The CIF: Returning to the Sources of the Vincentian Charism

The International Formation Center, commonly known by its French acronym CIF — Centre International de Formation, offers ongoing formation to priests and brothers of the Congregation of the Mission, as well as programs open to other members of the Vincentian Family. Its sessions take place at the Mother House of the Congregation of the Mission, 95 rue de Sèvres, Paris, where the remains of Saint Vincent de Paul rest in the main chapel. The location also gives participants ready access to many of the places connected with Vincentian history in Paris and elsewhere in France.

CIF was created in response to the conviction that Vincentian formation cannot end with the initial stages of a vocation. The Congregation’s modern program of ongoing formation began after the 1992 General Assembly, and the first CIF session was held in 1994. Its formation model brings together the life and spirituality of Saint Vincent, the history of the Vincentian Family, contemporary theological and pastoral questions, and reflection on the new forms of poverty facing the Church and society. Its international setting also allows participants from different countries and cultures to pray, study, and share their experiences together.

In 2026, CIF is offering two particularly significant opportunities during September and November. Although they differ in length and emphasis, both programs seek to lead participants beyond a simple period of rest. They are intended as experiences of spiritual conversion, deeper Vincentian identity, missionary revitalization, and renewed service of people living in poverty.

September: A Month of Spiritual Renewal

From September 1 to 30, 2026, CIF will offer a 30-Day Renewal Program for Vincentian Spirituality. The session is intended for Vincentians from the different expressions of the Family, including laypeople, sisters, brothers, and others wishing to deepen their Vincentian vocation. The announced program fee is €1,950.

The central movement of the program is described as a journey from reflection to conversion, from conversion to renewal, and from renewal to missionary commitment. Participants will be invited not merely to acquire more information about Saint Vincent de Paul, but to embrace his spirit more fully and to examine how Christ is calling them to live the charism today.

Prayer, study, community life, personal reflection, and pilgrimage will shape the experience. The program will revisit Saint Vincent’s gradual conversion, the events of Folleville and Châtillon, his understanding of Christ as the Evangelizer of the Poor, and the inseparable relationship between evangelization and practical service. Other themes include Vincentian prayer and discernment, trust in Divine Providence, community life, Marian devotion, the Vincentian virtues, missionary history, intercultural collaboration, new forms of poverty, and the challenges facing the mission in the twenty-first century.

The surroundings of Paris and the historic places of the Vincentian tradition will form part of the formation itself. Visits and pilgrimages are planned to locations associated with Saint Vincent, Blessed Frédéric Ozanam, Blessed Rosalie Rendu, the Daughters of Charity, the Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, Folleville, the Berceau of Saint Vincent, and Lourdes. These experiences are designed to connect study with memory, prayer, and personal discernment.

The final purpose is a renewed commitment to Christ, the Church, and people who are poor. Participants should return to their communities not only refreshed, but also better prepared to live the Vincentian virtues with humility, courage, creativity, and confidence in Divine Providence.

Learn more about the September program by clicking here.

November: Renewing Mission and Parish Ministry

The second program will take place from November 1 to 20, 2026. It is especially intended for Vincentian missionaries, parish priests, and lay collaborators involved in missionary and pastoral ministry. The announced fee for this 20-day session is €1,500.

Its purpose is to renew participants in the spirituality and charism of Saint Vincent so that they may become joyful and credible witnesses of Christ, the Evangelizer of the Poor. The formation combines spiritual renewal, Vincentian history, missionary testimony, community life, pastoral leadership, pilgrimage, and practical planning for future ministry.

The program follows a deliberate progression: identity, spirituality, mission, pilgrimage, missionary renewal, and commitment. Participants will begin by returning to Christ and rediscovering the missionary vocation of Saint Vincent. They will then explore questions such as missionary leadership, community life for mission, prayer, inculturation, ministry among Indigenous peoples, secularization, migration, emerging forms of poverty, and international and intercultural collaboration.

Particular attention will be given to the realities faced by missionaries and pastoral leaders in different parts of the world. Experiences from Latin America, Africa, Asia, China, Taiwan, Europe, and the United States will help participants reflect on evangelization in culturally diverse settings. Parish ministry, collaboration within the Vincentian Family, shared responsibility, formation, service of the poor, and governance understood as service, listening, and discernment will also be addressed.

Pilgrimages to Folleville and the Berceau of Saint Vincent, together with visits to Vincentian sites in Paris and a celebration at the Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, will help participants reconnect with the places where the charism took shape. Near the end of the session, each participant will prepare a personal mission plan, translating the experience of formation into concrete commitments for his or her ministry.

Learn more about the November program by clicking here.

Two Programs, One Vincentian Purpose

Both sessions express the same fundamental conviction: ongoing formation is essential to keeping the Vincentian charism alive. Prayer, intellectual reflection, fraternity, intercultural encounter, and contact with the historic places of the Vincentian tradition are brought together so that participants may return home with renewed zeal.

The September program offers a broader and more extended experience of spiritual renewal, while the November session places greater emphasis on missionary and parish leadership. Both invite participants to rediscover Christ in the spirit of Saint Vincent and to respond more faithfully and creatively to the needs of the Church and of those who are poor.

Registration and Contact Information

Those interested in either program should contact CIF and register as early as possible, particularly when assistance or documentation is needed for visas and accommodations.

CIF general email: cifsvparis@gmail.com

Postal address:
Centre International de Formation Saint Vincent de Paul
Maison Mère de la Congrégation de la Mission
95 rue de Sèvres
75006 Paris
France

Prospective participants are encouraged to indicate clearly which session they wish to attend and to request confirmation of availability, registration requirements, payment arrangements, lodging, and any documentation needed for travel to France.