The AIC mourns the death of Claire Delva

Received from the AIC International office this morning:

Dear Presidents, Executive Board members and friends of AIC,

It is with much sadness and emotion that we are informing you of the death of our dear friend Claire Delva who in 1971 became the first International President of the newly re-organised AIC and who gave so much to our association.

She was for us a source of inspiration and as Dilde Grandi emphasized in her Afterword of the book written by Claire Delva: “Without Claire Delva, AIC as it is today would never have been born, without her dynamic and courageous Presidency, the international association would never have had the impulse, the organization and the expansion which still constitute today the basis of its essence and action in the world (…) She had prophetic intuition by saving, energizing and reorganizing an association which had the richness of the spiritual heritage of St Vincent and the strength of its many volunteers present in lots of countries” (L’A.I.C., une étape dans son histoire, [AIC, A step in its story] p.90)

It has been amazing for us to see how she remained active within AIC until the end of her life. You will remember as such the “Delva Prize” that she founded to help women who were victims of violence and which she continued to follow with much interest beyond the age of 90.

We invite you to join us in prayer to support her family and friends. May Christ and St Vincent strengthen our Hope and our Faith in eternity.

Kindest regards,

Alicia and Tayde