General Curia. May Activities of the Superior General

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1 May 2014 Image of Saint Vincent and Saint Louise Cologne Germany General Curia Activities of the Superior General During the month of May, Father Gregory Gay, CM, concluded the visitation of the Eastern Province of the United States and was able to rest for a day in a beach house that is the property of the Province. When he returned to Rome he began two intensive days of meetings with the General Council. He then traveled to Paris to meet with the Missionaries from various provinces who were participating in a workshop on missiology that was sponsored by the CIF. Later, in the house located on the Rue du Bac, he visited a group of Daughters of Charity (all of whom were 40 years or more in vocation and representing each of the continents), who were participating in a continuing formation workshop. Father celebrated the Eucharist for them and then dialogued with them during which time he offered some suggestions that could help them in their service on behalf of the poor who are found in every one of their provinces. After this activity in Paris, Father then traveled to Germany where he was received by the confreres from the city of Lippstadt. There he met with the members of the Provincial Council and engaged in personal dialogue with the Missionaries. Two young confreres (from the Philippine Province and from the Indonesian Province) are studying German and Father Gregory had the opportunity to meet with them. At the same time Father was able to visit with the fourteen confreres from Northern and Southern India who are working in various dioceses in Germany. Father Gregory visited them in the places where they are living and because of the special services that these confreres are providing they are living in either houses or separate apartments. After speaking with them individually Father met with the whole group and the Missionaries were able to express their concerns. They spoke about sharing their Vincentian vocation in the midst of the specific context of the German Province, under conditions that are not the same as those of their place of origin. Father Gregory felt that the confreres are living very simple lives and are committed to ministry in that province. Father spent a weekend in the Province of Austria, visiting the Missionaries there. In Vienna he participated in various activities. On Monday, May 26 th, Father was able to participate in the General Assembly of the Brothers of Our Lady of Mercy, members of the Vincentian Family who have Saint Vincent de Paul as their patron. Upon his return to Rome, Father Gregory participated in the 83 rd Assembly of the Union of Superiors General, May During that meeting the group reflected on the dialogue that they had had with Pope Francis during their previous Assembly and also spoke about their contribution to Synod of Bishops which will deal with the theme of the family.

2 AD LIMINA VISIT OF THE ETHIOPIAN BISHOPS M. Varghese Thottamkara C.M. The bishops of Ethiopia including three Vincentians: (Archbishop Berhaneyesus D. Souraphiel C.M. of Addis Ababa, Bishop Markos Gebremedhin C.M. of Jimma-Bonga and Bishop Varghese Thottamkara C.M. of Nekemte) were in Rome on their ad limina visit to the Holy Father. It was meant to show respect to the successor of St. Peter and to inform him of the situations of the Church in each ecclesiastical jurisdiction. The Ad limina visit is also a pilgrimage to Rome to pray at the tombs of the great Apostles, Peter and Paul. It is a joyful occasion which strengthens the bonds and the sense communion with the successor of Peter. The visit was organized from May 7 to 10, They met with the Pope individually on May 9 th and had a common sharing and discussion with the Pope on the situation, challenges and the status of the Church in Ethiopia. The Pope listened to them patiently, with keen interest and encouraged them to continue the works of evangelization modeling their activity on that of the Good Shepherd. On the 10 th of May the bishops concelebrated the Holy Eucharist with the Pope at Santa Martha. The bishops also visited the offices of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, the Secretary of the State, the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, the Sengatura Apostolica, the Pontifical Council Promoting Christian Unity and others. Two of the confrere bishops stayed in the curia for some days. Archbishop Berhaneyesus D. Souraphiel who stayed at the Ethiopian College in Vatican City, paid a friendly visit to the confreres in the Curia and had lunch with the community. They are very grateful to the Superior General and the Curia community for the warm welcome and hospitality accorded to them. Youth Convention of the Vincentian Family in Ecuador Fr. Christian Cataño C.M. Two hundred forty representatives from the different branches of the Vincentian Family in Ecuador gathered together on May 16, 17, and 18 in order to celebrate the First Youth Convention of the Vincentian Family in this country. There were various presentations, workshops, hymns, prayers celebrations, etc. This was a convention where people were able to come together and reflect upon and share their experiences. There is no doubt about the valuable contributions of the participants and the smiles of the young men and women were contagious. 2

