Recent News

• Superior General – Notre Dame, Paris
  Published on 18 March 2010 by freundj in Curia General
• Sr. Evelyne, DC – Notre Dame, Paris
  Published on 17 March 2010 by freundj in Curia General, News, Superior General
• Feast of Saint Louise in Paris marks 350th anniversary
  Published on 16 March 2010 by jusuol in Curia General
• Former Visitor of Argentina named Auxiliary Bishop of Buenos Aires
  Published on 15 March 2010 by jusuol in Curia General, Provinces
• Report from Confreres in Haiti
  Published on 11 March 2010 by jusuol in Provinces, Superior General

Message from Superior General of the Congregation of the Mission and Daughters of Charity 23rd successor of Saint Vincent de Paul on the occasion of 350th anniversary of death of Saint Louise de Marillac

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

God is good forever. Always and everywhere He reveals Himself through ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Today we gather in the Cathedral of Paris, a symbol of Catholicism, where the Vincentian Family began. Here in Paris, Saint Vincent and Saint Louise, with the help of others, revolutionized not only the Church but also the society of their time. With their solidarity for the poor, they put upside down the rules of society to placing respect and dignity of those living in abject poverty over the rest of the society.

Today, March 14, in a special way we are honoring the moment when St. Louise de Marillac passed from earth to heaven. Through her intercession, we ask God, so good, for grace to keep alive the revolution of the Kingdom of God and the transforming power of the Spirit of Love for the Vincentian Family, not only in Paris, not just in France but throughout the world, to continue under the inspiration of God’s love manifested in this woman of faith. Love becomes tangible in charity and charity is what drives us to move forward in our commitment as people of faith to bring hope to the poor.

As did St. Vincent and St. Louise 350 years ago, now we also continue to collaborate with each other in the places where the Lord has called us to serve and evangelize.

Your Excellency Cardinal, we, the many members of the Family of Saint Vincent, the Vincentian Family, give thanks for your welcoming us here this afternoon in your cathedral on this fourth Sunday of Lent. In reality, we are celebrating a Jubilee Year to commemorate the 350th anniversary of the death, here in Paris, of our Founders : Saint Vincent de Paul and Saint Louise de Marillac. Our Vincentian Family is composed of lay women of the International Association of Charities (AIC), priests and brothers of the Congregation of the Mission (Lazarists), the Daughters of Charity, members of the Saint Vincent de Paul Society, the Miraculous Medal Association, the Religious of Saint Vincent de Paul, youth movements (Misevi and Marian youth) and many other congregations and associations that share the Vincentian charism that could be summed up with these few words : love and spiritual and physical service to those sisters and brothers most destitute.

We feel blessed to find ourselves gathered here with all of you as we remember in a special way this afternoon Saint Louise de Marillac. She was born on August 12th, 1591 in Paris where she spent her whole life and where her memory is preserved in the many places in which she served so many people who were living in misery, specifically in the parish of Saint Laurent. She prayed in Saint Nicolas des Champs and in Saint Germain des Pres ; she was married in Saint Gervais and certainly she frequented this cathedral.

As a widow she was able, with the assistance of Saint Vincent de Paul, to fulfill her dream of consecrating her life to the Lord through alleviating the misery of those less fortunate. She began by collaborating with the Confraternities of Charity (later known as the AIC) and with Saint Vincent founded the Company of the Daughters of Charity, composed of women who were not cloistered but whose cloister was the city streets (a novelty at that time). Vincent and Louise sent the Daughters to those places where the poor called them : abandoned children, illiterate young people, the sick, the galley slaves, wounded soldiers, families ruined by war … Saint Louise said : « all the children of God must be loved tenderly and greatly respected ».

In the midst of so much activity, Louise sought God and desired to grow in intimacy with God. On March 15th she prepared peacefully to meet the Lord of charity whom she loved and served so faithfully.

Louise de Marillac was canonized in 1934 by Pope Pius XI and in 1960, Pope John XXIII declared her « the patroness of all those who dedicate themselves to christian social works ».

We entrust to her all those persons who are part of the network of charity here in Paris.

The celebrations of the 350th anniversary of the death of St. Louise de Marillac in Paris were wonderful moments of Vincentian celebration. There were over 3,000 people in the Cathedral of Notre Dame, 80 or more concelebrants, a number of confreres from Italy (by far the largest delegation of the Vincentian Family outside of France), one confrere each from Spain, Germany and Mexico, three from Belgium (a Polish confrere and two from Congo), three priests from the USA (a confrere from the East, New England  and a diocesan priest from Philadelphia). Of course there were the Visitors and many confreres from the provinces of Paris and Toulouse and a large number of Dauthers of Charity.

Presentación inicial de Sor Evelyne FRANC
Mensaje del Superior General, leido al final de la Eucaristía
Ver el video de la KTO

Also present was the Superior General and Paris Provincial of the Religious of St. Vincent de Paul along with other members of their community. Many members of the branches of the Family were present: the international presidents and some council members of AIC, SSVP, JMV, the sub-director of AMM, and members of the Strasbourg Federation of the Sisters of Charity. Sister Evelyne Franc, Mother General of the Daughters Charity welcomed the group with a warm introduction. The Cardinal was gracious and nicely tied St. Louise and St. Vincent into his homily on reconciliation. Fr. Gerard Du read the Superior General’s message at the end of Mass. On the morning of March 15, we had a good gathering at the Chapel of the Apparitions. Fr. Gerard Du, assistant General, was the main celebrant and homilist and a Daughter who works in prison ministry gave her testimony.

