Highlights of the address:

• “Giving in Faith and Love” [theme of the Assembly]  goes to the heart of what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ and a bearer of the Vincentian charism. Jesus’ life was one of complete ‘giving in faith and love.’
• Focus on two crucial issues for women today
  • feminization of poverty : “in the USA, it is a fact that women are often underpaid, limited in their access to education and advancement, and face greater obstacles as single parents and sole providers for their families. Indeed, the feminization of poverty has occurred alongside another misery which includes both women and men; namely, that of the working poor.”
  • human trafficking: “…originally believed to occurring largely in developing nations, we now know how prevalent it is throughout the world. It has destroyed the lives of so many young women and girls… It is also a reality on our own shores, with estimates of nearly 18,000 people who are trafficked yearly to the USA. Among these people are the most vulnerable, including minors and the undocumented”
• “To be ready to serve as Jesus and our founders did, I suggest a three-fold way I call the “Vincentian Family Triple A”:
  •  accompaniment – “Rooted in Christ, Vincent and Louise are our models of Christian accompaniment. Their conversions occurred by allowing themselves to be led by the Spirit of Jesus into accompanying the poor.”
  •  action – “Vincent de Paul said that «the aid contributed should be organized in a way that beneficiaries are gradually freed from their dependence on others and become self-sufficient.»”
  • advocacy – “As advocates for the poor, you realize that behind every statistic, there is a person. Every underpaid or unemployed worker is a human being with the same economic needs as you or I”.
• “A contemporary way to understand and incorporate the “Vincentian Triple A” into your life and activity as Ladies of Charity is by a methodology called “Systemic Change”. It has become an important tool for reflection and action within the Vincentian Family.”

Read the full text (to download click on the “slideshare” button):

Monsignor Raymond East of the Archdiocese of Washington was another  speaker and his speech on “St. Vincent de Paul and the New Evangelization,” uniting Vincentian charism with Pope Benedict’s enthusiasm for 21st century methods of spreading the gospel very much concretized and developed the presentation by Superior General.

Sister Carol Keehan, DC, President of CHA was speaking another day, Saturday on  “St. Vincent de Paul and the Care of the Sick: What Would He Do Today?” Her presentation is available in another post here.

St Louis is the birthplace of the Vincentian Family in North America. Fr. Felix de Andreis CM and Fr. Joseph Rosati CM were the first priests from the Congregation of the Mission who arrived to American soil in 1816 invited by bishop Dubourg. In 1818 they settled in Perryville, Misouri. In 1826 Rev. Joseph Rosati, CM was named the first Bishop of St. Louis (1826-1843). The Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph (Daughters of Charity since 1851) from Emmitsburg, Maryland arrived in 1828 to staff DePaul (Mullanphy) Hospital; a few years before the cholera outbreak in 1832. Both the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (1845) and the Ladies of Charity (1857) began their United States foundations in St. Louis. In 1859 Guardian Angel began and in 1907, St. Vincent’s School in Perryville where National Shrine of Miraculous Medal is located, too.

Today there are nearly 3,000 members of the Vincentian Family in the region. Most numerous are 2,600 members of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in 143 conferences in St. Louis. The Society and the Daughters of Charity minister in East St. Louis and Belleville. Vincentian priests, Ladies of Charity, Society of St. Vincent de Paul and Vincentian youth minister in Perryville, St. Vincent’s Parish in St. Louis and St. Catherine Laboure Parish in St. Louis County. Ladies of Charity national head office and residence of  CM Western Province is in Louis, so is for West Central Province of Daughters of Charity. They are engaged in ministries with children, youth, families, elders and in administration of the Province. They are sponsors of Ascension Health. In recent years, the charism of Vincent and Louise has found expression in the works of Affiliate, Vincentian Service Corps, Gateway Vincentian Volunteers, Vincentian Marian Youth and Former Daughters.

The day of service – Saturday, August 21. It will be celebrated at more than a dozen sites across the St. Louis area and East St. Louis, Illinois, including St. Vincent Children’s Home, Cosgrove Soup Kitchen, Our Lady’s Inn, Our Little Haven, St. Elizabeth Mother of John the Baptist Parish in North St. Louis, St. Vincent de Paul thrift stores, St. Patrick Center and Holy Angels Shelter, among other locations. Complete list of locations can be found at www.famvinstl.org.

The day of liturgy – Sunday, August 22. At 2:00 PM Archbishop Robert J. Carlson of St. Louis will celebrate Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis (Lindell Boulevard and Newstead Avenue in the Central West End). Concelebrants include Superior General, Father Gregory GayCM, Auxiliary Bishop of  St.Louis Most Rev. Robert Hermann; Rev. Msgr Joseph Pins, Rector of Cathedral Basilica, Father Perry Henry CM, Provincial of the Western Province of the Congregation; and other priests. The Archdiocesan Choir under the direction of John Romeri (organist of the Cathedral) will provide the music.

Watch the video from the Anniversary Mass
(including homily by Most Rev. Gregory Gay CM)

Special collection will be held dedicated to ZAFÈN (in Creole “it’s our business”) — the microfinance project in Haiti supported by international Vincentian Family. The project allows individuals to invest online to support projects that are administered by Haitians. A special collection at the liturgy will support the work of ZAFEN. Visit their website for more details and how you can join the project.