3 240 young men and women! That is not just a number but is a visible sign that the young men and women are serious about their commitment to follow Jesus Christ (and to follow Jesus according to the model that Saint Vincent and Saint Louise place before them). The enthusiasm and joy and vitality of these young men and women also provide much encouragement to the respective branches of the Vincentian Family in which they are members. At the same time the fact that so many persons participated in this First Convention is also a sign that these young men and women want to give a Christian and Vincentian meaning to their life. This experience has enabled us to recognize the joy and the hope that Christ, always young and renewed, continues to bestow upon the youth of our communities. May the young men and women of our communities continue to hear the Lord calling them and may these young people respond to that call with enthusiasm and generosity. CONFERENCE OF VISITOR FROM EUROPE AND THE MIDDLE EAST CEVIM 3 Taken from From May 4-12, the Visitors from Europe and the Middle East met in Jerusalem to discuss themes related to their pastoral ministry among immigrants and the promotion of vocations. The Visitors were also able engaged in a pilgrimage to some of the holy places in this region. Other matters were also discused: the presentation at the 2016 General Assembly which will take place in Chicago, proposals concerning All Hallows, the French School of Sprituality, the meeting of the young Missionaries in Krakow, the present situation in the Ukraine, reconfiguration, and present agreements with other Provinces. From Jerusalem to Galilea: Some of the holy places that were visited included Tabgha by the side of Lake Tiberias; the Jordan, where Jesus was baptized, the ruins of the ancient city of Bet Shean, the Lake of Galilea, Capharnaum, the Church of the multiplication of loaves and fish and the celebration of the Eucharist in the Church of the Primate. The group also celebrated the Eucharist in the Basilica of the Nativity (Bethlehem), visited the grotto of Saint Jerome, the Field of the Shepherds, Mount Sion, the Cennacle. During the pilgrimage the group was accompanied by an expert in this area of the Holy Land, Father Estéfano SJ who is responsible, on the international level, for the formation of the Jesuits who pass through the Holy Land. The next meeting of the Visitors will take place in the Province of Barcelona during the Easter Season.

4 100 YEARS OF VINCENTIAN PRESENCE IN PANAMA Fr. Juventino Castillero, C.M. In January 1910 Father McHale, the Visitor of the Philadelphia Province (today the Eastern Province of the United States) asked Father Thomas McDonald to investigate the possibility of establishing a permanent mission in Panama. From Father Thomas McDonald, McHale and two other confreres preached popular missions in Panama during the dry season. In 1914 the Visitor of the Philadelphia Province and the Bishop of Panama reached an agreement to formally establish a mission in the Canal Zone in order to serve the English-speaking community. In 1917 this mission was extended to Bocas del Toro in order to minister to the members of the African-Caribbean community. In 1948 the Bishop of Panama asked the Congregation to begin ministry in the Province of Chiriqui. In 1976 Father Charles Schuster initiated ministery in the indigenous area of Chiriqui, now part of the Ngobe Buglé Comarca. From the beginning the Missionaries have engaged in sacramental ministry, popular missions, lay formation, the formation of Missionaries and many other ministries that have had a social and pastoral implact on the country. In 2013 the mission of the Congregation of the Mission in Panama became a Region and its first Regional Visitor was appointed, Father Alcibiades Guerra. During this past month the community celebrated the 25th anniversay of the death of Father Nicolás Van Kleff who was assassinated on May 7th,

