Name: Roger Playwin Roger Playwin is the national-executive director of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, an agency that addresses the needs of the underserved throughout the United States. He has been active in numerous roles in both private and religious organizations and agencies. He served as executive director of Catholic Youth Organization in Detroit for several years prior to accepting the call to head St. Vincent de Paul Society. A father and grandfather, Roger and his wife, Susan, make their home in Grosse Point, Michigan. They are also well known for their excellent cooking skills.
- 1. How were you called to your current ministry/service? I believe that the Holy Spirit helped me to respond to an Opportunity to serve others when I accepted the position of Executive Director for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in the Archdiocese of Detroit early in 1998. About five years later, I was asked by the National President of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul to accept the position of National Executive Director, a position I now hold.
- Who inspires you? St. Vincent de Paul, Blessed Fredric Ozanam, St. Augustine, Pope John Paul II, John F. Kennedy, Dr. Paul Framer, Louis Motoligin, Sr. Rosalie Rondeu, Fr. Joe McCormick, Fr. John West, Tip O’Neil, Justice Blair Moody.
- What are the biggest obstacles to peace? A lack of respect for human life and the special gifts that each person is able to contribution. There is also the strategy among humans to pretend that injustice does not exist or that the price for injustice can be put off to a future date without harm or consequences.
- What is the biggest challenge your organization faces? That many people believe that the poor are not deserving of our help because they make bad choices or wasted resources or can’t improve. This makes securing the resources to help, whether financial of human difficult.
- Describe for us a typical day. I commute from Detroit, Mi. to St. Louis, Mo. weekly. Each morning starts with private prayer and a 20-minute drive to my office. Each day involves working with a staff of ten in the National Office, a group of National Volunteer Officers from around the country and about two hundred and fifty other paid and volunteer staff. We have 4700 parish Conferences, 134 Diocesan Councils, 320 District Councils around the USA. Each entity provides service to the poor and needy in a variety of ways based on the principle that “No act of Charity is foreign to the Society.” My office provides guidance to the various entities in the areas of spiritual growth for our members, governance matters because we are tax exempt and not for profit, leadership development assistance, collaboration with other church and community organizations like Catholic Charities-USA, Campaign for Human Development, Catholic Bishops projects, I spend part of my day advocating for policy issues that affect the poor, especially at the federal level, my office also coordinates disaster relief on behalf of the Society to international and domestic areas. My office also publishes resource materials in English and Spanish that help our members and leaders carry out their respective roles effectively. Not much time to being bored.
- How do you get the news? Radio, TV, newspapers, email.
- How do you nurture your faith life? Daily prayer, Eucharist, reflection, conversation with my family and fellow members of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.
- What advice would you give the next generation of church and civic leaders? Be persistent in serving the poor and needy. Do it because Christ will ask you to account for how you accomplished is command to love one another. Love leads to service and service leads to peace.
- Last good book you read? “A People A Drift” The Crisis of the Roman Catholic Church in American by Peter Steinfels. A great book.
- Last good movie you saw? Polar Express
- Share a favorite quote that inspires you “If you always do what you’ve always done then you will always get what you always got. If you want to get what you never got then you have to do what you’ve never done.” unknown.
- If you were a teenage Peacebuilder you would… get an education and build bridges where others are not.
- What is your favorite comfort food? An ice cold Coke a cola.
