By Robert R. Schwarz
This interview was posted originally
On Jan. 14, 2011. Portions of it
have been updated .
At her kitchen table, Marybeth muffled a sob when she read a simple note that had been left for her at the parish office by a client. Scribbled on the back of an envelope was: “Thank you for helping us when no one else would.”
In the early l9th Century, a Frenchman's prophetic vision about charity quickly resounded throughout the world, eventually inflaming the hearts of 900, 000 people. Among them today are Marybeth and Mike Schoenwald who spearhead the Society of St. Vincent de Paul of the St. James Catholic parish in Arlington Heights, Illinois.
This husband and wife team provide leadership for 50 volunteers who, since 2005, have been motivated by words of that French visionary, Frederic Ozanam: "Order in society is founded on two virtues, justice and charity. But justice already presupposes a lot of love, for one must love a person a lot if one is to respect his rights which border one's own rights, and his freedom which limits one's own freedom. “ Ozanam wished for "charity to do what justice cannot do on its own.” Beatified on Aug. 23, l997, by Pope John Paul II, Ozanam poignantly expressed the ideal of the Society's founding patron, St. Vincent de Paul, when he said: “There are many people who have too much, and who want still more. There are very many more who do not have sufficient, who have nothing and who want to take if people won't give".
Changing Lives
Responding to the needs of nearly 100 families each year, Marybeth and Mike have been changing lives of single mothers and other people—some St. James members, some not—troubled with unpaid bills, divorce, addictions, and inability to pay for medical treatment. Members of their team have also been knocking on front doors with a bag of groceries in hand.
As the Schoenwalds and their volunteers move single moms out of sleazy motels and into apartments (which the Society sometimes furnishes), they take joy in knowing that what they do "unto the least of them [Matthew 25:40], " they do for Jesus Christ. One husband whom Marybeth and Mike help reunite with his family told them: “We know that with your prayers and blessings, we will succeed and be able to give back to society one day everything that has been given to us in our time of need.”
No money is ever loaned to clients; a typical aid amount is from $400 to $800. Last year ( 2011 the Society’s $36, 000 in aid money almost tripled that spent in 2005, its first operational year. The current ill economy in America has increased cash needs of the Society's clients; for the first time, more clients need help with mortgages rather than rent payments. Most of the aid money comes from small donations and the parish itself. In turn, the Society donates regularly to their partners, the Dominican Republic Conference and the St. Clare/St. Rita Conference in Chicago.
Married 33 years, Mike and Marybeth demonstrate what St. Vincent de Paul proclaimed soon after he and six Paris university students established the Society in 1833: that faith and work should harmonize in service to neighbor.
The Schoenwalds have faith in an annual garage sale. Helping the Society is their garage sale. "This year (2014) marks our 10th year of holding the Truly Priceless Garage Sale at our house ," Marybeth said proudly. " Goods, which are not priced, are offered in exchange for donations to any of five charities: Catholic Charities, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, the Women’s Center, the Pro-Life Action League, and the Center of Hope and Healing. To date we have raised almost $17,000 in the process of providing good to those who could use them. "
Married 33 years, Mike and Marybeth demonstrate what St. Vincent de Paul proclaimed soon after he and six Paris university students established the Society in 1833: that faith and work should harmonize in service to neighbor.
The Schoenwalds have faith in an annual garage sale. Helping the Society is their garage sale. "This year (2014) marks our 10th year of holding the Truly Priceless Garage Sale at our house ," Marybeth said proudly. " Goods, which are not priced, are offered in exchange for donations to any of five charities: Catholic Charities, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, the Women’s Center, the Pro-Life Action League, and the Center of Hope and Healing. To date we have raised almost $17,000 in the process of providing good to those who could use them. "
Rosary and Bible Study Groups
The Schoenwalds are equally proud of their twice monthly Bible study, "Mother Mary, May I Take Three Giant Steps: Bible, Prayer, & Catechism , " which takes place in their modest home a few blocks from St. James. " We begin with the rosary," explained Marybeth, " followed by a video of a Catholic bible study. Then we pray the Divine Mercy chaplet, and end with a video explaining a portion of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. We are on our 2nd study of the Catechism; we studied the Catholicism series; and we have studied The Great Adventure Bible Study, Matthew, the Acts of the Apostles, Revelation, and we are about to begin the Letter of James. It is a small, but consistent group, and others are always welcome. The other great thing is that these sessions are held in our family room which is dedicated to Our Blessed Mother, with almost 100 images of her under different titles – this collection was begun by my mother, and we add to it whenever we have the opportunity. "
Then there is their Rosary network started in 2005 which, said Marybeth, " has grown to over 200 members/families, who pray
for each other’s intentions. We
consolidate the intentions and mail them back to our members. We all pray the rosary on the 13th
of the month for these intentions, each in our own homes, or wherever we happen
to be. Also, once each month, we host an
evening of prayer in our home for our priests during which we pray the
rosary. Our house is easily recognizable
as a house that prays – as we have a ten- foot, lit up rosary on the front ...We still do the 3 a.m. to 7 a.m. shift of PADS once a month,
as we have since the opening night – over 20 years ago. "
 |
| The Schoenwalds ( standing) with people of Human Life International, which helped bring Our Lady of Czestochowa to St. James |
Brought to St. James this
year by the Schoenwalds was the miraculous, iconic image of Our Lady of Czestochowa ;
the effort was part of an international pilgrimage for life and family
sponsored by Human Life International. "
This was especially important to us because it was an opportunity to bring Our
Blessed Mother here to renew devotion to her, to pray and learn about the
importance of respect for life from conception to natural death, and to bring
more people to church through evangelization, " Marybeth said. "What was most special," she added , "was that many people
came to all-night Eucharistic Adoration at St. James in the presence of this
icon. We also brought the icon to the
Carmelite monastery for a rosary with the sisters, who are always praying for
us, and to pray the rosary at two abortion clinics on River Road in Des Plaines
. One of them is still doing abortions. "
The tonnage of paperwork which keeps the couple busy full-time is done on the Schoenwald’s kitchen table. While organizing notebook after notebook one afternoon, Mike shook his head and said: “All this required record-keeping was beyond what we expected.” He and his wife share at least one item on their "wish" list: more free time just to talk about things like friends and family. They have two recreations: One is Marybeth's organic garden of fruits and vegetables which, she said, "we're still eating in January." Their other fun time, Mike said, "is finding a good restaurant with a good chef.”
At the table, Mike started to tell about the early years of his marriage to Marybeth, those days when they had little money. Then, pausing to exchange a glance with his wife, he reflected: “I’ve walked those miles in other people's shoes and know that there, but for the grace of God. go I." And then Marybeth handed him another notebook.
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