In his three volume book “The Life of the Venerable Servant of God Vincent de Paul, Founder and First Superior General of the Congregation of the Mission” Louis Abelly, Bishop of Rodez quotes his story of what happened in Folleville: “Monsieur Vincent said: It was January 1617, when all this happened, on the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, the twenty-fifth of the month. This lady asked me to preach in the church of Folleville to persuade the local people to make a general confession. I did this, pointing out the importance and usefulness of this practice. I showed them how to do so worthily. God had such regard for the confidence and faith of this good lady (for the great number and enormity of my sins stood in the way of my effecting any fruit) that he blessed this sermon. All those present were moved by God, and came to make their general confession. I continued my instruction, disposing them to receive the sacrament well, and then began to hear their confessions. Even with the help of another priest who was with me, however, the press of those waiting to receive the sacrament was too great. Madame sent to request the Jesuit Fathers of Amiens to come help us. She wrote to the rector, who came himself, but not having enough time available he sent another Jesuit, Father Fourche, to help us in hearing confessions, preaching and catechizing. By the grace of God, these occupations kept us busy.
We next went to other villages in the vicinity which also belonged to Madame, to do the same as we had done in the first. We had large crowds, and God gave us his full blessing. This is how the first mission was accomplished. That it took place on the feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul was due solely to God’s design.” Read the whole chapter eight of book one

These two slideshows based on Theodore Maynard’s book “Apostle of charity:the life of St. Vincent de Paul” present the primary goals of the Congregation of Mission. Slideshows  are available in Polish, too. Find more documents on the origins and spirituality of the Vincentian Family at  Vinformation.famvin.org website.

“This mission in Folleville was the first given by Monsieur Vincent and has always been considered as the seed for all the others to follow. Every year, on the twenty-fifth of January, he and his Congregation thanked God for all the graces given in his infinite bounty to this first preaching. He always wanted this feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul to be regarded as the founding date of the Congregation of the Mission, although it was to be eight more years before this first seed grew and multiplied. He never thought that this tiny mustard plant would serve as the basis for the establishment of a new Congregation in the Church, as later came about. This is why the missionaries of the Congregation celebrate the feast of the Conversion of the Apostle, in memory of the way this new Paul, their father and founder, happily completed on this day his first mission.” (cf. Abelly, Book One, Chapter Eight)

Also available in High Definition quality on YouTube

„Pan przychodzi aby władać ziemią. Prawo i sprawiedliwość podstawą Jego tronu” rozpoczyna swoje przesłanie na Boże Narodzenie dla całej Rodziny Wincentyńskiej, ks. Gregory Gay CM, Przełożony Generalny w prezentowanym wyżej filmie świątecznym. Do życzeń O. Generała przyłączają się Asystenci Generalni i inni członkowie wspólnoty Kurii Generalnej. Każdy z nich kieruje do nas swoje słowa w ojczystym języku co daje okazję nie tylko zobaczyć poszczególne osoby i je poznać, ale także posłuchać różnych języków, również egzotycznych. Film zawiera napisy po polsku i angielsku przy wszystkich wypowiedziach.

You may also watch this Christmas video in other languages following these links:

English only subtitles; French and  Spanish.

Watch also another Christmas video prepared by the personnel of the General Curia, both Vincentians and lay personnel. This is first ever such presentation. Warning! This video does not contain subtitles, except for two moments. Original languages only.

Watch this film: Christmas Greetings from Curia Personnel

We recommend you another video message from the Curia -
Christmas Message from the Superior General and the Curia

✔ DOWNLOAD – SUPERIOR GENERAL ADVENT LETTER 2011 (PDF)
✔ POBIERZ – LIST PRZEŁOŻONEGO GEN. NA ADWENT 2011 (PDF)
✔ EBOOK VERSION AND OTHER LANGUAGES

Iconography in the altar in the Church of Nativity, Magadan, Russia

The Season of Advent, 2011

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:5

To all members of the Vincentian Family:

May the grace and peace of Our Lord Jesus Christ fill your hearts now and forever!

