Ladies of Charity USA
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Contents |
Overview
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History
- The first American Lady of Charity was a 23-year old wife and mother named Catherine Harkins. Born in Ireland, she came to America with her parents and was taught by the Sisters of Charity in Emmitsburg, Maryland. When she married, she moved to St. Louis, settling in St. Vincent de Paul Parish. There, encouraged by Father Urban Gagnepain of the Congregation of the Mission, she formed an association on December 8, 1857. It was the first American association of the Ladies of Charity. There were 12 members and she was their president.
- There were many poor in St. Louis and the new association found its services to be much needed. Aside from visiting and feeding those in need, the Ladies also assisted the Daughters of Charity who came to the parish in 1859. The Daughters staffed the House of the Guardian Angel for orphan girls. When Father Gagnepain was transferred to New Orleans, he formed a second group. Thus the movement began in the United States.
In Our Time
- With the approach of their Centennial in 1957, the members of the first American association, the St. Vincent de Paul Parish, decided to invite all Ladies of Charity Associations in the United States to send representatives to the a centennial celebration. The Ladies, who represented 22 states, voted unanimously to form a more lasting bond by means of a national organization. The first National Assembly met in New York City in 1960. This marked the establishment of the National Association now known as Ladies of Charity of the United States of America (LCUSA).
- In 1972 the Ladies of Charity of the United States joined associations around the world and formed the International of Association Charities (AIC). Thus the seed sown by St. Vincent in 1617 has become a huge tree that extends its branches to forty countries with a world-wide membership of 260,000 lay volunteers.
- Ladies of Charity continue in the mission of direct service to the poor in the spirit of St Vincent, To Serve Rather Than Be Served. with humility, simplicity and charity.
Mission
Mission Statement of the Ladies of Charity
- Assist, local associations to continue, expand and improve their charitable and spiritual works according to the directives and in the spirit of St. Vincent de Paul, St. Louise de Marillac and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton through personal service to those in need.
- Encourage and aid in communications, to promote and strengthen unity, to share ideas and information among all the associations, and to foster the formation of new associations of Ladies of Charity in collaboration with the other branches of the Vincentian family.
- Foster more vital links with the International Association of Charities (AIC) to profit from the experience of Ladies of Charity world-wide and to be supportive of sister associations in their efforts to respond to unmet needs
Ministries
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Organization
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Resources for Moderators
Reflection Sheet 1 for Sister Moderators and Spiritual Advisors
SPIRITUAL MODERATOR: A Calling from God
Opening Reflection
An important point, and one to which you should carefully devote yourself, is to establish a close union between yourself and Our Lord in prayer. That is the reservoir in which you will receive the instructions you need to fulfill the duties on which you are now about to enter. When in doubt, have recourse to God and say to Him: “ O Lord, you who are the Father of light, teach me what I ought to do in this circumstance.”: Vincent de Paul Coste. Conferences to the CMs, Conference 153
ADVISORS ACCORDING TO THE MIND OF ST. VINCENT
St. Vincent believed in the laity and had great confidence in them but he demanded of them a response to their vocation of developing the charitable work of the Church. He showed his faith in the laity by founding various associations. He delegated to lay people responsibility for directing these associations and the rules that he drew up when founding the first confraternity clearly define the role of a good Advisor. “The confraternity should be composed of lay people and it should be autonomous with its own specific form of governing body elected by all the members.” (Cf. Rule for the Charities at Châtillon les Dombes, November/December 1617, V. 575-577). The members are to be responsible for organizing the works of the Confraternity as laid down in Chapter X, 571. “Those in charge will have complete responsibility for directing each confraternity.”
In the rule that was drawn up for Châtillon and for subsequent Charities, the advisors are presented as “animators.” Their responsibility is to maintain the original concept and spirit of a confraternity: these men and women Advisors are not to concern themselves with organizational matters or the carrying out of the various tasks because the confraternity is an autonomous body. The role that St. Vincent decided on for the advisors to the confraternities founded by him, was originally limited to that of being “animators” according to these confraternities. Vincent de Paul, the model advisor for lay people, was a man who paid attention to the laity and was quite prepared to receive from them, not only enlightenment about the spirituality of the confraternity, but was also ready to be influenced by them on fundamental aspects of it. It was lay people who first suggested to him the idea of making the first foundation and over the years his own spiritual outlook was enriched and influenced by the manner in which the ladies he directed lived their faith. St. Louise is an example of this and so, too, are the Daughters of Charity: the work that they developed for the poor contributed largely to St. Vincent’s integration of the corporal-material element into his ideas on the integral evangelization of the poor.Role and tasks of Advisors to AIC Groups and Associations
- What points do I want to remember about my responsibilities as Spiritual Advisor?
- Ask God for the grace to see your service to the Ladies of Charity through the eyes of the Spirit.
