Eighty-seven members of JMV had an unforgettable experience from 11-12 March. They are presently undergoing initial formation. The group made a roundtrip to a Cistercian Monastery in Awhum (Nigeria) , covering a distance of 620 km. The highpoint of the trip was the celebration of the Eucharist on the mountain and the renewal of baptismal promises at the waterfalls. The group had 18 hearing-impaired youths (assisted by a sign language instructor). The event was planned with their advisors, Fr. Abel Agbulu, C.M. and Sr. Emilia Asuquo, D.C. JMV was established in Nigeria on 18 December 2003.
The leadership of the Vincentian Family of Nigeria met on 4-6 March at the Pastoral Centre in Lokoja (Nigeria) and reflected on the theme: “Collaboration for Effective Service for the Poor.” In attendance were members of the six branches of the Vincentian Family established in Nigeria (CM, DC, AIC, JMV, SSVP, and AMM). As a result of the meeting, there was a commitment to develop a project to construct a hostel to accommodate, at minimum cost, stranded travellers in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.
On 7 and 8 February, after the course of the Anthropology of the Poor in Quito (Ecuador), the Visitors and the Provincial Councils of Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela held in a zone meeting in the St. Vincent de Paul Seminary of the Province of Ecuador. Fr. Emilio Melchor, C.M. , Executive Secretary of CLAPVI was also present. The principal objective was to consolidate and strengthen the zone structure of CLAPVI, creating spaces of integration in interprovincial help and communication. The final commitments were: make known interprovincial projects; a meeting of the provincial teams for Vocational Promotion; new meetings of the three Visitors and their Councils; interchange of personnel and other resources among the provinces according to the needs of the zone. The next meeting will be in February 2006 in Caracas.
The Executive Council of CLAPVI met in Ecuador last January. The points on the agenda were: taking up again the Lines of Action of the Final Document of the 2004 General Assembly; reflecting on the “dreams for CLAPVI” of Fr. Robert Maloney, C.M.; dialoguing on what and how should be interprovincial cooperation and with the new Superior General; revising the year’s program of CLAPVI; evaluating the course of the Latin American School of Vincentian Spirituality, walking with the Vincentian Family in Latin America; the financial state of CLAPVI; and preparing the next CLAPVI Assembly.
Construction of a Formation House. First stage . From 16-21 March, Brother Peter A. Campbell, C.M. , Administrator of the Vincentian Solidarity Office , visited the mission in Tanzania of the Province of South India. His hosts were Fr. Mathew Onatt, C.M. , Superior of the Mission and Fr. Jacob Panthappallil , Rector of De Paul Seminary . The Vincentian Solidarity Office is helping the confreres of this mission continue the construction of De Paul Seminary in Morogoro. The first phase of the project (eight bedrooms, kitchen, storeroom, dining room and bathrooms) is completed. This is a formation house for the students who take classes in the nearby Institute of Philosophy and Theology of the Salvatorian Fathers. At this time, there are six seminarians for the priesthood and a priest as rector. Likewise, there is a Brother with Good Purposes assigned to a parish, a seminarian in the Internal Seminary in Ethiopia and two candidates for the priesthood working in parishes. The personnel of the mission in Tanzania is made up of eight priests from India serving in three parishes, two chaplains for religious sisters and the seminary house with 11 young men in formation (eight for the priesthood and three for Coadjutor Brothers).
( www.cm-ngo.net )
Sharing the work of our representative at the UN. Fr. Joseph P. Foley, C.M. , NGO representative at the UN, participated in three key events: the 43 rd Commission for Social Development; a briefing at the UN on the ethics of Sustainable Development, and “Ecumenical Advocacy Days.” The Commission for Social Development . The thrust of the NGO involvement in this year’s Commission was: to reduce extreme poverty by half by 2015; to rekindle political will around the issues of social integration; and “decent work.” Ethics Briefing . The Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmiud Martin, formerly the Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the UN, gave an excellent briefing to the members of the Permanent Missions and to the NGO community. The title of the briefing is: “Socio-ethical Thought on the Economic, Social and Environmental Dimensions of Sustainable Development.” Ecumenical Advocacy Days . Because of the perceived opportunity that exists right now for some movement away from violence in the Middle East, leaders of churches and Church-based organization as well a religious NGOs met to strategize and meet with policy makers in the USA. The focus of the meetings was three-fold: to make lawmakers in the USA aware of the desperate plight of Christians in the Holy Land; to get funds for humanitarian assistance and infrastructure rebuilding to the Palestinians as quickly as possible; and to urge that the final disposition of Jerusalem not be pre-determined by the situation on the ground, but by “final status” negotiations. Fr. Foley can provide a copy of the Archbishop’s talk and follow-up information on these events to interested confreres; jpfcm@att.net
Sharing moments of sadness. On 14 March, Fr. Józef Kapuściak, C.M. , Vicar General , participated at the funeral of Fr. Franc Pavlić, C.M. , Superior of the International Mission of El Alto (Bolivia) in Ljubljana (Slovenia) . The Mass, presided by Msgr. Anton Stres, C.M., Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Maribor , was celebrated in All Saints Parish . More than 50 priests, the parents and family of Fr. Pavlić , many faithful, numerous Daughters of Charity and sisters of other religious congregations participated at it. After the Eucharistic celebration, the urn containing the ashes was carried to the adjacent cemetery and buried among the tombs of other confreres. Fr. Kapuściak participated as the representative of the General Curia, to which the International Mission of El Alto is confided.
Workshop for Provincial Treasurers. Frs. Cyril Mbata, C.M. ( Vice-Province of Nigeria ), Davis Kachappilly, C.M. ( Province of South India ) and Ferdinand Labitag, C.M. ( Province of China ) participated in the Workshop for Provincial Treasurers, held in Rome from 1-18 March. The workshop was sponsored by the Association of English and French-speaking Treasurers General . Fr. Elmer Bauer III, C.M. , Treasurer General , was a member of the Organizing Committee. There were 48 participants in the workshop 24 different religious congregations.
General Council in tempo forte. The General Council met from 7-11 March in a tempo forte session. It approved the 2004 Financial Report, presented by Fr. Elmer Bauer III, C.M., Treasurer General. It studied various reports: from Fr. Giuseppe Guerra, C.M., Postulator General; from Brother Peter A. Campbell, C.M., Director of the Vincentian Solidarity Office (VSO); from Fr. John B. Freund, C.M., Webmaster; from Fr. Roberto Lovera, C.M., Executive Secretary of SIEV and members of SIEV. Likewise, other reports on offices of the Congregation were discussed: the CIF Program, the Vincentian NGO at the UN and the Office of the Delegate for the Vincentian Family. Finally, the General Council reflected on the missions: the list of volunteers, the work proposed by Fr. José Antonio Ubillús, Assistant for the Missions and the situation of the International Mission of El Alto, Bolivia.
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Vincentian Missionary named Bishop. The Holy Father , named Fr. Luis Solé Fa, C.M. , pastor and Episcopal Vicar of the Vicariate of the Mosquitia (Diocese of Trujillo) as Bishop of Trujillo (Department of Colón y Gracias a Dios, Honduras ). Fr. Solé is a member of the Province of Barcelona. He was born on 23 July 1946 in Tarragona (Spain). He entered the Congregation on 30 April 1968. He made vows on 31 May 1972. He was ordained a priest on 29 December 1973. The Holy See announced his appointment as bishop on 18 March. The diocese has a surface area of 250,00 km 2 , a population of 280,000 people of whom 230,000 are Catholic. It has 17 priests and 23 religious.