FROM THE PROVINCIAL

St. Vincent’s Enduring Legacy

Dear friends,

May Jesus Christ be praised!

On September 27, we celebrate the annual feast day of St. Vincent de Paul. I certainly extend to you, our readers and collaborators, my personal feast day best wishes, along with those of all the Vincentian priests and brothers of the Midwest Province. Your many sacrifices, especially your financial gifts to the Province, enable us to continue the charity-in-action of this holy man who invited women and men from all walks of life to join him in serving Christ in the poor.

In this issue of The Vincentian, we are including the annual development report. There you will see that more than 1,500 friends of the Province contributed nearly one million dollars this past year. As a result of these and the many other sacrifices you make, we can continue St. Vincent’s charism of putting our faith into action for others. As he once said, “May our presence and care to those most in need reflect the gentleness, esteem, and dignity we see reflected in the life and work of Jesus.” Thank you for joining us in this great work.

This fall we celebrate another special event – the 190th anniversary of the Vincentians arriving in Perryville, Missouri, to begin our American mission. On October 2, 1818, Vincentian Father Joseph Rosati arrived at the Barrens (the name given the Perryville area). A few days later he was joined by the rest of his group. This small band of Vincentian missionaries from Europe began with three log cabins, one which served as a kitchen and dining room, the other two for lodging. Little did they realize how the spirit of St. Vincent would take root and grow not just in Southern Missouri but throughout the United States. Within just 70 years, the Vincentian Community had grown large enough to divide into a Western Province (based in Perryville) and an Eastern Province (based in Philadelphia). Vincentians could be found directing seminaries, administering parishes, giving missions, running colleges, and engaging in other works of evangelization. Vincentians were also tapped for Church leadership and were the first or early bishops of St. Louis, New Orleans, Galveston, Buffalo, Monterey-Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, Toronto, and elsewhere.

Today, the pace is slower at St. Mary’s of the Barrens in Perryville. We still have a full house, mostly senior priests and brothers who, despite their advanced years, are no less zealous in their present ministry of prayer for you and your requested intentions. Else where in this issue, you will notice a new Christmas prayer card we are introducing so that, thanks to the prayers of our senior members at the Barrens, you can share the gift of prayer this Christmas season.

Beyond the Barrens, we Vin centians continue the work of St. Vincent and of our American founders in so many ways. In this newsletter you will read about the ministries of Fathers Paul Golden and Rex Hays. You also will read about an emerging center of outreach to the poor at St. Louis’ St. Vincent parish, in collaboration with the Ladies of Charity and Guardian Angel Settlement Association, as well as how the Colo rado Vincentian Volunteers continue to reach out in charity to others.

None of this would be possible without you. Some of you can actually join us in these good works as employees and as volunteers. Some of you sustain us through your prayers. And so many of you make our charitable ministries possible through your financial gifts. In whatever way you support us, we thank you for partnering with us in continuing what the first Vin centians in America began 190 years ago – all in the spirit and under the blessing of St. Vincent de Paul.

Again, a blessed feast day. Thank you for all you do for the Church and the Province. You are in my daily prayers.

Blessings,

James Swift, C.M.