5 THE FIFTH PILGRIMAGE OF THE VINCENTIAN FAMILY TO SNIATYN, UKRAINE VICE-PROVINCE OF SAINTS CYRIL AND METHODIUS The fifth pilgrimage of the Vincentian Family to Sniatyn, to the tomb of Blessed Sister Martha Wieka, a Daughter of Charity, took place on May More than five hundred pilgrims from different areas of the Ukraine participated in this pilgrimage. On Saturday, after everyone was registered, the Eucharist was celebrated by Bishop Radoslav Zmitrovych, OMI. In his homily he stated that we ought to place Jesus Christ at the center of our daily life because it is only in this manner that we will experience peace and serenity in our heart. After the Eucharist the pilgrims divided into groups in order to reflect on the biblical passage of Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God. After this group work there was a concert that was led by the musical group Santo [Holy]. This musical group also participated in the Eucharist and in other activities during the pilgrimage. After dinner there was a twilight procession from the parish church to the cemetery where the body of Blessed Martha Wiecka, DC is buried. There the pilgrims participated in a prayer vigil. On the second day of the pilgrimage the people gathered together in the parish church for morning prayer and adoration. After adoration there was a beautiful ceremony during which the relics of Blessed Sister Martha were venerated. At that time the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul of the Oriental Rite sang the Akáthistos in honor of Blessed Martha. During the celebration of the Eucharist Bishop Vitaliy Skomarovskyi pointed out that Christ knows and protects his sheep, he listens to them and they follow him. He also asked: how do we listen to Jesus who is our shepherd? He concluded his homily by pointing out that all the virtues, but especially love and peace and courage, are poured forth upon the faithful from the heart of Jesus. The pilgrimage concluded with lunch and throughout the time of the pilgrimage there was a magnificent family FORTALEZA PROVINCE Demonstrations on behalf of the struggle for peace (Pará, Brazil) Fr. Evaldo Carvalho, CM (Visitor) The demonstration on behalf of the struggle for peace was organized by the Parish of São Raimundo Nonato in the Province of Fortaleza, in the city of Belém, Pará, Brazil and took place on May 10th. The high level of violence in the capital motivated a great number of people to come out of there houses, everyone clothed in white and carrying banners or posters to participate in this peace demonstration. Under the coordination of the Vincentian Missionaries of the Fortaleza Province this event began at 8:00am with the celebration of the Mass for Peace in a plaza in the neighborhood of Umarizal. A large multitude of people walked through the streets and during this demonstration human traficking was denounced and people were able to express their displeasure with the lack of security 5

6 The Sending forth of Father Bonifácio to Mozambique During the celebration of the Eucharist on May 19th, Father João Bonifácio dos Santos, from the Fortaleza Province, was formally sent forth to minister in the missions of Mozambique. Father Bonifácio is a Missionary in the Congregation who is willing to cooperate in the evangelization plan that has been developed by the Vice- Province of Mozambique, specifically in the plan that has been developed with regard to the development of leaders for the different ecclesial communities. Indeed the development such leaders will empower those men and women and will also provide the church and society with mature Christian men and women. Priesthood ordination: Antônio José machado de Silva On May 31st, 2014, the Feast of the Visitation of the Mary, in the parish of Saint Joseph in the city of Tucurui (Diocese of Cametá), the deacop, Antônio José Machado da Silva was ordained a priest by Bishop Teodoro Mendes Tavares, the Auxiliary Bishop in the Archdiocese of Belém, Pará. As one might imagine, the church was filled with the faithful from the local community and other people came from Belém and Novo Repartimiento. Many confreres and diocesan priests participated in this celebration. The rite of ordination always fills people with great emotion, especially at the time of the anointing of the hands. The custom of tying the hands that are anoined so that they can then be untied by the parents... this custom touched all those who were present... the flahses from countless cameras was an attempt to immortalize that moment. PROMOTION CENTER: REBORN FOR HOPE 6 VICE-PROVINCE OF MOZAMBIQUE CPRPE is a charitable institution that was estalished in 2004 by the Missionaries of the Congregation of the Mission. The individual responsible for this project is Brother Lieinio Miguelo, a Portugues confreres who has ministered for some years in Mozambique. The primary objective of this institution is education/formation and the promotion of the human person so that men and women might have a better future.

