Council General International’s Annual meeting – Madrid 2021

On 11th and 12th September, the annual CGI meeting took place, with full participation and approval of all the resolutions submitted.

This event incorporated two important meetings, that of the Permanent Section (PS), and that of the International Executive Committee (CEI). The accounts and management reports for 2020 were approved, as well as another 16 resolutions. There were also two special presentations: one from Ralph Middlecamp, addressing international solidarity, and one from Julio Cesar Marques de Lima on the expansion programme of conferences, the SSVP Plus. The international structure of the CGI also welcomed the following members: Jean-Marc Ossogo (France) – Assistant Secretary General, Redemptorist Fr Frederico Hozanan de Pádua (Brazil) – Assistant Spiritual Adviser, and José Manuel Gredilla – Assistant General Treasurer.

This major Vincentian event was broadcast live, in 4 official languages, on the Ozanam TV Facebook channels, in order to bring the Council General International closer to every Vincentian member and collaborator, as well as to promote transparency in the dialogue and management of our organisations.

This main action also went along with many other activities and meetings. In fact, two important events were held within the planned schedule: On the one hand, signing of the collaboration agreement with the Secular Vincentian Missionaries (MISEVI), and on the other hand, award of the Charity in Hope medal to ACN International (Aid to the Church in Need). In the days beforehand, an ITVP meeting was held on 10th September, and the regular Board meeting was held on Ozanam’s feast day, on 9th September.

During these days, the Eucharist was celebrated on two occasions: the first one on September 9th, the feast day of Frédéric Ozanam, at La Milagrosa parish basilica; and the second one, at the Royal Basilica of San Francisco el Grande, on Sunday, September 12th.

After these intensely busy days, the President General’s work continued with the visit to the International Secretariat of Vincentian Marian Youth (VMY), in Madrid, and visits to various social projects of the Spanish conferences: a support centre for young immigrants in Seville, a training centre in Cordoba, a shelter for homeless people in San Fernando (Cadiz), and the work of the Jerez Conferences (Cadiz) for the most vulnerable families. He also visited the south of Spain and met Vincentians from Gibraltar.

During his tour of Spain, the President General commented: “I would like to offer my greatest thanks to all the brothers and sisters of the National Council of Spain, in the person of their very able National President, Juan Manuel Buergo, for the enthusiasm and kindness put into every detail of the organisation of this exceptional annual meeting we have experienced in Madrid, an event which was attended by many member countries, with the unanimous approval of the planned resolutions. I am very happy with the results of the meetings. I am madridista in my heart; that’s why, I consider myself the second President General with Spanish roots. Here I feel at home”. 

The next CGI annual meeting in 2022 will be held in Nairobi, Kenya.

Click here to read President General’s full speech at the CGI’s 2021 Annual Meeting in Madrid.