Just under 400 years ago St. Vincent founded what is today known as the AIC.

AIC Holds Annual Meeting in Brussels, Belgium

The website of the Ladies of Charity USA writes….The most recent executive board meeting of AIC was held at Maison Notre Dame de Chant d’Oiseau in Brussels, Belgium, in March, 2014. The next Assembly of Delegates, which is held in odd-numbered years, will take place in Antigua, Guatemala during March. At this time directors are elected and a new president will succeed the current president, Laurence de la Brosse, whose term of office will be complete. It is expected that there will be a large delegation from LCUSA, as well as candidates to represent the United States, in attendance at this event.

A topic of concern to LCUSA as well as to other countries is the need to train Lay Spiritual Moderators for an increasing number of situations where a religious sister is no longer available. Sister Francis Ryan, D.C. and other Vincentian collaborators are compiling a training brochure.

A Prospects Group, comprised of those with intimate connections with AIC, former members of the AIC board, and other collaborators, is working behind the scenes to develop a theme for the Assembly of Delegates in 2017 which is the year of the 400th anniversary of the establishment of the Confraternities of Charity by St. Vincent. Other tasks for this group are the design of a common logo and slogan and good communication through the use of technology to promote the celebration.

Sister Françoise Petit, counsellor to the superior general of the Daughters of Charity, in attendance at the Executive Board (EB) meeting, spoke on the significance we should give to the 400th anniversary (“L’AIC à 400 ans, quel sens donner a cet anniversaire“). Sister spoke of steps to a greater knowledge of the family and the need to look to the future with hope; to re-live the trace of God in the first Ladies of Charity and to revive their missionary zeal; to use scripture as a source of joy and communicate the values that drive us.