Sister Eileen Haynes, Sister of Charity of Leavenworth (SCL), Kansas, United States, and member of the Executive Board of the Vincentian Family, talks to us about her commitment to the poor, her vision and her hopes.

With her we begin a series of video interviews called “The Heart of a Leader” which will accompany us on our journey to the meeting in November 2024.

“As we dream together, the dream becomes a reality.” – Fr. Tomaž Mavrič, C.M. Register now at https://famvin.org/en/famvin-2024

Transcript:

I am Sister Eileen Haynes. I am a Sister of Charity of Leavenworth, in Kansas in the United States.
What do you do in the Vincentian Family?
Currently I serve my congregation as the community director.

“Working Together”
Why, Sister Eileen, is it important to work together with the Vincentian Family?
That’s easy. We need to work together as a Vincentian Family because of our brothers and sisters who are speaking and asking for our help because of the situations they find themselves in. And as our Family continues to change, and to evolve, especially with our youth, we need to be able to bring them in, all of us together, to better serve together.

“The Future”
For the future, the hope, and also the challenge for the future of the Vincentian Family?
Hope for the future?
Yes, and also the challenge.
The hope is that we become better by working together; by truly collaborating with one another
by coming together at the table with those who live in poverty, and those of us who do not, to better serve and learn and grow together in God’s relationship with one another. So, the challenge of that is, how do we do that? How do we set ourselves apart? How do I set myself apart so that when I collaborate, it’s not about me It’s about you, and you, and you  And truly listening and hearing what God desires for us. So, the challenge is putting ourselves to the side and hearing what God is asking of us. The other challenge is that our young adults certainly have the charism that God has given, of St. Vincent de Paul. How do we welcome our young adults into the Family so that we can hear their voice and how they are being called today?

Thank you very much.
You’re welcome very much.