vmy international bulletin_june2011

8/6/2019 VMY International Bulletin_June2011

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June 2011 - Year 11- #82

INTRODUCTION

« I am the handmaid of the Lord … »

(Luke 1:38)

Dear young men and women and advisors, in

this edition of the Bulletin we reflect on the theme of

service and mission. These words refer to action and

are implied when we speak about the Vincentian

nature of our Association.

In the New Testament, there are many

references to the service and the mission of Jesus

Christ and the Apostles. Jesus is the best example of a

servant (Matthew 20:28). He identifies himself with

his mission and this identification is found also in

Mary, his Virgin Mother when she said: I am the

handmaid of the Lord (Luke 1:38). And you, have you

identified yourself with the Father’s plan for your life?

Do you give witness of your Christian commitment by

you service on behalf of others? Do you identify

yourself with the mission that God has entrusted to

you?

Inspired by the gospel and grounded in

Christian spirituality, Saint Vincent de Paul and the

other saints and beatified of the Vincentian Family

gave witness with their lives of service on behalf of

others and proclaimed the Good News of the

Kingdom. Inspired by the Holy Spirit they knew howto proclaim the fact that this Kingdom was for the

poor (Luke 6:20).

The mission of proclaiming Jesus Christ and

then serving Him in the person of our neighbor …

these are not extraordinary things or something that is

exclusive for certain individuals. Rather these are the

responsibility of all Christians. The tools for doing this

are found in own willingness to embrace these

realities and therefore in our willingness to commit

ourselves to being faithful to our baptismal vocation.

Other tools are prayer and reflection on the Word of

God and such reflection should be based on the desire

to do the will of God. Finally, the areas for our action

are not some far distant places but rather our own

homes, our schools, our place of work and our circle

of friends. Therefore, in word and deed let us

affectively and effectively love our brothers and

sisters who are most poor.

The world needs people who are committed

to the cause of the Kingdom. Now, more than ever

before, may we respond to the call that God extendsto us. Rooted in Christ may we remain firm in our

faith! May we be salt and light in the midst of our

world!

C l e b e

r O l i v e i r a



AFRICA

ANGOLA

The four groups in this country continue

their activities. At the end of December2010, a National Assenbly was held and

new members were elected to coordinate

the Association.

ALGERIA

The Association is collaborating with

CARITAS and Doctors Without Boarders.

The celebration of a Vincentian Week is

being planned for July 10-17, 2011.

CAMEROON

On May 21st, the groups in Douala

gathered for a time of reflection and

friendship. During the day there were

different presentations, time for sharing,

the celebration of the Eucharist,

recreational activity in the naval port.

Father Clement, the Director of the

Association in Cameroon was present for

this gathering.

EQUATORIAL GUINEA

There are active groups in Mickomeseng,Mokom and Bata. Every four months

there is a gathering in one of these

centers during which time the work that

is being done in the center for the elder is

evaluated and planned. Other gatherings

are dedicated to formation and there is a

formation center in Bata. Easter was

spend in the parish churches. In March,

Joviniano and some other companions

visited the International Center of the

VMY when they were in Madrid.

MOZAMBIQUE

The VMY has published a schedule of their

activities for 2011 on their blog. Their

theme: VMY, rooted in Christ, let us plant

seeds of hope. Today is the day!

The Daughters of Charity in this country

have provided some space in their house

for the established of the national

headquarters.

KENYA

During Lent the young people build a house

for a woman who has AIDS. Her husband

has begun the construction of the house

before he died but no one had been able tocomplete the constructions. The members

of the VMY constructed the walls of the

house and today this woman is very happy

living in her own house.

The young people have also planted corn

and other vegetables which they are

cultivating and in this way hope to be ableto help those who are poor. May God bless

them with a good harvest.

NIGERIA

June 16-18 in Port Harcourt there was a

meeting of all the leaders of the distinct

braches of the Vincentian Family.

OCEANIA

FIJI ISLANDS

Sister Anna Wiwiek, DC is working with

children and young people and has

expressed her intention to begin a group of

the VMY. For more information visit:

http://annafiji.wordpress.com

SALOMON ISLANDS There are six groups of the VMY in this

country (5 groups in the capital, Honiara, on

the island of Guadalcanal and one group in

the city of Auki on the island of Malaita) and

these groups meet on a weekly basis. They

visit families, make rosaries and they have

taken responsibility for maining the improving

the grotto of Our Lady in the Seminary of the

Holy Name of Mary. During the month of

May the young men and women organized

gatherings to pray the “living rosary”.

http://annafiji.wordpress.com/





TO SERVE THE POOR IS TO SERVE GOD

Throughout history men and women, through their commitment to their sisters and brothers, have given

us different examples of their love for God. In our Vincentian Family we have seen some wonderful examples of this witness. We have experienced this in the person of our beloved Vincent de Paul who told us that we must act

first and then later teach. For Vincent the process of evangelization was very important but this process had to be

accompanied with concrete actions on behalf of those women and men who were poor.