7 About one hundred eighty persons (children, young men and women and adults), who are in high-risk situations, come to the center every day. They participate in some of the various technical formational programs: carpentry, sewing/tailors, locksmiths, and computers. There is also an afterschool program that is composed of various sporting activities and at the same time the students are provided with further tutoring. This program allows for closer contact with the families of this area which in turn provides further opportunity to spread the good news about the ministry of this center. CONGREGATION OF THE BROTHERS OF OUR LADY OF MERCY 7 The Congregation of the Brothers of Our Lady of Mercy was founded in Tilburg, Holland in 1844 by the Dutch Bishop, Joannes Zwijsen who was moved by the increase of poverty in that city, poverty that was caused by rapid industrial growth. This poverty spread to the countryside. Children had almost no access to school and almost no medical resources were available for those who were infirm, elderly, or incapicated in any manner. Bishop Zwijsen gather together some Catholic men and women to better the living conditions of the inhabitants of the city. This initiative proved to be very successful as seen by the rapid growth of the Brothers and Sisters of this Congregation. In 1850 there were about one thousand Sisters and more than one hundred Brothers who participated in the various social works of the Church, works that had been established to provide for those persons who were poor (works of charity and works of mercy). Later this group was called the Congregation of Mercy and finally, the Brothers and Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy. The people began to call them the Brothers and Sisters of Tilburg Oude Dijk, the name of the city and the street on which they lived. They lived together in community and were engaged in the ministry of education/formation, health care and other pastoral activities of the Church. The mission was a central aspect of their vocation and the life of the Brothers was modeled on that which had been established by Saint Vincent de Paul. Their founder, Bishop Joannes Zwijsen, was inspired by the manner in which Saint Vincent de Paul, together with many members of the laity, struggled against poverty in the seventeenth century.

8 THE SAINT VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY IN MONGOLIA Only recently has the Saint Vincent de Paul Society been established in Mongolia. In 2005 it was establiished in Oulan-Bator by a group of lay Catholics who came there from neighboring Korea. According to Mr. In-Chul, President of the Diocesan Council of Suwom of the Saint Vincentde Paul Society, Helena Kwon, a Korean resident in Mongolia and some members of the Saint Vincent de Paul Scoeity in Korea (among whom were Mr. Anthony and Ms. Maria) met together in order to create the first Conference. Since that time, Mr. Anthony, a professor at the National University of Mongolia and Ms. Helena Kowon have translatedthe prayers and the manual of the Society from Korean into the language of the people in Mangolia. Numerous people from Korea have offered counsel and helped the group organize local meetings and their ministry of home visitation. In April, 2011, when her term of office came to an end, Helena Kwon encouraged the people to elect a new president. On that occasion a new leadership team, all from Mongolia, were elected and those members from Korea who had held leadership position, then became associates in the Society. At the present time there are eleven (11) members in the society, all from Mongolia. The members meet together each Friday. The primary activities of this group include: Providing meals for a group of students: they are given enough food to eat for a week and it should be noted that most of the students come from poor families. Every day after school these students come to the center of the Society day and there the volunteers help them with their studies. Food service at a dump/landfill: even though Mongolia is a developed country many people have no housing and are living in the midst of a public dump/landfill. Every Saturday the members of the Society offer food to these people. At the same time they are able to pray together with the people there and enter into dialogue with them. Home visits: the volunteers visit poor families once or twice a month and the majority of these families are single-parent households. The volunteers offer food to these families and pray together with them. Prison visits: once a month the volunteers visit the local prison. English and Korean classes: every Saturday these classes are offered Transportation to school: many children are unable to go to school because the cost of transportation is very high, the Society provides money to these children each week so that they 8

9 NOMINATIONES / CONFIRMATIONES JAŠŠO Jaroslav 13/05/2014 Visitor Slovakia VÁSQUEZ MARÍN Diego Luis 30/05/2014 Director DC Cali WITZEL Georg 30/05/2014 VAN BROEKHOVEN Jan 30/05/2014 Director DC Cologne- Netherlands Vice-Director DC Cologne- Netherlands EPISCOPAL APPOINTMENT BARBOSA DOS SANTOS Fernando Episcopal ordination Fortaleza, August 28 Bishop, Prelature of Tefé (Amazon, Brazil) For 14/05/2014 PRIESTLY ORDINATIONS KALOKI Nicholas Sac Occ 24/05/2014 NAMANDA Joseph Sac Occ 24/05/2014 MACHADO, Antonio José da Silva Sac Fort 31/ 05/2014 CIAPPA Giuseppe Sac Nea 31/05/2014 NECROLOGIUM Nomen Cond. Dies ob. Prov. Aet. Voc. BOYERO VICENTE Marcelino Sac 01/05/2014 Mat DOMOND Osner Sac 04/05/2014 Por CARCELLAR LAGROSA Sac 13/05/2014 Phi ROSAS ROA Cesar Flaminio Sac 15/05/2014 Col KUKUH DONO BUDOMO Petrus 9 Sac 16/05/2014 Ids 51 20