V.S.O

VSO Staff

Miles Heinen

Miles Heinen

Scott Fina

Scott Fina

niedda

Teresa Niedda

The Vincentian Solidarity Office (VSO) is an office of service established by the Superior General and the General Council of the Congregation of the Mission on June 15, 2002.

The goal of the VSO evolved in October 2008 to become:

  • To assist the Congregation of the Mission with obtaining funds for its evangelization and service of the poor.

This goal is realized in four ways:

  1. To secure funding for Vincentian Solidarity Office projects benefiting the needs and works of the poorer provinces, vice-provinces and missions of the Congregation of the Mission.
  2. To distribute grants from the Vincentian Solidarity Fund for micro-projects of the poorer provinces, vice-provinces and missions of the Congregation of the Mission.
  3. To raise the funds to fulfill the obligations of the Patrimony Fund Project (endowments) of the Congregation of the Mission.
  4. To obtain money for other needs of the Congregation of the Mission as directed by the Superior General and his Council.

So, the VSO can serve as an intermediary between a province, vice-province or mission and various funding organizations for the application and awarding of grant funds for a project. This is an optional service in the Congregation of the Mission that a province, vice-province or mission can use. Since it is not the intention of the General Curia to centralize all grant proposals through the VSO, a province, vice-province or mission is free to continue to send grant proposals for projects directly to funding organizations or to donors.

The VSO is a program under the jurisdiction of the Superior General and his Council. The staff of the VSO consists of Fr. Miles Heinen, C.M., as the Executive Director (appointed by and accountable to the Superior General and his Council); Mr. Scott Fina as Associate Director and Ms. Teresa Niedda as Associate Director.

The VSO is located at St. Vincent’s Seminary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, which is the Motherhouse of the Eastern Province of the Congregation of the Mission in the United States. You are most welcome to come and visit the VSO at anytime.

Vincentian Solidarity Office by Peter A. Campbell, C.M. (VT-2003-01-13-ENG-VSO.doc)

Letter of Creation of VSO (VT-2002-06-04-ENG-VSO.DOC)