighbors in need. They stand up during and respond to those in need because they see the face of Christ in all those they are blessed to serve. They make sacrifices, giving of themselves to make the world a better place.

In the world today, everyday saints are critical. They are on the front lines in our daily battle against poverty and suffering.

I often think about the statement, “Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future.” None of us are perfect, but we can all be everyday saints to people who may have made mistakes, been a victim of a disaster or other circumstance beyond their control and need our help in putting their lives back together.

Every member of the St. Vincent de Paul family is bringing the bright light of Christ to someone who desperately needs a helping hand-up of compassion and hope. As the new National CEO for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, I feel so blessed to be a part of such a great Catholic family!