Fr. Gregory Gay C.M. Superior General of the Vincentian Congregation arrived in Ireland yesterday for a week long visit of the Irish Province.
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He addressed a gathering of over 200 members of the Vincentian Family in All Hallows College Dublin,on the theme of Vincentian Spirituality. The day began with morning prayer presented in music and movement by the students of All Hallows College.
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Fr. Gregory focused mainly on the subject of charity, exploring this theme from a Vincentian perspective and situating it also in the context of the recent encyclical by Pope Benedict entitled,‘Deus Caritas Est’. He spoke of the three fold dimension of charity- the personal, the organisational and the political and drew parallels between the spirituality of St. Vincent de Paul and the encyclical, ‘ Deus Caritas Est’. He referred to the well known image of St. Vincent holding the child, as an icon which depicted St. Vincent as a person who wished to be close to the poor. This personal dimension of charity is expressed in Deus Caritas Est also where it alludes to ‘the very thing which the suffering person—every person—needs: namely, loving personal concern. (No. 28) It goes on to say that, ‘We are dealing with human beings, and human beings always need something more than technically proper care. They need humanity. They need heartfelt concern’. (No. 31)
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Similar parallels were noted in relation to the other dimensions of charity, namely the organizational and the political aspects. He pointed out that in our lives if love is to be authentic and if charity is to be real we need to have a balance of all three aspects present.
A highlight of the day was the launch of a new book entitled, ‘The Spirit of St. Vincent de Paul, written by Fr. Jim Mc Cormack C.M. The book was commissioned by the Daughters of Charity of the Irish province. It is an insightful account of the life and spirit of St. Vincent de Paul and is readily accessible to a wide readership. It offers new and fresh perspectives on his life and work. One of the most interesting features of the book is the way in which it offers an interpretation of Vincent’s life which we can apply to the contemporary context of the 21st Century.
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Copies of the book are available at:
Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul
6 Belvedere Road
Dublin 1
Ireland
OR
E-mail claire@begin.ie
