The team will remain in Bolivia exactly for a month, visiting such Bolivian cities, as Sucre, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Potosí, Tarija, La Paz and El Alto. In those places, the Vincentians volunteers will have as their main mission to organize, stimulate and found Vincentian Conferences in parishes and schools.
On January 7th, Project Bolivia of VINPAZ [Link no longer working] (“Vincentians for Peace”) of the International General Council begun. The mission is composed of six volunteers (two Brazilians, an Argentinean, a Chilean and two Bolivians), who were selected through an international process. VINPAZ volunteers start activities with induction course in Cochabamba, Bolivia
Today, there are few SSVP Conferences in Bolivia but a great deal of poverty.
The training schedule consisted of lectures presented by the team of International Territorial Vice-presidency America 3 and by brothers Sebastião Ribeiro and Larry Tuomey. The following topics were presented:
- “SSVP in Bolivia” – Sister Marlene Castro (Conference “La Milagrosa”, from Cochabamba)
- “VINPAZ: definition, roles and challenges” – Brother Larry Tuomey (VINPAZ)
- “Vincentian Conferences and Particular Councils” – Brother Julio Cesar Marques de Lima (America 3);
- “SSVP in South America – Overview” – Brother Renato Lima de Oliveira (America3)
- “VINPAZ in Bolivia” – Brother Sebastião Ribeiro da Silva (VINPAZ team manager);
- “Supernatural Vision of VINPAZ” and “Spiritual Vincentian Life” – Brother Regulo Valenzuela Matte (America 3)
Besides the presentations, all participants were divided in groups to study some specific questions, as well the challenges of this important project. The Holy Mass was celebrated by Father Joel Vazques (Congregation of the Mission). At this time it was announced the founding of the eighth Bolivian Conference, also in the city of Cochabamba.
The volunteers created a special blog (http://misionboliviavinpaz.blogspot.com) in order to show their steps and receive messages from all Vincentian community worldwide. Visit it!
The “Project Bolivia” of VINPAZ goes on until February 5th, taking the SSVP message to everybody, recruiting new members to the Society and creating new Conferences at the most important cities of Bolivia. In Santa Cruz de la Sierra, for example, where the team has already finished the mission, it has organized FOUR new groups that, in the future, could be Vincentian Conferences! A Bolivian Daughter of Charity seconded to the team for a week was a great help.
We are grateful to the Society in Holland and South Tyrol (Conference of St Antonious – German speaking) that sponsored this mission to spread the SSVP in Bolivia. Thanks to sister Mery who assisted brother Larry on translations.
PHOTOS at http://misionboliviavinpaz.blogspot.com
Tags: Bolivia, Society of St. Vincent de Paul