- Ask God to accept your own powerlessness and limitations and allow God to act through you.
Closing Prayer: Pray the words of St. Vincent:
It is our vocation…to set people’s hearts ablaze, to do what the Son of God did, to set it aflame with his love. It is not enough for me to love God if my neighbor does not love him. I must love my neighbor as the image of God and the object of his love… I must act in such a way that people love their Creator and each other in mutual charity for the love of God who loved them so much that he delivered up his own Son to death for them. Amen.
Notes Prayer Texts:
- Lk 5: 1-11 – The Call of Peter
- 2 Cor 12:1-10 – When I am powerless, then I am strong
- Gen 22: 1-19 – Abraham and Isaac
- Jer 1:4-10 - Call of Jeremiah
- Charity is a fire that acts ceaselessly, Vincent XI
Reflection Sheet 2 for Spiritual Moderators and Spiritual Advisors
Show Us the Way
Opening Prayer
I am yours, Holy Virgin so that I may be more completely God’s. Teach me to imitate your holy life. Like you, I want to carry out what God asks of me. In all humility I recognize my need for your assistance; you know my weakness, but you see the desire of my heart.
It is from your Son, my Redeemer that you learned the virtues that you practiced on earth. Following your example, may all my actions glorify his Love forever.
May each person render you the glory that you deserve as the beloved Daughter of the Father, Mother of the Son and worthy Spouse of the Holy Spirit.
- Based on Spiritual Writings of Louise #595 A prayer with Louse de Marillac, p. 11
Formation
Liberating leadership is based, primarily, on the essential and fruitful convictions that the Pope reminds us about in “Christifideles Laici” (nº 63), when he says: “One cannot offer a true and effective formation to others if the individual has not taken on or developed a personal responsibility for formation; this, in fact, is essentially a “formation of self.” We have to remain faithful to the conviction that each of us is both the author and the object of formation.”
Formation is wide-ranging and includes, among other areas, spirituality, the Vincentian perspective, pastoral skills, group dynamics and an understanding of the Social Teaching of the Church.
- The Advisor is requested to collaborate in a special way in the area of Vincentian formation. Other aspects of formation can be cared for by other people or through specific and occasional activities.
- In formation work with Vincentian groups or associations, the Advisors must strive to bring lay people to be leaders in this task so that they, too, will be prepared to be both promoters and workers in the apostolate. This would be of particular benefit to those groups and associations that do not have the help of a priest of a sister.
- In the work of formation the Advisors should be helped by lay people themselves, by other interested groups or by experts from outside.
It must be made clear that the work of formation does not mean just giving a talk or a spiritual reflection at the beginning of a meeting, or saying Mass, but it is more a question of helping the group to make the connection between theory and practice by evaluating its actions and decisions in the light of St. Vincent’s teaching. This type of accompaniment requires collaboration, active participation in meetings and activities, openness to the Spirit working in the group.
- Adapted from the AIC Manual for Spiritual Advisors
As I read this section, where do I see my strengths for this type of work?
What is an area for growth for me on which I will concentrate my efforts?
As did Louise de Marillac, the formator of the early Confraternities and Ladies of Charity, ask the guidance of the Spirit and the assistance of Mary to assist you with this work.
Closing:
Because you are God’s chosen one, holy and beloved, clothe yourself with heartfelt mercy, with kindness, humility, meekness, and patience… Above all virtues put on love, which binds the rest together and makes them perfect. Christ’s peace must reign in your heart… Dedicate your self to thankfulness. . Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being.
- Adapted from Colossians 3: 12-15, 23.
Mary, model of the true disciple of Jesus, grant me these graces, through Christ our Lord. Amen
Notes
Prayer Texts:
- Jn 3:22-30 - He must grow greater, I must grow smaller.
- 2 Cor 12:1-10 - When I am powerless…then I am strong.
- Jn 14:15-20, 25-28 - I will ask the Father to send the Spirit who will teach everything.
Current Events
International
2005
- February 11-13 AIC in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
United States
Material to be added...
Vincentian Heritage Tours to Paris
Led by
- Fr. Bill Piletic, CM
- The Gielows, CM
October 19- depart New York
- Day 2 Arrival Paris - tranfer to hotel. Holiday Inn Republique. Dinner at local restaurant including wine, coffee, tea and water
- Day 3 Full day of sightseeing ro Rue de Bac where the Sisters of or Daughters of Charity are headquarteded. Visit to Miraculous Medal Chapel to see the body of St. Cathine Laboure. THe heart of St. Vincent is also in this church. Entrance to Chapel of St. Vincent to see the relic. Overnight Paris.
- Day 4 Full day sightseeing of Paris including Eiffel Tower, Notre Daem Cathedral, Arc de Triiumpm and Scre Coeur. Overnight Paris.
- Day 4 Full day excursion to Folleville and clichy. Return to Paris for overnight.
October 28 - return to New York
