VinSights
Vincentian Insights from the Province
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Options in Abuse: Homelessness or Domestic Violence
Abuse victims. “Why does she stay?” It’s a simple question. The answer is not. Read the post HERE.
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“I Can’t Abide Standing
Outside the Fire”
“To set people’s hearts on fire.” This is how St. Vincent described our vocation. Read or listen to the post HERE.
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A Vincentian View:
Faithful to the End
Scholars tell us that fully one-third of the teaching of Jesus in the Gospels comes to us through parables. Read the post HERE.
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Receiving Communion
(Mt 10:40, Lk 10:16; Jn 13:20)
After impressing on the disciples who He is and what He stands for, He declares, “Whoever receives you receives Me.” Read the post HERE.
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WATCH: Four Men Made Good Purposes Vows with the Eastern Province Vincentians |
On Friday, July 31, four young men pronounced Good Purposes after their yearlong novitiate as members of the Vincentian community. To view the video of the Mass for Good Purposes click HERE.
St. John's University featured the four seminarians, who are all 2019 graduates of the University's Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy program. READ HERE.
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Vincentian Aid Projects
During the Covid-19 Pandemic
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The world is experiencing a global pandemic, and we can’t just sit back and do nothing. On this page there are some projects that our Vincentian Family is carrying out.
Can you help support them? If so, select a project to support HERE.
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Explosion in the Port Hits Provincial House in Beirut |
No Vincentian lives were lost. However, view photos and videos showing the scale of the destruction of the Provincial house, as well as the neighboring Our Lady of Miraculous Medal Basilica. The explosion site is about one mile from the Vincentian premises. Read more HERE.
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First Meeting of the Confraternity of Vincentian Educators |
At the initiative and invitation of Fr. Fernando Sánchez, the members of the newly establish Confraternity of Christian Educators met for the first time (July 23, 2020). Read more HERE.
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St. John’s University Athletics Launches Council on Community, Culture, and Social Justice |
A department-wide effort to help advance the University's commitment to anti-racism, social justice, and equality. Read more HERE.
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Niagara University Students Tutor at Housing Program for Homeless |
Education students provide summer tutoring for children at Carolyn's House, a supportive housing program for homeless women and children. Read more HERE.
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Update from Jim Claffey
Congregation of the Mission Representative at the UN
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To read the update in English, click HERE.
To read the update in Spanish, click HERE.
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We spoke with Eastern Province Vincentian
Fr. G. Gregory Gay, CM, who celebrated 40 years as a priest in May.
The occasion of his four decades of priestly ministry seemed like a good time to ask him a few questions.
Read Fr. Gay's Give Me Five answers HERE.
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To watch Fr. Rooney's most popular Vincentian Minute video from the past month,
click the image above or click HERE.
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Nuns and Sisters and
Saint Vincent
By Fr. John Freund, CM
Nuns and sisters? Are they the same?
Many would say there is no difference.
There is actually a big difference and St. Vincent de Paul is responsible for setting in motion the difference.
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Prior to his time, the only ministry that was open to women was a ministry of prayer behind cloister walls. Vincent recognized the tremendous potential of women for a far greater range of ministries. He actively enlisted women "confraternities” who wished to serve the physical and spiritual needs of the poor.
After about 10 years he realized that many of these women wanted to dedicate their lives so such service. They wished to formalize this commitment by vows. The problem was that the only vows recognized by the Church were the vows of “religious” nuns. By law, they lived out their lives in a cloister.
With his peasant ingenuity, he discovered a way for these women to care for the physical and spiritual needs outside of a convent. Instead of taking formal religious vows, he stressed that they take simple private vows and only for one year at a time. This exempted them from the requirement of life in a monastery. These women were called “Daughters of Charity.” They regarded themselves as “Sisters” rather than “religious."
This is the background for his teaching: "The Daughters of Charity have… for a convent, the houses of the sick; for cell, a rented room; for chapel, the parish church; for cloister, the streets of the city; for enclosure, obedience; for grille, the fear of God; and for veil, holy modesty.”
Working as a young group of Sisters, the newly formed Daughters of Charity set up soup kitchens, organized community hospitals, established schools and homes for orphaned children, offered job training, taught the young to read and write, and improved prison conditions.
The rest is, as they say, history… but what a history!
So, in Church law, there is quite a difference. They are covered by entirely distinct sections of church law.
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How About That!
From our family in the Western Province…
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Fr. Ron Ransom, CM, authors an "autobiography" of Blessed Antoine-Frederic Ozanam, the founder of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.
Titled I, Frederic: Ozanam in His Own Words, this "autobiography" of a man who never wrote an autobiography looks at Ozanam's life as if through his own eyes. Learn more and buy a copy HERE.
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Miracles
By Fr. Daniel Berrigan, SJ
Were I God almighty, I would ordain,
rain fall lightly were old men trod,
no death in childbirth, neither infant nor mother,
ditches firm fenced against the errant blind,
aircraft come to ground like any feather.
No mischance, malice, knives.
Tears dried. Would resolve all
flaw and blockage of mind
that makes us mad, sets lives awry.
So I pray, under
the sign of the world’s murder, the ruined son;
why are you silent?
Feverish as lions
hear us in the world,
caged, devoid of hope.
Still, some redress and healing.
The hand of an old woman
turns Gospel page;
it flares up gently, the sudden tears of Christ.
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Fr. Daniel Berrigan, SJ (1921-2016), was an American Jesuit priest, anti-war activist, Christian pacifist, playwright, poet, and author. |
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Vincentian Quiz: Saint Catherine Labouré
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From our friends at VinFormation, take a quiz to challenge your knowledge about St. Catherine Labouré, a Daughter of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, and the woman entrusted by Our Lady with the Miraculous Medal.
Test your knowledge HERE.
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Laugh with a Comic by Fr. Al Pehrsson, CM |
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Share Christ’s Love with the Poor
Support the Work of the Vincentians Today
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The Vincentian Priests and Brothers of the Eastern Province join the worldwide mission of the Vincentians to serve Christ by serving the poor. In the Eastern Province, they do this through countless ministries serving those on the margins in areas often forgotten by the world. This includes pastoring the poorest of parishes, prison ministry, addiction recovery, immigrant and migrant services, and much more.
Support the Vincentians and their ministries by clicking HERE.
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Would Your Family or Friends Like to Receive Vincentian Voices?
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Ask you family or friends if they'd like to receive Vincentian Voices on the third Tuesday of every month.
If they're interested, sign them up HERE.
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Questions or Comments?
Please send your questions or comments about Vincentian Voices to its editor, Christopher Grosso, at [email protected].
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