Adopting ‘Vincentian-Marian-Youth’ for World Youth Day

Contributed by Father Patrick J. McDevitt, CM, Director of Formation, Perboyre Mission House

Established in the fall of 2004, the Chicago chapter of the Vincentian Marian Youth (JMV) is comprised of DePaul students, DePaul alumni, and Vincentian seminarians. Over the last year, the JMV members have become regular participants in many of the activities, meals and prayers at Perboyre Mission House, and this has become the place where they gather for their monthly meetings.

Soon after the Chicago JMV was established, the group decided to focus their energy on making a pilgrimage to World Youth Day 2005. They believed their preparation and planning for the pilgrimage would bring them together as a group and give them a powerful experience of the universal Church. More­over, it would afford them the opportunity to meet the international community of the JMV, the worldwide Vincentian family and as a time of spiritual renewal and a recommitment to Christ.

The JMV appealed to several organizations for support in funding their pilgrimage to Cologne, Germany and World Youth Day. The group’s appeal for funding did not initially bare positive results. Disappointed and discouraged, Perboyre Mission House presented the JMV with the idea of ‘Adopt-A-Vincen­tian-Marian-Youth’ program wherein Perboyre Mission House would write appeal letters to their benefactors, family and friends on behalf of the JMV.

The ‘Adopt-A-Vincentian-Marian-Youth’ drive was a great success bringing in $12,000. JMV members contacted each donor with a personal note of thanks, a picture of themselves and a promise to remember the donors in prayer while on pilgrimage. The JMV compiled a booklet of the names and intentions of the adopting donors. They carried these booklets with them while in Cologne, Germany as a sign of remembering the prayer intentions of their generous benefactors. The JMV brought back to Chicago many wonderful stories, experiences, and pictures.

On behalf of Perboyre Mission House and the JMV, I want to thank our benefactors for their kind and generous contributions to ‘Adopt-A-Vincentian-Marian-Youth.’ We continue to appreciate your support and friendship.