News from VIncentian Youth (JMV) around the World

A series of reports of activities of the JMV (Vincentian Marian Youth) around the world.The National Council’s visit to the Czech Republic confirmed the need to work
more to activate the Association there, with the help of the Sisters. They hope to encourage adult members to help out in the task of coordinating the centres. The Czech Republic is a missionary territory for JMV so let us offer our prayers that their efforts may prove successful.

They will elect a new national president in June 2003 because the current president, Lubomir Lazovy, will enter the religious life. God bless you, Lubo, and we pray to our Blessed Mother that she may help you in your vocation!

We are happy to receive news from Fr. Michael McCullagh, CM in Dublin, who tells us that he has a group of 14 young people, aged 20-30 years old. All of them are involved in good works. Some of them go to Calcutta and Kenya to help with educational projects in the summer. They also have an on-going formation programme.

From April 17 to 22 the Association held an Encounter in La Salette, with the theme: “Open your door, your eyes, your eras, your hands, your heart… get up and do something”.

The Encounter was filled with moments of reflection and dialogue, celebrations, musical animation, work in groups, games, sharing of experiences… two meaningful events were the walks (pilgrimage) on Black Saturday (Way of the Cross) and on Easter Monday (Way of Emmaus), moments where one not only could enjoy the beautiful scenery of La Salette but moved one to reflection and interiorization.

Ana Maria Escaño, as member of the International Council, participated in this Encounter and highlights the hospitality and good atmosphere that prevailed among the participants – youth, Sisters, Priests and members of the National Council. The Encounter was well prepared and the young participated actively in all the goings-on. A detailed report is in the website: www.secretariadojmv.org (only in Spanish and French).
This summer they are preparing for a mission experience (10 days) in Slovakia, in which 6 members of JM France will participate. Sr. Stella, a DC from Slovakia, assigned in Paris, will accompany them. There they will have the opportunity to come in close contact with the situation of the country and work jointly with the members of the Association in Slovakia.

From Sr. Elma Hurley we learn that the Sisters there are involved with an all-female group called Marian Youth at Port Harcourt Diocese. This group meets both at local and diocesan levels. The Sisters also coordinate the Catholic Youth movement in the parish. They had a weekend Vincentian Family Meeting at their Provincial House in early March. Vincentians, Daughters of Charity, the Society of St Vincent de Paul and AIC were well represented. Some of the local Marian Youth members participated and they hope that this Vincentian Family experience will stimulate them to take the next step towards JMV in the future.

The Youth Committee, which includes members of the CMs and DCs from the different Provinces, is moving along with the plans for “Vincent Experience 2” on July 18-20, 2003 at St. John’s University. They have invited a member of the JMV International Council to be part of the panel of young adults speaking about their Vincentian experience.

Fr. Frank Vargas, CM shares with us his experience in introducing JMV to the seminarians: “As of now, I am just familiarizing the group of seminarians with everything about the Association. I am also giving them some formation sessions already. And we are planning to have “Living Rosary” in the Seminary. We will invite also the students of Nazareth Apostolic Centre, a centre for training lay parish leaders and also a Minor Seminary. This activity will be held during the month of May. The JMV is having a slow start. But I hope that it will pick up soon.” Thanks a lot, Fr. Frank, for all that you do!!!

Another piece of good news!!! Fr. Matthew Onatt, CM, a Vincentian priest from India working there for the past one year writes to us saying that he finds JMV is doing much good for the youth and the youth there need a lot of help in their formation as good lay people. So he plans to introduce JMV in their parish of eleven thousand Catholics. He hopes to introduce it in their other two parishes too. Thank you, Fr. Matthew, for your interest to promote JMV. We hope to maintain frequent communication from now on and be of service in any way we can. We encourage other Vincentians to do the same thing in their parishes!!!

Things are going well with the Association there. On April 5, Lennoxie Lusabe and George Busieka gave a one-day workshop to the youth in Thigio parish. It was a great experience and a good number of young people present decided to join JMV. The JMV of St. Peter’s and of Thigio, together with the Vincentians, hosted dinner for the poor at St. Peter’s on April 22 (Holy Saturday). They also had a leaders’ meeting on the same day. It is with great joy that they inform us that Sr. Elizabeth Smith has accepted will be working with them in JMV.

q On the occasion of the 350th anniversary of the apparition of Our Lady of Coromoto, the Milagrosa Parish (Caracas) held a parish mission during the Holy Week. All the parish groups participated, among them 20 members of JMV.

– The members of JMV in the Central District (Caracas-Valencia) held a Leadership Training Seminar in the last days of March and first week of April. Twenty persons participated in this activity.

– The National Council, together with the JMV groups of the Eastern District are preparing for the National Encounter and Popular Mission – East 2003 (EMO). The JMV members of Valencia (El Carmen and San Vicente de Paúl) organized a concert to raise funds for EMO – 2003.

