The Vincentian Family Office (VFO) presents a summary of the first three virtual monthly meetings with the famvin national presidents of Central America.

We have had four sessions actually. The fruits of the first sessions are shared to encourage the strengthening of our different regions and to promote this opportunity for each region.

Soon we will be offering this opportunity to the regions of South America and the Caribbean. Any comments or suggestions let us know at our e-mail address: vfo@famvin.org.

The Central American Council of the Vincentian Family has been reactivated. The following highlights the process as it is developing.

During recent months, the International Office of the Vincentian Family, located in the city of Philadelphia, Pa (USA), has promoted the establishment of closer relationships between those various groups and branches that share the charism that they have inherited from Saint Vincent de Paul.

During the month of May and after a conversation between Father Flavio Pereira, CM at the International Office and the National President of FAVI in Honduras and the National President of FAVI in Nicaragua, it was proposed that communication between the various councils of the Vincentian Family in Central America be reactivated … taking advantage of the means provided by Skype.

As a result of that conversation in May, the first meeting of the National Presidents was scheduled for Friday, June 17, 2016.  Furthermore, it was decided to invite the Latin American President of the Vincentian Family as well as the President and Secretary of the Central American Council (individuals who had been elected to those positions in the city of San Pedro Sula in 2008).

During the meeting that took place in June each one of the ten participants spoke about the manner in which he/she was elected and how the Central American Conference has functioned since 2008.  Each one of the presidents spoke about various achievements and the meetings that have been held in each of the distinct countries, namely, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras, Costa Rica and Panama.  The participants also spoke about the theme of formation and it was agreed that Honduras would share with the other participants their formation plan and El Salvador would provide the participants with formation material.

A third meeting was held on Friday, July 15, 2016.  The seven participants at this meeting spoke about the scheduling and the organization of various national encounters that will take place during the month of September.  Some countries have sent letters of invitation to the International Office asking for the accompaniment of some member from that Office.  It was also mentioned that the formation material from El Salvador has been published on the webpage www.famvin.org and in the coming weeks more material and information will be published on the same page.  It was also decided that each country would begin to develop some Statutes and that the Statutes from Panama would be published on the international web site.

Another meeting was scheduled for August 19 and it is hoped that what has occurred during the past few months will serve as a model for other regions, that is, that other areas will seek for new ways to establish and/or strengthen their relationship with other branches and groups so that the member can share their experiences and mutually encourage one another.  The objective of all this organizational work is, of course, based on the desire to seek a common ground that will enable us to serve in a more effective manner our lords and masters, those men and women who are poor.

Translated: Charles T. Plock, CM