XXXIII National Encounter of Vincentian Students (Brazil)
The National Encounter of Vincentian Students is a time of formation, fraternity and sharing experiences. This annual event, which began in 1985, is oriented toward the students of the Congregation of the Mission in Brazil. Each year this event is held in one of the three provinces in this country: the Southern Province, the Brazilian Province and the Fortaleza Province. This year the gathering was held in the Brazilian Province in the city of Belo Horizone — Minas Gerais (July 23-30, 2016). Nineteen students participated in this event.
The theme of this gathering was the Ratio Formationis. Frather Wilson Alzate Garcia, CM (a Colombian missionary ministering in the Brazilian Province and the present rector of the Interprovincial Seminary in Curitiba, Parana) presented in a very dynamic and interesting manner not only the content of the Raio but the spirit that ought to be to be assumed and put into practice.
Other members of the province presented various themes: Father Neider de Freitas, CM – social justice projects of the Brazilian Province; Father Getúlio Mota Grossi, CM – translation of the complete works of Saint Vincent de Paul and Father Luis Carlos Fundão – Saint Vincent and the formation of the clergy (this presentation was based on the sixth chapter of the Ratio which deals with the formation of brothers in the Congregation of the Mission).
In addition to these moments of formation the participants engaged in other activities in Belo Horizonte and the surrounding area: visits and celebration of the Word or the Eucharist in the peripheries of the city; preparing and sharing the typical foods of the various regions of the country; pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Humankind in Caraça (the first house of the Congregation in Brazil), touring the city of Bello Horizonte, meeting with the members of the various branches of the Vincentian Family in which the participants were able to share their experiences in the area of formation (identifying possibilities and limitations) … this meeting of the Vincentian Family resulted in writing a letter to the Visitors of the three provinces.
This gathering was a time of blessing because in addition to everything that has been stated, Father Geraldo Mol, CM, (the Visitor) was present during the time of this encounter as well as Father Onésio Mendes, CM (one of the founders of the theologate) and Father Denilson Matías, CM (another founder of the theologate and a representative of the province at the Vincentian Youth Gathering and at the World Youth Day celebration in Poland). During one of the days the participants celebrated the Eucharist with the elderly members of the Province (the house of Don Viçoso) and with the friends of the seminary who gathered together in this house. This was a time of joy to see and greet the students from the various provinces, the future protagonists of the reconfiguration of the Congregation of the Mission in Brazil.
Cleber Teodosio
Student of the Congregation of the Mission
Second Year of Philosophy
Translated: Charles T. Plock, CM
