This is a fictitious letter, inspired by the life, spirituality and thought of Frederic Ozanam, the principal founder of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and one of the great lay members of the Vincentian Family. The convocation in Rome in 2024 is an opportunity to renew our commitment in a context of synodality and fraternity.

Can you imagine what Blessed Frederic Ozanam would say to us if he were to write a letter to the present members of the Vincentian Family today? This is just a literary exercise, but perhaps it could be something like this:

Dear Brothers and Sisters of the Vincentian Family,

It is with great joy and profound happiness that I address this letter to you, aware of the spiritual closeness that unites us across centuries and continents, and knowing that my voice resounds in your midst thanks to the living work of charity that we share. In this year 2024, I invite you to come to Rome, November 14-17, for the second convocation of our great Vincentian Family. This will be a unique occasion for meeting, reflection and strengthening our common commitment to the poor and to the transformation of society.

From the time we founded the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in 1833, we were well aware that the work of charity could not be the monopoly of the clergy or of institutions far removed from the daily life of the people. No, Brothers! In our work, the laity have an indispensable and irreplaceable mission. Always remember that the Church’s social and charitable action is not a mere complement to the faith, but its most authentic and tangible manifestation in the world.

You, dear lay people, are the face of Christ in the midst of noisy cities, in poor neighborhoods, universities, hospitals and homes. The world needs your courageous and firm witness; it needs men and women who, with their feet on the ground and their eyes on heaven, can bring hope where there is despair and light where darkness reigns.

I have seen in my time, and you see in yours, the immense gap between the rich and the poor, between the powerful and the powerless. But it is not enough to point out these injustices; we must do something to transform them. Each one of you, in your place, has the capacity to change the reality around you, to dignify the poor, to humanize work, to educate children, to care for the sick and to console the afflicted.

Charity is not a simple act of giving; it is the expression of the highest justice. Charity, dear friends, is not just a coin in the hand of the beggar, but the recognition of the inviolable dignity of every person. Charity completes what justice alone cannot accomplish. But we must not forget that our mission goes beyond momentarily alleviating suffering. Our call is to transform society from its roots, fighting against the structural causes of poverty and exclusion.

Nearly two centuries ago, our beloved Society of St. Vincent de Paul emerged as a direct response to the challenges of a deeply divided society. We gathered not only to talk about charity, but to live and embody it in our daily actions. We learned from St. Vincent de Paul that true charity is always active, dynamic and committed to the reality of the poorest.

In this sense, I exhort you not to settle for a charity that soothes your consciences, but to seek a charity that demands of you sacrifice, dedication and passion. Be courageous in denouncing injustice, in raising your voice in defense of the voiceless, and in acting with creativity and generosity in the face of the new challenges of our time.

The upcoming meeting in Rome will be a prophetic sign of unity and hope for the Vincentian Family and for the Church. We will meet in the heart of Christianity, in a city that has witnessed countless gestures of faith and holiness. There we will gather not only to share our experiences and projects, but also to discern together the path that the Lord is calling us to follow in these troubled times.

It is essential that this meeting be a space of authentic synodality, where all of us – laity, men and women religious, priests and bishops – can listen and be listened to. Rome welcomes us, but it is Christ who summons us, who invites us to renew our commitment to the poorest and to social transformation. Do not be afraid to express your ideas, to propose new forms of action and to imagine innovative ways to make our mission more effective.

Pope Francis has reminded you time and again of the need for a Church that goes out, a Church that is not afraid to get its hands dirty working among the people. May this meeting be an impetus to get out of our comfort zones and launch ourselves into the peripheries, both existential and geographical.

Friends, we live in times of great challenges, but also of enormous opportunities. The secularization and religious indifference that so troubled me in my day are nothing compared to the difficulties of your time. However, do not forget that human history is a story of redemption, and that each of us has a unique role to play in this great work.

Modern society, so advanced and at the same time so fragmented, needs the prophetic witness of the laity. It needs men and women who, enlightened by faith and moved by charity, are capable of showing that another world is possible. It needs hearts that burn with the love of Christ and that do not allow themselves to be extinguished by indifference or conformism.

I encourage you to go forward with renewed strength. Do not be discouraged in the face of difficulties and do not be satisfied with small deeds. Always aim high, for the Lord expects much from us. He has placed in your hands the responsibility of bringing the light of his love to every corner of this world.

Dear brothers and sisters, I await you in Rome with a heart full of hope and joy. May this convocation be a new Pentecost for our great Vincentian Family, a time of grace in which we can rekindle the fire of our charism and renew our commitment to the poor and the marginalized.

Always be aware of the greatness of your lay vocation. Remember that in you is the strength to transform society and to make present the Kingdom of God here and now. Do not cease to look up to heaven, but never forget that your feet are called to walk among men and women, in the midst of their joys and sufferings, to be witnesses of the love that saves and transforms.

With all my affection and prayers,

Frederic Ozanam

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