The above scripture, taken from St. John’s Gospel, is an appropriate way to begin our Advent reflection. At this time of year, much of the world moves from long, bright days to shorter, darker times. The year’s end approaches, giving us pause to reflect not just on what has passed, but on what lies ahead for us. The reality of change is palpable both in the weather and on the calendar, but also deep within the horizon of our hearts.

That is why, I believe, the Church gives us Advent: in seasons of change, it reminds us of God’s enduring love. Through the incarnation of Jesus, God assures us of his abiding presence in our world. In Jesus, we have a God who always accompanies us in times of light and darkness, in the settled center and uncertain edges of our lives. Yet, it is on the edge, the “outer limits” of life, that the Lord Jesus is often revealed to us.

The Advent stories show us lives lived on the edge: Mary’s stunning annunciation to be mother of the Lord; Joseph’s noble struggle to accept this awesome reality; Jesus’ birth in the simplicity of the stable; the shepherds’ humble homage; the sudden uprooting of the Holy Family to escape the wrath of Herod’s hands; all these Advent stories show us a God, though centered in Trinitarian love, who “emptied himself” (Phil 2:7), by becoming human. In choosing to live at the edge, Jesus ushered in the Reign of God, and paradoxically drew us closer to the center point of God’s love.

As Superior General, I have the privilege and responsibility of visiting with my Vincentian confreres, the Daughters of Charity, and members of the Vincentian family world- wide to spread the charism of St. Vincent de Paul. When doing this, I offer my support and encouragement to those who leave their safe, secure world to go to the edge and outer limits and serve the poor. I am edified by so many of my confreres, Daughters of Charity, and Vincentian Family members who courageously enter the world’s dark corners to illuminate them with the light of Christ. Let me share some examples to illustrate how they live the Advent journey of light and hope.

In the Republic of Chad, one of Africa’s poorest countries, Daughters of Charity from Spain serving with Vincentians from Cameroon, Madagascar, and Kenya work in a remote, rural area without any Church presence. Their “mission church” is a wooden stage with a makeshift tent, protected by large mango trees. In this neglected region, they bring Jesus and our charism to a people whose hunger and thirst is satisfied by the Word of God and the charity of Christ.

In the United Kingdom, I met with Vincentians in Partnership, a coalition of service providers for the poor made up of ten core and thirteen affiliated groups. We prayed, reflected, and discussed ways to imbibe and impart the Vincentian charism of love of God and service to the poor. Their work is with the urban poor, homeless youth, mentally ill, and addicted; in short, those on the margins of society. Their reach of care and compassion goes beyond their borders to Ireland, Eastern Europe and the USA. A descriptive website tells their story: http://www.vip-gb.org

After an eight-hour flight from Moscow, I arrived in Magadan Russia, a place which seemed to be geographically at the end of the earth. This mission is staffed by Daughters of Charity from the USA and Poland. Once in Magadan, I was transported into a forgotten world of closed prison camps, meeting people who were subject to decades of inhumane treatment. In the Stalin era, Magadan was the final stop for hundreds of thousands of Soviet citizens, labeled “enemies of the people”.

The Daughters accompany the survivors (called “the repressed”) of the prison camps, assisting in their healing by helping them to “tell their stories”. Along with the presence of the region’s only Catholic Church, these former prisoners now have a welcoming community of faith. The beauty of the Church of the Nativity with its Martyr’s Chapel, which honors untold numbers of people who perished in prison camps, and actual stories of surviving prisoners, can be seen on their web site: http://magadancatholic.org

Each of these three experiences – Chad, Vincentians in Partnership, and Magadan – hold a place in my heart as we celebrate the season of Advent. They remind us that the light of Christ overcame the darkness of a world filled with sin and suffering. The four Advent Sunday Gospels all help us focus on what is essential for Christian discipleship: being “watchful for Christ” (Mk. 13:33); “preparing the way of the Lord” (Mk.1:2); trusting that “nothing is impossible for God.” (Lk.1:35); and “testifying to the light” (Jn.1:7). Taken together, these Gospel stories provide a formula for putting faith into action all year long.

