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Information Sheet

on the work and decisions of SIEV

n_ 3 - October 1998

Welcomed by the confreres of the Roman Province, SIEV (International Secretariat of Vincentian Studies) held its annual meeting at the Collegio Alberoni in Piacenza on 14 and 15 September 1998.

Present were: Frs. Emeric Amyot d'Inville, delegate from the Curia, Hernando Escobar, John Prager, Kazimierz Stelmach, Norbert Tix and Roberto Lovera, Executive Secretary.

The work of the members of SIEV led to a series of decisions, which were submitted for evaluation and approval to the Superior General and his council. We are bringing to your attention the most important and most significant ones.

1.A provisional edition of the CD ROM of Vincentian texts was presented during the General Assembly. A computer technician, with the collaboration of a confrere competent in the Vincentian studies field, will work at producing the CD ROM containing all the Vincentian texts presently available in the various languages. The search program "Adobe Acrobat Reader" will be included on the CD.

At the same time we will try to put the Vincentian texts on the proposed Vincentian Family Internet Site.

At a later date, we will produce a new edition of the CD ROM, adding other Vincentian texts that will be ready.

2.This CD ROM will contain, in addition to the Vincentian texts, the Spanish bibliography prepared by Fr. José María Román and the English one prepared by Fr. John Rybolt. We will ask the collaboration of confreres from other linguistic groups in preparing the Vincentian bibliography in other languages in order to put this valuable tool at the service of all.

3.Another project which should begin shortly is the progressive development of an archive of Vincentian images, subdivided into three major sectors: a) iconography and history; b) present day events; c) the life of the provinces and missions. The images, digitalized by scanner to obtain the best quality possible, will be inserted little by little on the Vincentian Family Internet site, to which all will have access, including for publication. We anticipate incorporating some of the most significant images from the last General Assembly.

4.The Curia archivist, Fr. Rolando Delagoza, who has already researched the documents of the Holy See with regard to the Congregation during the last 40 years, will extend his work to the period going back to 1876, the date of the last publication of this type. When the research is finished, depending on the quality and volume of the material collected, we will decide how to put this work at everyone's service.

5.The inquiry on the Vincentian study organisms existing in our provinces or groups of provinces is drawing to a close. The purpose of the inquiry was to gather the most complete information possible about these organisms. As soon as it is completed, the results will be made available to everyone through publication in Vincentiana.

6.A succinct bibliography of basic books useful for the formation of our young will soon be published in Vincentiana.

7.The work of preparing the study session on Islam, scheduled for 1999, continues. In the coming days, the Visitors will receive a letter from the preparatory commission inviting them to register the confreres. The registrants will then be directly involved in the preparation of the session.

Likewise, the preparatory work on the Vincentian Month for the Directors of the Daughters of Charity, scheduled for 2001, has begun.

8.Finally, SIEV invites the Visitors to encourage a confrere involved in higher studies of history to take as a subject of a thesis the figure and work of St. John Gabriel Perboyre. Critical research in this field would be not only an enrichment for the entire Congregation on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the saint's birth, but also would be an invaluable help to future publications directed toward the general public.

The place and date of the next meeting of SIEV will be specified as soon as the Superior General has established the new composition of this Secretariat. Some current members are completing their mandate.

In the name of all the members of SIEV, I wish to thank anyone wishing to send us suggestions or advice in order to help us improve our work at the service of all.

Roberto Lovera, C.M.

Executive Secretary of SIEV

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