In November 2024, Vincentians from across the globe came together in Rome for the Second Vincentian Family Convocation—an unforgettable moment of unity, prayer, and renewal after years of virtual connection. In this video, Thomas Zielinski from Poland shares his moving experience of participating in this global gathering, reflecting on the power of community, the gift of face-to-face encounters, and the enduring flame of Vincentian charism. A long-time Vincentian communicator and coordinator of the international Confraternity of Vincentian Translators, Thomas invites us to glimpse the spirit of synodality and mission that filled this historic event.
Transcript:
The First Convocation of the Vincentian Family happened in January 2020. Two months later, the world stood still for almost two years in lockdown. No travels, no in-person meetings, no gatherings, and no other events. Everybody quickly adapted to using Zoom and other communication apps, which transformed our interactions. The lockdown tested our ability to maintain community connections and explore new collaboration methods.
The fire once lit continued to burn – online.
What a marvelous benefit of technology, which despite the challenges, allowed us to stay connected, though it could not replace face-to-face interactions, meetings and visits.
Almost 50 months later, in November 2024, when the lockdown had gone, Vincentians from all corners of the world gathered in Rome again to make themselves convinced that the fire once lit keeps burning, making us, as Vincentians, true pilgrims of hope.
When we attended the Eucharist in St. Peter’s Basilica on the World Day of the Poor, presided over by Pope Francis, we did not anticipate it would be his last prayer with the Vincentian Family.
Just a special dimension of the Famvin Convocation.
My name is Thomas Zielinski, and I’ve been walking on the path of Vincentian charism for most of my lifetime. For the past 18 years, I have been involved in numerous Famvin communication/collaboration projects with various branches of the Vincentian Family. For the last 5 years, I have been responsible for developing the international Confraternity of Vincentian Translators, one of two dozen Confraternities established by FAVILA, the Vincentian Family in Latin America and the Caribbean.
For the first time since lockdown, we gathered in person in Rome representing diverse countries, cultures and languages. As the coordinator of Vincentian translators, I recognized the critical role interpreters and translators play at such events. I took pride in having several members of our Confraternity facilitate better understanding among all attendees.
We forged new friendships, learned about distant Vincentian Family groups from so far away locations that traveling to Rome took their representatives longer than the convocation had taken.
We also met our collaborators and friends we hadn’t seen face-to-face for years, or whom we only knew from virtual events. The event provided numerous opportunities to practice synodality within the Family, fostering a global community through prayer, reflection, dialogue, and shared enjoyment.
The convocation highlighted the significance of such gatherings in nurturing and strengthening the Vincentian charism in the midst of a worldwide Family. It demonstrated how large a community we are even if some countries and regions where the charism is very much alive were not represented.
Our ongoing mission is to keep the fire burning making the Family stronger, more united, and communicative
Thank you for your attention.
Read or download the final document of the Second Convocation of the Vincentian Family: “Keeping the Fire Burning to Be Pilgrims of Hope.”
0 Comments