I am Cleber Teodosio, a seminarist in the Congregation of the Mission and I, as a layperson and a Vincentian student, wish to share my missionary experience. I do so from the perspective of the Vincentian Family: an ecclesial organization/movement from which flows possibilities for action, love and service.

“The Lord has led us to this point,” and as always, has done so promptly. The Lord provides us with many opportunities in life, always guiding us along his paths and thus, allowing us to experience the good that he created. Furthermore, the Lord helps us to overcome our shortcomings, limitations and difficulties. People whom we meet and situations that we encounter can teach us something about life. With the inspiration of the Spirit, we can extract from these encounters the good that they embody. We can also collaborate with one another so that everything and everyone who approaches us, departs from us as a better person.

My name is Cleber Fábio Oliveira Teodósio, or simply “Fabio.” I am a student for the Congregation of the Mission (Province of Brazil) and am a participant in this marvelous reality that is being promoted by the International Office of the Vincentian Family and FAVILA: the Vincentian Confraternities. At the present time I am involved in three of these confraternities: Vincentian radio and TV, Vincentian Graphic-Designers and Vincentian Translators. In each of these groups I attempt of offer the best of myself. I am secretary of the radio and TV group and in the graphic design group I collaborate in the creation of material and in the third group I help with translation (and it is this group that I want to speak about).

I have always had a special fascination with languages. While living in a country with a poor educational system, I have always had difficulty learning new languages. But the Lord had a mission for me, and through the Superior General of the Congregation of the Mission, Fr. Gregory Gay, CM, he called me to the International Secretariat of the VMY (Vincentian Marian Youth) in Madrid Spain, where I served for three years. I accepted the challenge, and even though I did not speak Spanish, I went to Europe in September 2009. There I had the opportunity to learn Spanish and study some English. Participating in international meetings of the Vincentian Family, both in Lisbon and in Paris, I was enchanted with the work of the translators, who, from their booths, communicated with each of the participants in their language of origin. That was a wonderful experience and I began to ask myself if I could also act in that manner.

Ten years later, having returned to Brazil, I became aware of the Vincentian Confraternities, and in the first meeting with all the coordinators, there was a need for translators from Spanish to the other languages. This will be even more necessary as the fraternities grow and reach out to people in Europe and Africa and Asia and beyond. I was invited to translate from Spanish into Portuguese and I felt competent in doing this. It was my first time as a simultaneous translator. I had been doing written translations since 2007, but  simultaneous translation was a novelty. I was very anxious, but I was confident that, with God’s help, everything would be fine. This experience set a precedent for several others: I translated at meeting of the National Council of the Vincentian Family of Belize,  at the evaluation meeting of the International Leaders of the Vincentian Family and of course, the monthly webinars of the Vincentian Confraternities which are broadcast by the virtual channels of Ozanam TV.

All of these experiences give me reason to thank God for the opportunity to serve and to act together with other members of the Vincentian Family so that the Vincentian charism becomes better known, loved and lived. I am thankful to God for these opportunities and I remain open to other opportunities to serve the Family. I know I have much to learn and that there will be more opportunities for collaboration. Therefore, open to the will of God, I clothe myself with an attitude that will enable me to work with greater boldness and wisdom.

If you want to place yourself at the service of the poor, join us and share your talents and gifts. Become a member of one or more of the Vincentian Confraternities listed below. Write to the coordinator of that group and you will be most graciously welcomed.

Cleber Teodosio