Vatican Daily Press Bulletin has announced, March 15, His Holiness Benedict XVI has named Fr. Vicente Bokalic CM, former Visitor of Province of Argentina the auxiliary bishop of  archdiocese of  Buenos Aires , Argentina and assigned him the titular bishop of  Summa.

In this moment, on behalf of whole Congregation of the Mission and Vincentian Family we congratulate Fr. Vicente on his nomination  assuring him of our prayers to the Lord with intercession of Our Lady of Miraculous Medal that He will grant His grace in this new mission in the service of the Church.

Fr Vicente Bokalic was born in Buenos Aires on Jne 11, 1952. He entered the Congregation of the Mission on March 1, 1970. Incorporated on June 5, 1976. On April 1. 1978 he was ordained priest by Msgr. Alfredo Expósito, bishop of  Zarate, Campana.

He worked in the pastoral and vocational ministry of the youth in Escobar and Buenos Aires. He was assignments were:  formation ministry in two periods: 1983 – 1990 and 1997 – 2000; pastor of the parish of Miraculous Medal Shrine 1991 – 1994;  mission parish in Cordoba 1994 – 1997 and presently, in  mission parish in Goya. From 2008 he was involved in the popular missions.

In the Congregation,  twice, he was Superior of the Seminary 1987 – 1990 and 1997 – 2000, twice Provincial Councilor  1987 – 1993 and 1997 – 2003 and Visitor of the Province of Argentina 2003 – 2009.

Read more in http://famvin.org/es and http://aica.org (en español)

Read biography of Msgr Vicente Bokalic Iglic CM in VINCENTIAN ENCYCLOPEDIA (English) or ENCYKLOPEDII WINCENTYŃSKIEJ (po polsku)

Congregation of the Mission reached Argentina on September 14, 1859 as one of the first religious congregations arriving in Argentina after 1853 National Constitution. Autonomous province of the Congregation was erected in 1873. Until recently Vincentians cared of National Sanctuary in Lujan. The basilica was built thanks to Fr. Jorge Maria Salvaire CM initiative.

From the March 5th letter of Father Tulio Cordero, Visitor of the Province of Puerto Rico, to which Haiti belongs.

It has been some time since we last communicated with you and I would like to update you on the events that occurring in our Province, especially in the region of Haiti. At the same time we are mindful of our brothers and sisters in Chile, especially the confreres and all the members of the Vincentian Family who are there. We continually pray for all of them.

With regard to Haiti, even though the tremors continue and people are still afraid, yet calmness and interior peace is returning little by little. In my last two trips there I have noticed a difference in the spirit of the confreres and the Daughters of Charity whom I always visit. Thanks to God all are well and collaborating to alleviate the most urgent needs of the people and at the same time attempting to resolve their own problems. As you already know, the Daughters were more affected than we were (especially in regard to their buildings) but they are working constantly in order to recover from this tragedy. We lost a part of the seminary which because of the large cracks is unable to be utilized. As soon as we are able to we will tear down that part of the structure and then rebuild. We also lost part of the school La Familia. There is neither electricity nor water in the area where our confreres are living.

On the property of the school La Familia a clinic is being built in which surgeries, deliveries of new born, and attention is being given to those who were wounded and/or affected by the earthquake. The clinic is being directed by an Association of Doctors from Puerto Rico and Catholic Charities of Puerto Rico. We believe that the construction of the clinic will be completed in about two or three months. Our Mission House has been converted into a center of operations to assist various areas of Port-au-Prince. Every day, at every hour of the day, there is much activity in our house.

Last Wednesday, March 3rd, I met with our Haitian confreres in our seminary in Tabarre and there we analyzed the situation and planned several matters. I also proposed to them that they take turns in taking some vacation days in the Dominican Republic. While they are able to rest there some other confreres will take their place in Haiti.

With regard to the assistance that we have received: Catholic Charities in Puerto Rico donated two pick-up trucks to transport food, medicine and other materials; an ambulance has also been donated to our clinic. In a few days we are hoping to continue to receive tents from Spain and some other places.

Finally I want to tell you that we have sent Father Domond Jacmel $10,000 and we hope to be in communication with him to see in what other ways we can assist him.

On the other hand we have identified an area within the territory of our parish of the Miraculous Medal, who pastor is Father jean Yves Louis Charles … this area is called Caradeux and the earthquake caused great destruction there. There we will build a new church or chapel, a cooperative, houses, etc. … all of this will be done with the help of Catholic Charities of Puerto Rico and other assistance that we receive. The work of reconstruction in Haiti has begun and the energy and assistance involved in all of this is very great. There is still lacking organization and effectiveness in this process.

I hope to communicate again with you soon. Feel free to ask me any question and raise any concern that you have about the situation in Haiti and the work that we are doing there.