A global initiative of the Vincentian Family to celebrate the 400th Anniversary of the Vincentian Charism in 2017
1617 – 2017
The 400th Anniversary of the Foundation of the First Confraternity of Charity by Saint Vincent, now AIC
This jubilee year will give each local and national AIC association the opportunity to celebrate our 400th anniversary together, with all the volunteers, all our less fortunate brothers and sisters and other partners that support us in our actions. It will also present an opportunity to commit to serving more “sensitively and effectively” and to collaborate within the Vincentian Family to change the underlying causes of poverty within our communities.
AIC International aims to:
- Deepen our Vincentian charism
- To raise awareness round us about what drives us to commit to our charism and actions.
- To generate enthusiasm to encourage new volunteers and partners.
- Look to the future – towards 2117
Programme for the Jubilee Year At international level:
- AIC International Assembly of Delegates in Chatillon from 12th-15th March 2017
-Theme: The 400th anniversary of our foundation with St Vincent and St Louise and the future of AIC in our “Common Home” (Pope Francis, Laudato Si)
-400 participants from the 53 member associations invited
- Invitation to participate in the global Vincentian Family initiative to celebrate the 400th anniversary of our charism
-Theme: “I was a stranger and you welcomed me…” (welcoming refugees and migrants, displaced or marginalised people, the homeless, isolated people, etc.).
- Celebrations in Paris and Chatillon for the “anniversary dates”:
-7th March 2017: Conference at the Collège des Bernardins (Paris) organised by AIC France on the theme “From St Vincent to Pope Francis, issues and contemporaneity in locally-based charity”.
-8th March 2017: Solemn Mass at Notre-Dame de Paris at midday with Cardinal Vingt-Trois and all the “Friends of Saint Vincent”. The celebration will be followed by a cruise on the Seine, on river boats, for those being supported by AIC-France.
- Throughout the year: All AIC groups are invited to take this jubilee year as an opportunity to organise private pilgrimages to the main Vincentian places in France. Practical guides aimed at making the organisation of these pilgrimages easier have been created for Chatillon, Dax/Le Berceau and Paris. These have been sent to all the national presidents. Further information will soon be available via our website: www.aic-international.org.
- 20th-23rd August 2017: to celebrate the foundation of the 1st Confraternity of Charity in 1617, which today has become the International Association of Charities (AIC) at the international level and the Equipes Saint Vincent (ESV – St Vincent Teams) in France.
- From 8th-10th December 2017: Celebration of the official foundation of the 1st Confraternity of Charity.
The jubilee year will be the result of four years of preparation…
- 2013-2014: Period dedicated to the Internalisation of our charism
- 2015-2016: Period dedicated to Communication (“Making our association known”):
-Creation of a draft AIC Charter which seeks to present what constitutes our identity as an association.
-Creation of a Facebook page in September 2015: https://www.facebook.com/AIC-International-713564958772833/
-Creation of a new logo and slogan (see top of this document)
-Creation of a new website (spring 2016)Collection of video testimonies from national associations in order to create a promotional
-Collection of video testimonies from national associations in order to create a promotional video about AIC.
Tags: 400th Anniversary, AIC, Vincentian Family
