Vincentian Researchers

A Colloquium for Young Vincentian Researchers organized by SIEV was held at the Motherhouse in Paris the 3rd to the 16th of February. The participants were chosen and sent by their respective Visitors. The presentations were made by confreres (and a Sulpician priest speaking on the French School of Spirituality) with extensive experience in Vincentian studies and research with the goal of guiding the participants along the path of Vincentian Studies and discussing methodology. The atmosphere was enthusiastic and fraternal and the final evaluation was extremely positive. The task ahead is to open this group to other confreres in the different provinces who are doing historical research or theological reflection or pastoral studies with the aim of building up the group in order to guarantee the future of Vincentian studies.

There were eleven confreres signed up for the session representing eleven different provinces. They were: Tekele Mariam ABEBE of Ethiopia; Franciscus ARMADA of Indonesia; Alvaro Mauricio FERNANDEZ of Colombia; Alexander JERNEJ of Austria; Michal LIPINSKI of Hungary; Khalil MAROUN of Lebanon; Vincent O’MALLEY of the Eastern Province USA; Pierre Jerome RALAHIZAFY of Madagascar; and Rayco ZERPA ACOSTA of Saragossa. Jerome DELSINNE of the province of Paris and Raymundo REGUA of the Philippines were ultimately unable to attend because of illness and visa problems respectively.
The invited experts were John Rybolt, Claude Lautissier, James Murphy, Bernard Koch, Michel Olabuénaga (SIEV), Luigi Mezzadri, Benito Martinez, Jaime Corera, Elie Delplace (SIEV) and a Suplician, Father Bernard Pitaud.
The participants came from five continents, which was a great benefit. SIEV, in organizing the gathering, never thought about a large group, because of the nature of a colloquium where confreres with experience in Vincentian studies could share and dialogue with confreres newer in the field. Nevertheless, the number was fewer than hoped for, because in fact there are actually quite a few confreres who are doing some work in Vincentian studies that might have come. The invitation went to all the Visitors, but perhaps the designation “young researchers” might have excluded some or perhaps some who are doing serious work do not think of themselves as “researchers.”
Among the suggestions brought up it is worth underscoring the desire to move towards the formation of a more stable group, always open to new members, in communication with one another, supported and promoted by SIEV as the International Secretariat for Vincentian Studies. Perhaps an official announcement could be made later in which the sharing of the participants’ studies is prepared properly. Meanwhile, it is good to make each other aware of one’s own work(s) in this field through the usual means of communication that are so plentiful and easy.
The program follows: