Dear brothers and sisters of the Worldwide Vincentian Family:

May the peace of the Lord be with you now and forever!

As in previous years, I am writing to provide you with information about the various CIF programs that will be offered next year. This will allow enough time for you to prepare to participate. Likewise, I invite you to share this information with all the members of the Vincentian Family in your respective countries.

I am pleased inform you that in 2023 we have had a significant increase in the number of participants: lay people who are members of Vincentian associations and/or work in our institutions, religious women from various congregations who share the Vincentian charism, as well as priests and brothers of the Congregation of the Mission. Thank you for inviting these groups, and in many cases helping them financially so they can participate in the programs offered at CIF.

Let me share some ideas with you. We want to continue adapting CIF to new challenges. The entire Church follows a synodal path that invites us to a process of transformation, a process of comprehensive change. CIF desires to be a part of this effort. Also, we want to continue to improve our programming in an attempt to resolve current and future problems (collaborating with one another, becoming ever more creative, perseverance, and firmness). In this effort, the opinion and input of each of you is valuable because CIF is a formation institute open to the entire Vincentian Family.

Now I list our specific programs: the first two are for members of the Worldwide Vincentian Family and the last one is for members of the Congregation of the Mission. I include this last one to highlight its importance and to invite everyone to pray for the participants in each encounter.

• II CIF FOR ON-GOING FORMATION IN ASIA. From Sunday, February 4 to Wednesday, February 14, 2024, a formation session will be held in Mysore, India. This session is offered to the members of the Congregation of the Mission and members of the wider Vincentian Family in Asia. Those interested can register with Fr. Joy Thuruthel CM  (thuruthelcm@gmail.com) or with Fr. Francis Puthenthayil CM  (puthenthayilfrancis@gmail.com).
• VII CIF FOR THE VINCENTIAN FAMILY. The participants will arrive on Sunday, May 5 and depart on Sunday, May 26, 2024. This session will take place at the Motherhouse of the Congregation of the Mission in Paris, France. This will include visits to significant Vincentian places of interest as well as conferences on topics related to Vincentian theology. During this session we will highlight the role of the secretaries in the various Vincentian congregations and associations (a certificate of completion will be given to the participants). I remind you that there is a limited number of openings and registration closes on Tuesday, April 2, 2024. To register I ask you to write me at: andresmotto@gmail.com (the cost of this program is 2100 Euros).
• V CIF FOR MISSIONARIES AD GENTES. The participants arrive on Sunday, November 3 and depart on Sunday, November 24, 2024. This session will take place at the Motherhouse of the Congregation of the Mission in Paris, France. This formation program focuses on missiology from a Vincentian perspective. This year we will include a pilgrimage of several days. To register I ask you to write to me at: andresmotto@gmail.com (cost 1500 euros).

Some practical information:

[1] The cost of these sessions includes all expenses. The best form of payment is: a) to deposit the money in the CIF account at least 15 days before your arrival. If you do not have the account number, write to me and I will provide you with that information. b) bring the money with you and pay upon your arrival.

[2[ The Motherhouse in Paris has many people staying there and almost all the rooms are reserved. That is why I ask the participants to arrive no earlier than the day before the start of the session and to depart no later than the day after the conclusion of the program.

[3] Remember that many countries require a Visa to enter France. This process should be started some months before your expected arrival in Paris. We, with the documents that we request, make the Attestation of each participant in France. Then, the participant must make an appointment at the French Consulate in their country, so that this attestation becomes a visa. To start the process, the French government asks us for the following documents: A) Photocopy of the Passport. B) Date of entry and exit from France, C) Photocopy of the Travel Medical Insurance for the days you are in France (this may seem strange, but the French government has stated that it will not assume anyone’s health expenses). Always send photocopies, not photos taken from your cell phone. For those who do not need a Visa, registration is very easy.

[4] The formation sessions will be offered in English, French and Spanish (except for the program in India which will be offered only in English).

I ask you to collaborate with us in the dissemination of this information. Please use your personal or community social networks to spread the news (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, magazines, WEB pages, etc.). The more visibility we give to CIF, the more we will strengthen our ongoing formation programs.

I look forward to your response throughout the year. As always united in prayer and action. Your very humble and obedient servant,

Fr. Andrés MOTTO, CM, ThD
Director of CIF