Jul 22, 2021
2021-2022 Precious Blood Volunteer, Vincent Tedford
We are excited to announce that Vincent Tedford will be serving as a Precious Blood Volunteer! Vincent will serve at Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation in Chicago, Illinois. He will be serving for the 2021-2022 volunteer year. Vincent is a graduate of Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Physics. Vincent is from Brownfield, Texas.
Why do you want to volunteer?
“I want to volunteer because I want to put my faith into action. I want to love others as I have been loved. Vocationally, volunteering prepares me for, what I hope to be, a lifetime of service to the world around me.”
Why do you want to volunteer with Precious Blood Volunteers?
“I want to volunteer with Precious Blood Volunteers because I like the people and the mission. From meeting all those who interviewed me, I got the sense one of my biggest dreams would be fulfilled, to be part of a family-like workplace. I want to support the mission of Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation as I walk with those who suffer, especially from injustice. While I hope to use my educational background for furthering mankind’s understanding of the universe, I think it equally important to support the educational needs of those in marginalized or underserved communities. I want a stake in a future where true justice, reconciliation, and love are more important, and in fact fundamental to, the advancement of humanity.”
What are you looking forward to about your volunteer experience?
“I am looking forward to being a compassionate teacher/mentor who plays a role in the education and progress of the individuals I serve. I look forward to building relationships with people who are different than I am and what we can learn from each other. Most of all, I look forward to living more like Christ and his apostles by simply focusing on the people around me, how I can be of service to them, and growing spiritually to be a vessel of God’s love.”
Learn more about Precious Blood Volunteers at preciousbloodvolunteers.org.
Jul 20, 2021
2021-2022 Precious Blood Volunteer, Aaron Wise
We are thrilled to announce that Aaron Wise will be serving as a Precious Blood Volunteer for the 2021-2022 volunteer year. Aaron will serve at KC CARE Health Center in Kansas City, Missouri. He will live in community at Jerusalem Farm in Kansas City. He grew up in Huron, Ohio and attended Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Aaron graduated in 2021 with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry, a Bachelor of Science in Spanish, and minors in Chemistry and Biology.
Why do you want to volunteer?
“Over the past 16 years, much of my focus has been in developing the intellect God has given me in an academic setting. While study, in its own way, can give glorify to God, it can also feel isolating and self-serving. I’ve been yearning to honor God in a more direct and simple way, and I feel called to service. Through this service, I aim to help and learn from those who are marginalized, with the hope that after this year, I may be better able to serve and advocate for those who suffer as a future physician.”
Why do you want to volunteer with Precious Blood Volunteers?
“I was drawn to volunteer with the Precious Blood volunteers because of their commitment to faith, community, service, and reconciliation. I think there is something very powerful in a community of people living simply, authentically, and intentionally for Christ. I’m really excited grow closer to God with these people!”
What are you looking forward to about your volunteer experience?
“I’m looking forward to learning and growing in community with other volunteers and those we serve, and encountering Jesus incarnated in those who are in need!”
Learn more about Precious Blood Volunteers at preciousbloodvolunteers.org.
Jul 19, 2021
We are excited to introduce the three new Precious Blood Volunteers! Over the next few days you’ll get to meet Aaron, Raechel, and Vincent at preciousbloodvolunteers.org.
2021-2022 Precious Blood Volunteer, Raechel Kiesel
2021-2022 Precious Blood Volunteer, Vincent Tedford
Raechel Kiesel and Vincent Tedford will be serving at Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation in Chicago, Illinois. Raechel continues a tradition of University of Notre Dame alumni who have served with us. She comes from Indiana. Vincent graduated from Texas A&M University. He is the first graduate of Texas A&M to serve as a Precious Blood Volunteer, and our third volunteer from Texas.
2021-2022 Precious Blood Volunteer, Aaron Wise
Aaron Wise will be serving at KC CARE Health Center in Kansas City, Missouri. Aaron is our first volunteer from Case Western Reserve University. He continues in a long line of volunteers from the great state of Ohio.
