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brothers from 55 provinces and regions located in 85 countries on all continents, except Antarctica
Antarctica?
New mission in Tierra del Fuego, South America
secure setting of classroom and campus to enter the world of the poor and the margins When doing this, one may experience:
Disorientation
Confrontation
Formation Transformation
Week of service in Philadelphia
myself went through the phases of disorientation, confrontation, and formation... But it is the transformative power of the Vincentian charism that has stayed with me
Vincentian education different from the secular, altruistic models? Start with the man for whom it is named: Saint Vincent de Paul
education by disguising it as a vocation to the priesthood Priesthood seemed to offer both a better life for himself, and a stable income to assist his parents
On the surface
Vincent was bright,
articulate, wrote well He had degrees from the University of Toulouse and the Sorbonne He was detail-oriented and good with with finances He mingled with people of influence He travelled all through Europe He became chaplain to a wealthy family in Paris, and lived on their estate
missing... Vincent felt an inner emptiness, a hole in his soul. His impressive education, keen intellect, comfortable lifestyle, and the status of priest were not enough.
change the direction of his life? Not by thinking or reasoning, but by two experiences with the poor two random encounters that shook Vincent to his core!
Gondi estate, where St. Vincent worked, pleaded for someone to hear his confession If not for Vincents pastoral care, I would have died in mortal sin. Vincent pitied the unchurched man, and suddenly realized that there were tens of thousands just like him
help for a family, from the pulpit before Mass His parishioners would bring food, but so much at one time that it would just spoil or be wasted He saw that efforts of charity were not sustainable unless they were coordinated
God touched Vincents heart to re-direct his abilities to organize and motivate others.
human and divine To ally himself with a renowned spiritual director To seek out like-minded people for support Most of all, he allowed God to reawaken him, finding Christ in Scriptures, Eucharist, & prayer
Niagara University is a manifestation and continuation of the vision of Saint Vincent de Paul.
Bishop Stephen V. Ryan, C.M., provincial superior of the American Vincentians, second bishop of Buffalo
A lifelong impact
Students come and go
every four years, but Niagaras enduring values are a way of life A Vincentian campus culture makes it possible to be good, do good, and be a force for good (Fr. Thomas Judge, C.M.)
This is what St. Vincent believed, taught, and put into practice: all our efforts must have their origin and end in God, who guides and gives us strength.
They should be places where Catholic moral, intellectual, and social traditions are taught in their great richness to the next generation, seeking to nourish the gift of faith.
They should develop a distinctive Vincentian theology of service, and include reflection and dialogue on the encounter with Christ in the experience of service
the only hope to lift the poor out of a destructive and generational poverty Niagara took the lead in providing scholarships, grants and financial assistance to give the poor access to education But we must do more
a great presence in WNY / East Coast Vincentian witness of students and faculty for the poor has had a profound, lasting impact We take time to reflect on our experiences of encountering Christ in the poor
Highland Community Greenfields Project
with his warmth, simplicity, and advocacy for the poor In his homilies, the Holy Father coined a phrase: the globalization of indifference
Transformed by service
When one first enters into the
world of the poor: disorientation, confrontation, formation, and ultimately, transformation This may seem unsettling or even threatening But Gods grace does wonders, breaks down barriers, helps us to affirm our common humanity, and put aside differences of race, class, gender, and religion
St. Vincent de Paul developed a spirituality of service, based on seeing Christ in the poor and the poor in Christ. Despite his many activities, Vincent was first and foremost a mystic of charity.
You and I may never reach the same level of achievement, selfless service, or mysticism of Vincent. But we can try, cant we? Niagara is where this wonderful labor of love can begin, grow, and lead us more deeply into the beauty and mystery of learning to serve the poor in Christ.