“Keeping the Fire Burning to Be Pilgrims of Hope”
The Second Convocation of the Vincentian Family
Dear Vincentian Family,
With joy and hearts full of hope, we present the Second Convocation of the Vincentian Family document entitled, “Keeping the Fire Burning to be Pilgrims of Hope”. This document, born from the Synodal discernment of those gathered in Rome in November 2024, marks a pivotal moment for reflection and action within our global family. It invites all of our members to deepen their commitment to the poor and to the mission of our common charism. We hope that it will serve as an essential tool for discernment in your meetings, gatherings, and at all levels of your work. As we look toward the future, a future whose name is HOPE, this resource is meant to encourage thoughtful reflection and to offer guidance and inspiration as we live out our Vincentian vocation directly serving the poor, implementing systemic change projects, and engaging in active political advocacy.
We encourage each branch of the Vincentian Family to use this document to support and to invigorate the work you are already doing and to rekindle the zeal that has defined us for centuries. Sharing this document is undoubtedly the responsibility of all the Vincentian Family National Councils and Leadership Teams, but it is all an invitation for each one of us to break open this document in our smaller communities, with our friends, and with all those whom we strive to influence with the Vincentian charism.
In keeping with this hope, the Vincentian Family Office will provide two reflections for your prayer and dialogue. They will come to you in the week of St. Louise de Marillac’s feast day in May, and in the week of Pentecost in June. These feasts are historical moments of illumination for our Vincentian Family, and we believe that God continues to offer this light and revelation to all of us today. Until then, please look with eyes open wide to the challenges inherent in this document.
We also welcome your reaction as well as your stories about how you use this document to keep the fire burning, to spread hope, and to engage our Family in the challenges of today’s world. Your input will help us move forward as a united and prophetic presence in the world. Please use this link to share with us.
With spirit and hope,
The Vincentian Family Office
Download the document in several languages at the following links:
This is an awesome and challenging document! Would it be helpful for a short summary version to also be made available for those who might not persist in reading the entire document? AI might assist in creating a summary.
Thanks, Christine. We will see how to respond to your recommendation. Vincentian Family Office