Three volunteers from our previous batch lived in intentional Catholic communities in Chicago and Kansas City. This worked out well providing them places to share common life with people their own age. We are continuing with this for the 2021-2022 volunteer year. Raechel and Vincent will be living at Hope House, which is part of Port Ministries, in the Back of the Yards neighborhood in Chicago. Aaron will be living in community at Jerusalem Farm in Kansas City, deepening the long-term relationship the Kansas City Province has had with Jerusalem Farm.
They will begin their service next week during Orientation. Orientation begins on Monday, July 26 at Precious Blood Renewal Center in Liberty, Missouri. Please keep our new volunteers in your prayers.
To learn more about how you can grow in your faith by walking with others go to preciousbloodvolunteers.org.
Apr 21, 2021
2020-2021 Volunteer, Mike Price
By Mike Price, Precious Blood Volunteer
On April 20, 2021, many people have been holding their breath for nearly a year since the murder of George Perry Floyd Jr. in Minneapolis, Minnesota on May 20, 2020. After today’s verdict, many people were able to exhale or even breathe for the first time.
Soon after I heard the verdict, I said this little prayer to myself: “We give thanks to the Lord for hearing the cry of your people for justice. We pray that racial & social justice continues to be in the hearts of all of your people as we work towards healing our broken world together. #BLM #EveryLifeMatters #HumanDignity #SocialJustice #RacialJustice.”
I believe that the Lord heard the cry of His people over the last year even though many more black women, men, and children have been murdered by those who are supposed to serve and protect all lives. The phrase “cry of the people” is familiar to many of us. We hear this in various forms all throughout the Bible; the cry of the poor (Proverbs 21:13, Job 34:28); He does not forget the cry of the afflicted (Psalm 9:12); and so on. Many people of color expected the verdict to be in favor of former Officer Derek Chauvin. I believe the Lord heard the cry of His people and touched the hearts of the jurors and the nation, which could be a catalyst for further movement in the right direction for racial and social justice. People of color have been plagued by injustice far too long, which has been very evident in the United States through various forms of media. People of color have been crying out to only have a breath that allows them to have a voice that speaks to the truth of injustice in the United States.
After former Officer Derek Chauvin was escorted out of the courtroom in handcuffs, the following statement made by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said, “I would not call today’s verdict justice, however, because justice implies true restoration. But it is accountability, which is the first step towards justice, and now the cause of justice is in your hands.”
That powerful statement that helped me to better understand the difference between justice and accountability. I have to admit, I have a bachelor’s degree in Catholic theology, and sadly up to this point in my life, I am not sure if I truly understood what justice meant until Attorney General Ellison used it in this context. No matter how many degrees one holds, one still must have real-world encounters and applications that can make the content applicable for true integration for oneself.
Former President Barack Obama said, “true justice requires that we come to terms with the fact that Black Americans are treated differently, every day. It requires us to recognize that millions of our friends, family, and fellow citizens live in fear.” For the lives of those who have been murdered, this is a call to action. It is a call for all who believe, pray, and talk about social and racial justice to stand with our sisters and brothers of color. Obviously, this verdict doesn’t resolve or fix everything. This is where “the cause of justice is in your hands.”
As I watched the news coverage, a national reporter approached a white bystander and inquired why was he at the courthouse? He quickly responded that he had to do something, so he Googled what to do and showing up was one step he could do to show support to a hurting people of color community. He heard the cry of the people of color in his community; he recognized that people of color are treated differently. This was huge for someone who Googled, “how to help,” only to wind up on national news to acknowledge the cries and the injustices which are imposed on people of color.
I encourage you to engage your friends of color no matter how uncomfortable it may be to listen to their experiences and encounters. As a person of color in his thirties, I have only recently started reflecting and sharing my experiences with a few people in my life, which include my white adoptive parents. Most of my friends are white, of which a very small handful have welcomed some dialogue but still do not understand or allow the dialogue to go beyond a certain point. It is time to create an environment in the Church which allows such dialogue to happen.
There is a lot of work to be done. It is time to put those petitions of prayers for social and racial justice into action. There is a lot of work to be done and we need all our communities to stand with people of color. That’s a fact.
What is your next step?
Mike is serving as a Precious Blood Volunteer at Most Holy Redeemer Church and Immaculate Conception Academy in San Francisco, California. Go to preciousbloodvolunteers.org to learn more about Precious Blood Volunteers.
