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The Vincentian Family
Our Mission, Alive in Our Members
Any organization calling itself “Vincentian” must extend Vincent’s dream to its own time and place. All of us are inheritors of St. Vincent’s legacy and vision. The challenge before us, as with every generation, is to choose whether Vincent’s vision will be a piece of history or a living, breathing mission alive in its members.
Common Purpose
The Vincentian Family is made up of religious congregations and lay associations, that were either founded by St. Vincent de Paul or that follow his charism of service to the poor. Common elements found in each group in spite of their diversity and uniqueness:
- All the groups recognize Vincent as their founder or inspiration
- A common mission of evangelizing and serving the poor
- A common lifestyle and a concrete form of service to the poor.
- A common incarnational spirituality, which means that I experience God in an encounter with the poor, and that I serve and love God in the service of the poor.
Major Branches of the Vincentian Family
- The AIC (International Association of Charity or “Ladies of Charity”) was founded to honor Jesus and His Blessed Mother, and to assist the sick poor corporally and spiritually.
- The Congregation of the Mission (Vincentian priests) to evangelize the poor by word and works, and to help in the formation of the clergy.
- The Daughters of Charity, to be servants of the poor, seeing Jesus Christ in the poor and the poor in Christ.
- The Society of St. Vincent de Paul to deepen the faith of its members and to uplift the poor from their miseries.
- The Sisters of Charity Federation to respond to the cries of poor and marginalized persons.
- The JMV (Vincentian Marian Youth) to animate a missionary spirit in young people; to live and pray like Mary, with simplicity and humility, taking on the spirituality of the Magnificat.
- The Miraculous Medal Association to venerate Mary conceived without sin, for the sanctification of its members, and to aid the poor.
- MISEVI (Lay Vincentian Missionaries) to foster, facilitate, and sustain the missionary presence and work of the laity.
We strive to listen attentively to what God is trying to tell us, through the voices of the poor and marginalized, and allow ourselves continually to be evangelized by them.
3 Comments on “Who We Are and What We Do”
Please I would like to know when the Vincentian Family was formed as a body internationally, i.e. the exact date, month and year possibly. Thank you very much!
I don’t have an exact answer but here are some of the important events that led up to the formation of the Vincentian Family:
ROOTS OF THE VINCENTIAN FAMILY HISTORY
1986 The Society of St. Vincent de Paul Annual Meeting Notre Dame, Indiana (1000 participants)
Title: The Vincentian Family: Responding to the Cry of the Poor
Keynotes:
Amin de Tarrazi, International President of SVDP
Richard McCullen, CM, Superior General
John Simmos, United States National President of the SVDP
Bishop Thomas J. Murphy, SVDP National Episcopal Advisor
Facilitators:
Patricia Connolly, DC; John Grindel, CM
Introduction to Family Branches:
Robert Schwane, CM; Jean Juliano, DC; Romilda Berling, LOC; Sheila Gilbert, SVDP.
1995 Meeting of the Leadership of the Vincentian Family held in Paris. Goal: To look for means by which, while preserving the particular identity of each branch, we might cooperate more effectively with each other throughout the world in serving the poor better.
1998 Robert Maloney, CM invited representatives of the Vincentian Family to the General Assembly of the Congregation of the Mission. Representatives: Juana Elizondo, DC; Patricia Nava, AIC; Amin de Tarrazi, SSVP; Theresa Capria, SC-NY.
1998 The international website for the Vincentian Family, famvin.org, was created.
1999 The first US Vincentian Family Leadership Meeting was held
in Los Altos, CA. Attending: 5 CM and 5 DC Provincials, SVDP and LOC Presidents
2000 Robert Maloney, CM officially calls the international Vincentian Family into existence.
Thanks for the brief. It gives an insight to the need for the family. Weldone.
Adam Dabban Nigeria