Dear Visitors and Regional Superiors!
May the grace and peace of Jesus be with us always!
The other day, I shared with you the letter of appeal for our confreres in Lebanon. Today, I would like to share with you the letter of appeal that had been sent to all the Superiors Generals and International Presidents of all the branches of the Vincentian Family in the world, inviting them to share it with their respective members.
In the wake of the violent explosions hitting the port of Beirut last Tuesday 4 August, I share with you an appeal prepared by the FamVin Homeless Alliance on behalf of the Vincentian Family branches in Beirut.
The Lebanese Vincentian Family branches immediately sprang into action: taking care of the poorest, sheltering the homeless, healing the wounded, feeding the needy. A VF Committee in Beirut, coordinated by the National President of the Vincentian Family in Lebanon, Fr. Ziad Haddad, CM, has convened and decided to work in a coordinated way to keep up those efforts.
As each branch of the Vincentian Family sets up in motion its own mechanisms of help, I would like to propose in relation of helping other persons in need besides our own confreres, we react to this catastrophe in a concerted way, as a family. You might have seen Pope Francis immediately sent a €250,000 ($295,000) fund to help the Church in Lebanon. Could we rise to the challenge of making a similarly significant donation to the poor and homeless in Lebanon?
The FHA has been offered a grant appeal of $ 50,000 with the condition from the funder that other donors match it.
If you see possible you may send your donation to the Econome General, Father Paul Parackal, labeling it the “VF Campaign for Lebanon”. If you need the bank account information, Father Paul will gladly send you the bank details.
Through the social media appeal you can see attached some images of the work of the Lebanese Vincentian Family over recent days. https://vfhomelessalliance.org/from-our-hearts-to-the-heart-of-lebanon/
If you could share this appeal through your social media, web page or other channels of communication calling also on the possible donors outside our Congregation to act and send their donations to either the US or UK appeal webpage.
Thank you so very much for your consideration of this appeal and your continued collaboration.
Your brother in Saint Vincent de Paul
Tomaž Mavrič, CM
President, Vincentian Family Executive Committee