– During the whole year’s celebration of the Virgin’s apparition in Coromoto and to close the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the canonical erection of La Milagrosa Parish in Caracas, JMV participated in the Parish Mission which consisted of visiting different homes (the same areas covered in IV EMLA) to promote the prayer for peace and unity in Venezuela, the praying of the Rosary with the new mysteries of the light, and the visit of the pilgrim image of Our Lady of Coromoto to Arciprestazgo del Valle. This Mission closed with a vigil at 7:00 PM on April 27, which counted with the presence of Monsignor Saul Figueroa. JMV’s responsibility, together with the seminarians, was to take care of the music and liturgy of the vigil, which included dramatic presentations and dances.

Fr. P. Jan Trzop, from the Vice-province of Saints Cyril and Methodius (Russia, Byelorussia and Ukraine), founded in January 2002 and in which approximately 22 missionaries from Ukraine, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ireland work. The Daughters of Charity and some other groups of the Vincentian Family are also present in this region.

The vice-province is right now in the process of organizing their structures. Among other things they would like to promote the Vincentian Marian Youth movement. Their project at the moment is the first youth encounter to be held in Kiev (Ukraine) from August 11-15,2003. This is wonderful news indeed because the encounter will introduce the movement in parishes where the movement is not established and, at the same time, enable a deeper knowledge in those parishes where the youth are actively involved already.

They are inviting five representatives (to include priests, sisters and young people above 18) from each of the parishes of the vice-province to participate in this encounter. They also wish to invite representatives of the Association in Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia. Also, they have invited the JMV International Council to join in this activity.

Toward the end of March, the Secretariat received the visit of Fr. Jorge Pedroza, Vice-Provincial of Mozambique, who shared with us his work of advising the National Council, the results of the National Assembly and his expectations with the recent appointment of Fr. Jose Luis Fernandez as National Advisor. We deeply appreciate his support and interest for the Association.

Fr. Jose Luis, new National Advisor, informs us that, at this time, they are having some regional encounters in the different pastoral areas. Last April 6 it was held precisely in the city of Chokwe, where he resides. According to him, there is still much to be done. They have young and new members in the national team. The new National President is Deves Herculano.

Fr. Benjamin Romo visited the Vincentian Family in Bolivia. Among his activities, we highlight the following:

– Assembly with the National Councils and representatives of the Vincentian Family: they shared and deepened on the Vincentian charism and spirit in the light of the responses being asked of us by the world and the Church today.
– Visit to Service Projects with the poor of the different branches of the Vincentian Family. This was an enriching experience of direct contact with most poor.
– Meeting with the JMV National Council: the Final
Document of the Assembly 2000 and that of Formation Processes was studied and discussed.
– Encounter with the JMV members of: Trinidad, El Alto, Cochabamba.

The enriching experiences and the growing enthusiasm of the young stands out. On April 21, Sr. Maria Jesus Ruiz, National Directress, wrote telling us that JMV was well represented in all the encounters. Fr. Romo met separately with the National Commission that is in charge of reviewing the catechetical materials and liturgy of the different phases, symbols in each, bureaus, etc. In the area of Altiplano de Bolivia, where some Vincentian Fathers are missioned, a group of JMV members from El Alto (La Paz) went to help out during Holy Week. The Association is very much alive and the young feel the challenge to propagate it more and more.

With great joy we witness to how the lay missionary vocation is flourishing within the Vincentian Family. MISEVI has welcomed young people, given them formation and helped them find concrete ways to put into practice their missionary zeal.

In their commitment to create ways and means so as to open doors to new realities and facilitate the entry of new members in the international level, they have organized an international encounter which will take place in Mexico, from July 30 to August 3, 2003. This Encounter hopes that not only will it be a sharing of what is already being done but more so wants to be pave the way so that MISEVI can be established and promoted in other countries. Those interested to participate may send an email to the International Office of the Vincentian Family (famvin@tin.it).

Pope John Paul II visited Madrid on May 3-4. There was a Prayer Vigil with the Youth in the afternoon and evening of May 3. The young were invited to participate with their parish communities and different movements and associations. The Pope had two main activities: Prayer Vigil with the youth (May 3) and Canonization Mass of 5 new Spanish saints (May 4). .

We gathered together to pray with the Pope and to feel ourselves as members of the Church who, in freedom, try to make possible a new and better world. The JMV National Secretariat, together with the Commission on Youth who organized the Encounter, helped in encouraging the participation of the young, of volunteers and catechists of the 9 Provinces of Spain.

In response to the invitation of the JMV National Council of Portugal, Fr. Pedro and Sr. Asun visited Fatima on April 4 – 5 for an encounter of work, reflection and dialogue with the Advisors and coordinators of the Association. Their participation focused on:

– Sharing with the Advisors some study guidelines of the Document: Role and Functions of Advisors in JMV”.
– Share with the Advisors and Coordinators some key ideas of the Document “Formation Processes in JMV” (still in the consultation phase, until the end of May).
– Discussion with the National Council of Portugal of the present plans and projects of the International Council and Secretariat.

We have felt the vitality, enthusiasm and desire on the part of the Priests, Sisters and the young to continue working in the Association. There were plenty of enriching moments of dialogue, interaction, sharing. Simultaneous with our visit were an Encounter of JMV group coordinators and a Formation Session for four members who will soon go to the mission in Mozambique. We celebrated the Eucharist together on Saturday and enjoyed a meaningful time of prayer and dialogue.

