Anniversary of the Foundation of the Congregation of the Mission (Rome)
By: The Seminarists from Spain
As many of you already know, we continue our preparation in the Internal Seminary here in Naples. This Province is engaged in a process of reconfiguration with the Provinces of Rome and Turin. On January 25th we not only celebrated the anniversary of the foundation of the Congregation of the Mission, but we also celebrated the establishment of a new Province in Italy. Before the beginning of said event the Superior General welcomed the seminarists at the General Curia.
Our time at the Curia provided us with an opportunity to share with the Missionaries who live there and to experience the universal dimension of the Congregation. We also experienced ourselves as members of a very large Vincentian Family. We spent some time in the communication office, in the archives, in the offices of the general-secretary as well as in the offices of the Superior General where we were able to see many reminders of the twelve years of service of this successor of Saint Vincent de Paul.
We shared a meal with the members of the local community … a meal that was also shared by the many visitors who had begun to arrive for the celebration that would take place in the afternoon. Naturally photographs had to be taken after the meal and then we departed for the Leonine. There we participated in a meeting with the members of the three Provinces. After some words spoken by the Superior General and the reading of the decree, the Province of Italy became a reality, a present and future reality.
We then gathered together at the house of the Daughters of Charity in Rome where we listened to the words of the new Visitor, Father Nicola Albanesi, as well as words from Father Luigi Mezzadri, Father Luigi Nuovo and further words of encouragement from the Superior General.
All of this culminated with the celebration of the Eucharist at the Leonine. We then left Rome and all of these events made us reflect on the process of reconfiguration which is taking place in our homeland of Spain.
Translated: Charles T. Plock, CM
