President General’s Brief Visit to Lisbon on the CGI’s Anniversary
Mass celebrated by Father Álvaro Cunha, CM
Back to Brazil after attending the Board meeting held on July 10th, in Paris (France), in a week with a full agenda with institutional contacts, the 16th President General, brother Renato Lima de Oliveira, visited Lisbon (Portugal) on July 21st, where he took part in various events.
By a pleasant coincidence, that day was the 182nd anniversary of the Council General International.
In thanksgiving to God for this day, the President Renato Lima de Oliveira, accompanied by the National President, sister Alda Couceiro, attended the Holy Mass presided by Father Álvaro Cunha (CM) and other Lazarist priests at the Saint Thomas Aquinas Parish. The President General also prayed for the end of the pandemic and for the souls of all the deceased with Covid-19 around the world.
Renato greeted the members of the local Vincentian Conference who were present at the Eucharist and presented Father Alvaro with a copy of the book Holiness in the Vincentian Conferences, written by Gesiel Junior (SSVP Brazilian member), gathering the biographies of over 50 Venerables, Servants of God, Blessed and Saints who were members of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul.
Visit of brother César Augusto Nunes Viana’s tomb 
Orlando, Renato and Alda 
Visit to CGI headquarters, and working meeting with President Alda Couceiro
Renato Lima was also at the headquarters of the Superior Council of Portugal, where he spoke with the President, Alda Couceiro, and the National Delegate for Youth, Orlando Mendes, about various topics, such as the CGI’s agenda for the coming years, the World Youth Day in 2023 and Ozanam’s canonization process. Renato Lima was moved to see that the National President had placed on the walls of the national headquarters a picture of him as the current President General.
During his brief stay in Lisbon, the President General visited the Trajouce Cemetery to pay a solemn tribute to the 13th President General, brother César Augusto Nunes Viana (1932-2004). He was the first Portuguese (and also the first non-French) to hold this noble office, which he held from 1993 to 1999.
“It was very moving to address my prayers to the soul of brother César Augusto, a great role model of a Vincentian since he was young. A man of science and religion, he was loved by all. An example of humility in today’s world full of indifference, selfishness, vanity, envy and betrayal,” stated our President.