Our overall impression is very good and we were the object of many gestures of warmth, kindness and care. Please check our website for a detailed report on this visit. It was a wonderful experience. JMV – Portugal beats strongly. CONGRATULATIONS.

Brazil held its 3rd National Assembly from May 1-4 at the DC Provincial House in Rio de Janeiro. Francisco Pires Lemos, of Portugal, represented the International Council in said Assembly. The theme was: Baptism, source of Marian-Vincentian vocation. The Provinces of Recife, Fortaleza, Curitiba, Belo Horizonte, Amazonia, and Rio de Janeiro, participated with their respective Councils and youth members. The motto presiding over the Assembly was: With MARY, we go into DEEPER WATERS. Aside from informing the Assembly on the activities of the Association in the different Provinces, the topics focused on the theme of the Encounter as well as on the spirituality of the Magnificat and Role of the Youth.

After the visit of Fr. Benjamin Romo we have received from them issue no. 53-54 of their “JM Magazine”, containing excellent formation materials and information on the activities of the different Centers. Congratulations for this publication !

On April 10, the Father General confirmed the appointment of Sr. Raquel Argel as new JMV National Directress, who was officially introduced to the Association during their National Assembly last January. Congratulations!!!

They are already in the last phase prior to the approval of their National Statutes. Felix writes telling us about all the activities for the year and their plans for the summer. They held a formation session on communication last February 15. On March 29 they went on a pilgrimage to a Marian shrine that is located a few kilometres from the capital. The theme of the pilgrimage was: Discovering Mary, our Mother. The rector of the shrine spoke to them on this theme as well as on the Lenten Message of Pope John Paul II. They have scheduled a formation session on the topic “Journeying with the young” for July 5. The next day, July 6, there will be a whole day of picnic, sharing and games. On September 27 they will hold a joint activity with the members of the SSVP.

Fr. Ramoroson, national advisor, sent us a copy of the newsletter of the Vincentian Family of Madagascar. It mentions that JMV National Council had their annual meeting in Fianarantsoa last December. Aside from discussing the usual matters on the Association, the participants worked on the program of the next national council meeting to be held in Manakara. The theme chosen was: “ Let us be renewed in Christ to be Salt and Light of the Earth like the Blessed Virgin and St. Vincent ».

Gina Paredes, JMV National Secretary of the Dominican Republic sent a letter to all the National Councils of the area on April 18 with some announcements regarding the Encounter “JMV CON SABOR CARIBEÑO” (JMV to the Caribbean beat). The topics of this Encounter are:

– The young JMV of the Caribbean (Ecclesial note) National Council of Puerto Rico and advisors
– The Marian JMV of the Caribbean (Marian note) National Council of the Dom. Rep. and advisors
– The Vincentian JMV of the Caribbean (Vincentian note) National Council of Cuba and advisors
– The Missionary JMV of the Caribbean (Missionary note) National Council of Venezuela and advisors
– The Latin American JMV of the Caribbean
Susana Pulido, Coordinator of the JMV Latin American Council.
– “Globalization of Charity” project Fr. Pedro Castillo.

Sr. Jeaninne writes to inform that they are presently updating their “JMV Manual”, basing it on their National Statutes approved by Fr. Maloney in 2000. They are also preparing for a formation session in July for the Sisters coordinating the local groups.

Sr. Zahia and Chyrine sent us Easter greetings on behalf of the National Council as well as the annual survey of the group of Damascus, which is composed of 40 university students, 90 high school students and a group of 60 elementary students. We congratulate this Council for their wonderful work.

We received the following news on April 16 from Sr. Marta Isabel Solano, National Directress of Nicaragua: “The members in Nicaragua are working very well. They try to follow the annual plan that they formulated at the beginning of the year. On April 17 they celebrated the seventh year anniversary of the Association in Leon.

They held a Formation Session at the national level on April 6. On April 12, our International President, Gladys, and the National President, Denisse, were interviewed on TV (Tele Lumiere) to talk about JMV. They will have a second interview on May 3. Let us learn to use mass media and social communication means for evangelization!

Maria Agnese, National President, wrote to inform us that the National Council met on April 12-13 in Naples. They discussed the final details of the upcoming National Youth Convention of the Marian Association. At the same time, they already have chosen the representatives to the JMV Encounter of European National Councils to be held in December in Madrid.

During this month, many friends passed by to share the life and journey of JMV International:

– Carla Brunetti of AIC – Italy stayed with us for 15 days and was a great help with translations to Italian. Thank you, Carla, for your presence and help!

– On April 22 we received the visit of Fr. Benjamin Romo, who dropped by Madrid to prepare for the MISEVI International Encounter, came to see us and discuss his impressions on his recent visits to JMV in different countries.

– The next day, Fr. Jose Maria Nieto, CM Secretary General, also came to see how we are functioning and look at files section. Thanks to all of you for your interest!!!