Formation Day to members of the Vincentian Family in Argentina
The event was attended by the President General of the SSVP
On August 19, a “Vincentian Formation Day” was held in Buenos Aires, open to all branches of the Vincentian Family present in Argentina. The event was held at the Provincial House of the Congregation of the Mission and brought together around 50 people from different cities of the country, most of them members of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul.
The meeting consisted of four presentations. The first was given by Father Andrés Motto CM, SSVP’s international spiritual advisor. He spoke about the importance of formation for the smooth running of Vincentian work. Brother Renato Lima (16th President General) presented the theme “What is the SSVP?”, citing the essential components characterizing our Society.
Afterwards, Father José Luís de Fina, CM, SSVP’s spiritual advisor in Argentina, celebrated a Holy Mass together with Father Andrés Motto. In his homily, the celebrant emphasized the importance of the Vincentian vocation in serving those most in need. After the Eucharist, there was a delicious lunch of typical Argentinian food.
In the afternoon, sisters Mariela González and Ana Lia Ferro, from Tucumán, discuss the theme “How to deal with the most fragile”. They conducted the talk in a very relaxed and dynamic way, inviting everyone to reflect on what our attitude should be towards the social, political, and economic reality that afflicts particularly those most vulnerable.
The closing session was given by brother Renato Lima, who spoke about the “SSVP’s seven founders”. During this presentation, details of the lives of the seven founding fathers of our Society were presented, which for many of those present was a novelty as they were unaware of these biographies.
The President of the Superior Council, sister Soraya Bigliani, thanked the speakers for the rich content presented, especially the President General. “We thank God for Renato’s seven years in office. Never before has the Council General been so close to the countries. His service has been a blessing for us. On behalf of the SSVP in Argentina, I’d like to say, ‘thank you very much’ for everything,” said Soraya.
Thanking everyone for the invitation and for their presence, brother Renato said: “I couldn’t end my mandate in a better way. This is my last trip as President General before my successor takes office. And as a curiosity, my first mission as President was to visit Argentina. Therefore, God wanted the beginning and the end to be on Argentine soil, which is a great honor for me,” said President Lima de Oliveira.
While in Buenos Aires, Renato visited the Metropolitan Cathedral and the parishes of Our Lady of Pilar and Saint Ignacius Loyola, where he prayed for the poor and for the new International Board, which will begin its CGI mandate on September 9.
