Between June 12th  and 18th , all the eyes of the worldwide Vincentian community will be on Rome where the Council General International of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul (SSVP) will hold its General Assembly, which takes place every six years.

The venue chosen in the Eternal City is the Hotel Casa Tra Noi, which can accommodate the event with its auditoriums and chapel. The Assembly will be broadcasted live on Facebook by Ozanam TV.

On June 12th, the Annual Meeting of Territorial Vice-presidents (ITVPs) will be held with the participation of all 12 Vice-presidents. On the 13th,  the election of the 17th President General International will take place (three candidates are running). On the 14th, besides the Papal audience, the participants will review changes to the International Statutes with the aim to modernize the SSVP. On the 15th, the Council General’s leaders will present their work reports, with voting on several resolutions.

On the 16th and 17th, the first Workshop for National Presidents will be held. The Presidents will engage discussions on several subjects such as governance, youth, solidarity and Vincentian spirituality. On the last day, June 18th, there will be a specific meeting for Portuguese-speaking countries (called “Lusophone Summit”).

Other highlights 

The Medal “Charity in Hope” will be awarded to the Order of Malta International. An institutional cooperation agreement will be signed with the Order of Malta as well as a “Letter of Intent” with the World Union of Catholic Women’s Organizations (WUCWO). The prefect of the Dicastery for Communication, Dr. Paolo Ruffini PhD, will be honored with the “Ozanam Prize of Journalism.” It will be the first time this award will be bestowed by the CGI.

Important documents will be tabled during the Assembly, such as the “Global Report” (containing information about the presence of SSVP around the world), the booklet “Revitalization of Vincentian Conferences” (presenting suggestions to rejuvenate Vincentian groups) and the “Manual of Youth Committees” (to guide countries to better organize the youth).

Moment of Rejoicing

The General Assembly is a remarkable moment in the life of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, because it brings together the Vincentian leaders of the 155 territories where the organization is present to discuss relevant issues, vote on resolutions and, of course, elect the new President General. It is a jubilant moment for our Society.

“During our term, I have tried to do my best, dedicating my time entirely to the Council General International. With the support of a fantastic Board of Directors, the National Councils and the staff in Paris, we were able to advance on several objectives of our strategic planning. They were seven years of hard work and challenges, but also of many achievements and accomplishments,” commented brother Renato Lima de Oliveira, 16th President General.

To follow the transmissions live:

• English: https://www.facebook.com/ozanamtven
• French: https://www.facebook.com/ozanamtvfr
• Spanish: https://www.facebook.com/ozanamtves
• Portuguese: https://www.facebook.com/ozanamtv

Check out the letter that the President General sent, this week, to all the participants of the General Assembly

Source: https://www.ssvpglobal.org/