My heart is overwhelmed with thankfulness and joy for this ‘gift from heaven,’ allowing the Vincentian Family to celebrate the 400th Anniversary of the Vincentian charism. This charism has left such deep marks of Jesus’ unconditional love on the world throughout the last 400 years and continues to do so today!”
These words of Fr. Tomaz Mavric, Superior General of the Congregation of the Mission, at the opening of the worldwide celebration, reflect the sentiments of the Vincentians in the United States who celebrate 200 years of service in this country.
The Vincentians first sent missionaries to the United States in 1816 and established their motherhouse and seminary in Perryville, MO, the following year. The arrival of these first Vincentians in the U.S. was the beginning of a historic adventure that would see their ministry to the poor take root from coast to coast and border to border. Their impact on the founding of the Catholic Church in America cannot be overstated.
The arrival of these first Vincentians in the U.S. was the beginning of a historic adventure that would see their ministry to the poor take root from coast to coast and border to border.
The Vincentians of the Western Province marked the anniversary with the successful completion of the Walking with the Poor capital campaign to better serve the poor. We not only commemorate the founding of our charism in America, rooted in Perryville, MO, but we also celebrate the distinctive spiritual way of life created by the priests and brothers, together with our lay collaborators, in parishes, shrines and schools, in communities and through devotions, in preaching and in teaching.