This Advent way, a watchful, willing, trusting, and testifying gospel faith, was pivotal in the life of St. Vincent de Paul, who found Christ where he least expected: on the edge, the “outer limits” of life. In his two pivotal conversion experiences; hearing the confession of a sick man, and successfully exhorting his flock to provide food and medicine for a desperately ill family; both experiences led Vincent to Christ in the poor. Once he entered the world of the poor, it transformed his life. From that time on, he organized and inspired his followers to do the same:

“Do not limit your vision any longer to yourself, but see the Lord around you and in you, ready to put his hand to the work as soon as you ask for his help. You will see that all will go well.” (Coste III, English Edition, p. 143, 19 December,1646,)

As we prepare heart and home for the Christmas coming of the Lord, let the words of Jesus and the charism of St. Vincent de Paul resonate more deeply in your hearts and lives. The Advent and Christmas stories vividly remind us of One who was born, lived, and died on the “edge”. John’s Gospel poignantly reminds us that Jesus “came to his own and his own did not receive him.” (Jn.1:10) This was true for the Holy Family. Often portrayed in paintings and holy cards as sedate and serene, in reality they trod the path of poor, vagrant refugees.

That sad reality continues today. The Christ who was poor lives on in the poor, who often possess little more than the clothes on their backs, lacking food, shelter, and human dignity. Yet, as St. Vincent said, the poor have the “true faith” as can be seen their unwaveringly, steady trust in God. Their lives and those of the Vincentian Family who accompany them tell the Advent story of hope every day.

I suggest each of us carve out some time from our busy schedules in these Advent weeks to reflect on the scriptures and the life of St. Vincent, so we may be “watchful, willing, trusting, and testifying” disciples of Jesus, true to our vocation as members of the Vincentian Family. As we take time to encounter the Lord in prayer, scripture, and the Eucharist, we will gain courage, as did St. Vincent, to ask the Lord to direct us to his poor, often unnoticed and on the edge of our lives. In doing so, we will enter into solidarity with them as our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Let me close with a powerful image appropriate for Advent. As I noted earlier, the Church of the Nativity in Magadan offers a community of healing and hope for former Soviet camp prisoners and the poor. This small Church is a feast for the eyes: a stunning, symbolic Martyr’s Chapel, the Stations of the Cross, striking stained-glass windows, and iconography too vivid to forget. Yet, the icon of the Nativity (which is reprinted at the beginning of this letter) above the altar is most striking when one first enters the Church. Its placement there is certainly liturgically appropriate.

But for me, this icon illustrates so much more. It shows us how discipleship with Jesus and the Vincentian charism bear witness to the power and presence of God in our world today. Despite Magadan’s death- dealing past, both the icon and the Church of the Nativity confirm that Christ is born again. The Church of the Nativity and all the works of the world- wide Vincentian Family are daily living reminders to us that “The light shines on in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

May the Lord be born in you anew this Christmas and bless you in this coming year!

Your brother in Saint Vincent,
[--] G. Gregory Gay,
C.M. Superior General

You can view, download or share the Letter directly in Scribd.com:

[ENGLISH] ADVENT LETTER 2011

[POLSKI] LIST NA ADVENT 2011

Letter for Advent 2011

As you know, earlier this month our website went mobile increasing the comfort of viewing it on mobile devices. Along, we released a tiny, and simple application for smartphones which brings news from our Province directly to your mobiles. In the same time Famvin.org released another three similar applications called VinFeed and available in English, Polish and Spanish.

Number regular users of portable devices, smartphones, tablets and ebook readers is growing rapidly. Recognizing this situation, as we did earlier in the Lent, Superior’s General Advent reflection was prepared in ePub format which is used in ebook readers. Many other devices can handle it, too. However some device will require installation of additional plug-ins or apps to use this kind of files. As they are lighter in volume, they open faster on portables. All eight ePub versions of the Letter can be downloaded from the links below.

