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Ocoa Dominican Republic: Systemic Change Example

Celebrating Saint Vincent and Saint Louise with Poor People

Written by Eugene Smith, Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, USA
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The poor themselves must be included in the celebration of the Anniversary of Saint Vincent de Paul and Saint Louise de Marillac.

Most of the people served by the Vincentian family do not know St. Vincent and St. Louise. Why, because most of us in the Vincentian Family seldom take the time to tell those we visit in their homes or hospital beds or wherever we serve them about our founders. We live out the charism as we serve but we don’t tell people why we do what we do.

Are not Vincent and Louise also perfect guides for the Poor? We must tell their stories and share their wisdom with all those we serve.
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Mary in the Vincentian Tradition

contributed by Fr. Tom McKenna, CM
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Vincent’s key insights about the Blessed Mother and Praising God

There were three events in Mary’s life that Vincent referred to often, because they carry three basic attitudes that enable us to praise God rightly:

1. The Immaculate Conception, Mary conceived without sin.
• Mary put up no resistances to the workings of God within her. She was 100% cooperative.
• Rather than closing down to the movements of God within her, she was wide open to them, fully sensitive to them.
• Rather than filtering out any of the light of God shining within her, right from the beginning she let herself be totally exposed to it.
2. The Annunciation, the scene where the angel visits Mary and announces she is to be the Mother of God.
• She offers herself for whatever God wants– “Be it done unto me according to your word.”
• “Who am I that the Lord should come to me?”
• My spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
3. The Visitation, the time when Mary travels to be with her Cousin, Elizabeth, to help her in her old-age pregnancy.
• The detail that Vincent picks up on is how Mary went to Elizabeth, how she left her own house in haste.
• She is not just open to God, not just ready to serve – but she actually serves, actually gets on the road, really jumps at the chance to act.
• Vincent sees this quality as an integral part of coming before God – not only being ready and willing to serve God’s cause, but actually serving.

Being Witnesses in a Rapidly Developing Digital World

Participants of a Congress in Rome entitled “Digital Witnesses: Faces and languages of the cross-media era” reflect on how to make full use of the opportunities that digital media has to offer. They stress the potentially positive elements of the Internet– such as relationship dynamics and possibilities for dialogue.