On many occasions Saint Vincent exhorted the Missionaries and the Daughters of Charity to serve the

poor spiritually and corporally. On one occasion he strongly admonished the Missionaries with the following

words:

Our family is characterized by service and mission and so when we speak of one of these realities we are

implying the other reality. We can say that the mission of the Vincentian Marian Youth consists of the

organization and the formation of ourselves and others so that we might be able to serve the poor.

During our recent General Assembly that was held in Portugal much was said about this question of

mission and service. The final document reveals in a clear manner the intention of the delegates and here we

simply recall some of those points: “ We will form ourselves and work with present strategies in the form of

project so that we might learn how to draw up, carry out and evaluate our plans (Final Document, 3.1) and laterwe read: We will encourage all the young people of the Association to discover and live the richness of the

Vincentian charism by engaging in direct contact with people who are most poor” (Final Document, 3.3). Here

we also refer to the theme of twinning among countries which the International Council is promoting (see Final

Document, 3.2).

We are members of a family that is commited to those persons who are most poor and this commitment

is lived out in the midst of a world that is becoming poorer and poorer with each passing

day and as a result of this reality more is being demanded of us. Have you asked

yourself what is means for you, as a young person, to be a part of this

family? What contribution are you willing to make? What commitment

are you willing to make? Let us move out from our comfort zone and

then, following the example of Saint Vincent de Paul, let us boldly go forthto encounter those women and men who are most in need.

“So then, if there are any among us who think they are in

the Mission to evangelize poor people but not to alleviate their sufferings, to take care of their spiritual needs but not their temporal ones, I reply that we have to help them and

have them assisted in every way, by us and by others … todo that is to preach the Gospel by words and by works”

(CCD:XII:77-78).

I N T E R N A T I O N

A L C O U N C I L O R

A r g e l y s V e g

a

YVM + WYD MADRID 2011

We urgently need your collaboration to send us

the Vincentian Family Questionnaire, before July 15th,

His e-mail: [email protected]. Thanks!



INTERNATIONAL

The Director General confirmed the following appointments: Daniel Malmierca (President, Spain), Fr.

Rafael Antonio Presidente, CM (Advisor, Guatemala), Fr. Jaime Reyes Mendoza, CM (Advisor, Mexico),

Fr. Milton Ryan, CM (Advisor, USA) and Ricardo Sousa Ferreira (President, Portugal).

The Preparatory Commission for the Vincentian Youth Gathering and World Youth Day reminds all the

priests, deacons and religious who will be participating in World Youth Day to submit your Credential

Letters before July 1st

so that you can participate in the liturgical celebrations of World Youth Day.

www.acreditacionsacerdotesjmj.org

Two of our volunteers will conclude their service at the International Secretariat:

Katarina Mazurova (Slovakia) and Aregelys Vega (Panama). We thank them for

the time that they dedicated to this mission. May God accompany them in their

future plans!

VMY ITALY

The VMY in Italy, even though we are in a delicate phase of transition from the Marian Association to the

Vincentian Marian Youth Association, we continue to promote the need to provide for the poor. On the local level

there seems to be a growing awareness of the importance of this missionary service.

In Campania, for example, the prayer group (Salerno), has been engaged in activities on behalf of those

people with disabilities. In Naples, the group has worked with the local parish and helped in the organization of a

Christmas dinner to benefit homeless people and people living alone. The activity in Naples became the spark for

further initiatives of other groups. Members of one of the groups is collaborating with the Vincentian Volunteers

(AIC) and on a weekly basis is involved in the distribution of food and other assistance to families in need. This

project is financed by the Vincentian Volunteers. At the same times some young men and women are providing

after-school assistance to some chidren who are at great risk. At the end of the year, some young people, with the

help of some members of the Vincentian Family, organized a presentation the proceeds of which were used to help a

clinic in Albania.

In Puglia, the group in Palo Alto is involved in an apostolate with the elderly. They are collaborating with the

Daughters of Charity and have estatblished relationships with the elderly men and women so that they can engage in

an exchange of ideas and experiences. The young people in Sicily have organized missions of evangelization in which

they attempt to proclaim the Word of God in their neighborhood. The VMY group in Lentini is continually

collaborating with other groups in the parish, groups that are also inspired by theVincentian charism.

The groups and leaders in Italy are concerned about providing service and

care for our brothers and sisters who are most in need.

www.secretariadojmv.org

N A T I O N A L P R E S I D E N T

i u s e p p e

a i e n z a

http://www.acreditacionsacerdotesjmj.org/



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