DOWNLOAD  «ePUB» FILES

❦  Advent Letter – ENGLISH
❦  List na Adwent – POLSKI
❦  Carta para el Adviento  - ESPAÑOL
❦ Lettre pour l’Avent – FRANÇAISE
❦  Lettera per l’Avvento  - ITALIANO
❦  Carta para o Advento – PORTUGUÊS
❦  Letter für Advent – DEUTSCH
❦  List pre Advent – SLOVENČINA

Online sharing services like SCRIBD.COM give us enormous opportunity to share our documents, presentations, publications. Once uploaded it can be viewed directly and embedded in your ministry websites or shared by email, Twitter, Facebook or sent to your mobile. You can download the files in user and printer friendly formats like PDF (printer-friendly and universal) or DOC (Word), PPT (if slideshow) or as formatted text file (RTF). Some online services allow Apple’s iWork formats, too. The table below invites you to view the Advent Letter in one of these languages: English, Polish, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, German and Slovak. Hover and click on the chosen edition and it will open on your screen.

If you don’t want to view the page as “mobile” you can switch your device to “desktop” anytime and back. To change  from mobile to desktop scroll down to the bottom of the displayed page and tap on the link “switch to our desktop site” and that’s it. No more action.  When you would like return to mobile mode tap the link  ”switch to our mobile site” on the bottom of the page.  However some of the content might be not visible in mobile version.

Our tiny app for smartphones: “Vincentians New England” is another solution which can encourage you to get latest news from our community and Vincentian Family. More about the app and how to get it could be read from THIS POST.

If your device can read QR Codes you can scan the code here and then follow instructions on the screen to open the website and bookmark it.

From now on VINCENTIANS NEW ENGLAND APP is for you! And it’s completely free!!

The App organized in four tabs brings latest news posted on the websites of the Vincentians New England Province, St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish, Brooklyn, NY and two Vincentian Family news websites in English and Polish. It was tested on iPhone, Android and Windows7 mobiles. Blackberry, Symbian and other mobiles were not verified. So were iPads and other tablets. But you can try it.

There are two simple ways to get the application on your smartphone.

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One: copy the link below and type it in your phone browser and open the url. Next, follow the instructions on the screen.

http://mippin.com/app/449497

Two: you can scan the QR Code below and your smartphone will download it almost automatically. This action requires QR Code scanner (or bar code scanner) for smartphone. Watch these tips how to scan QR Code

When your app is downloaded in to your smartphone open it. There is a widget which can be placed on the home screen. In settings you can set the update frequency. Now, you can enjoy it, and be up to date to Vincentian news when on go.

Famvin.org provides another apps and feeds for Vincentians which can be downloaded in the same way as the app mentioned above. These are standard urls which you can either type in the mobile browser or scan the QR Code. See the instructions if you need.

Other screenshots of the application:

MOBILE APPS FOR VINCENTIANS
FROM VINFORMATION.FAMVIN.ORG

These apps will send a Vincentian quote of the day, daily reflections in the Vincentian tradition, feeds taken from daily famvin posts. Additionally, there is an app for the game “Hobson’s Choice” which simulates the harsh choices you face when living in poverty. Finally, for the moment, there is an app “Ultimate Change” which allows you to experience a fictional systemic change project through the eyes of one of seven characters.

We believe these new efforts will make your contact with Vincentians of New England and Vincentian Family easier and faster. Please, do not hesitate to put a comment below or by email to webmaster@cmnewengland.org on how do you find these apps. Perhaps you have suggestions for another mobile apps which you will find helpful. Any comments and suggestions warmly welcome.

Download: 2011 Mission Appeal (ENGLISH)

Pobierz: Apel Misyjny 2011 (POLSKI)

❦ ❦ ❦

❝ or read it on-line ❞  ❧  ❝ lub przeczytaj online❞

Superior General in Chile 2011, (courtesy of CM Province of Chile)

Mission Appeal is also available in:
❧ Español ❦ Français ❧