2010 - A celebration
The year 2010 brings the 350th anniversary of the death of both St Vincent de Paul and St Louise de Marillac. It is also the year that the Society of St Vincent de Paul in Scotland celebrates its own 165th Anniversary. Plans for 2010 are still at an early stage but one suggestion for SSVP conferences is that each Diocesan Council in turn take one month of 2010 and organise an event that reflects the love of St Vincent for the poor by involving the less fortunate of that Diocese. Further details will follow in due course and suggestions are very welcome. |
Youth Development Programme
Youth Development Packs, including steps for creating a Youth Conference, publicity material and a sample presentation for Masses, have been sent to all Conferences in St Andrews and Edinburgh.
A group of young people have come forward to establish a Youth Conference at St Mary's, Edinburgh.
Work has continued with the Conforti Institute and a programme has been established for the week-end retreat/training sessions.
Visits to Secondary Schools and Glasgow University have resulte in encouraging responses and Conferences local to the schools are being visited. |
Reflection Papers 350th Anniversary
The Heritage Commission of the Vincentian Family for the 350th Anniversary of the Deaths of Saint Vincent and Saint Louise of the Vincentian Family presents the first two Reflection Papers.
Ten more will follow, two every two months. You can find them on-line at www.famvin.org/anniversary. |
|
UPDATE ON THE SITUATION IN HAITI
UPDATE ON THE SITUATION IN HAITI
In view of the colossal damages that have occurred the Daughters of Charity (DC) and SSVP (CGI) are jointly collaborating to provide relief assistance to the victims of the disaster. This joint effort will involve the participation of the DC and SSVP and the latter includes the SSVP members in Haiti and Eduardo Almeida, CGI International Territorial Vice President, in the region.
Eduardo, who is based in Haiti, will act as the liaison person between the DC and SSVP.
While some assistance will be provided at this stage but however the main thrust of the assistance will be focussed on the rehabilitation phase in reconstruction and assisting to rebuild the lives of the people. When the major international countries and aid agencies having provided the emergency assistance and leave the country then there is the enormous and challenging tasks ahead in attempting to follow up in helping the victims to re-settle their lives and this is where our main joint efforts of the DC/SSVP begins. The leaders of the Vincentian Family (CM, DC, SSVP, AIC etc.) who met in Paris these few days have endorsed such an approach.
We have been informed by Elismé Lesly, National President of SSVP Haiti that 5 members died in the disaster. Some of the members whose homes have been destroyed are living in tents along with some of the poor families they are assisting.
CGI has sent an initial sum of E 10,000 to the Daughters of Charity in the Dominican Republic(Haiti nearest neighbour) and together with SSVP Dominican Republic they will purchase food, water, medicines, cloths, tents etc. to be sent by truck to the DC in Haiti who will distribute the goods together with the local members of SSVP Haiti.
The Dominican Vincentians have themselves also organised trips by truck to Haiti in distributing medicines, food and other supplies. Two ex-VinPaz members are in Haiti assisting in relief assistance work through another aid agency and will also offer their assistance to our relief work as required.
The DC/SSVP will continue our pursuit in providing assistance and we will be providing news update on our CGI website. We are pleased to advise that in response to our appeal donations continue to be received in CGI, Paris, for the Haiti Disaster Fund. CGI will co-ordinate with the DC and we will render accountability for all funds used in the relief assistance. |
Mobility Project visits to Scotland!
We recently had two Mobility Project visits to Scotland. The first visit was 4 SSVP members from Hungary and the second visit was 2 SSVP members from Austria. Both groups enjoyed the visits tremendously and pictures and stories will be updated on the website soon.
Click on the above link to see what is happening with the Mobility Project around the world. |
Asia & Oceania Disasters Appeal
In the past few weeks some countries in Asia and Oceania have been devastated by natural disasters. The affected countries are:-
Taiwan - Typhoon Morakot
Philippines, Vietnam & Cambodia - Typhoon Ketsama
Indonesia - Earthquake
India - Floods in Anda Pradesh
Samoa & Tonga - Tsunami.
SSVP Scotland has sent an initial donation for the above appeal and since then, our Conferences have responded magnificently and donated a further £32,942.87! May God bless you for your efforts and your generosity. Thank you. |
|
|
