May 10, 2015

Dear Members of the International Vincentian Family,

As you know, Fr. Greg Gay has invited the Vincentian Family to celebrate a Year of
Collaboration from the Feast of Pentecost, May 24, 2015 to the Feast of Pentecost, May
15, 2016. Our theme is Together in Christ we Vincentians make a Difference.
Our efforts for this year will be coordinated by the Vincentian Family Collaboration
Commission (the VFCC). What follows below are (repeated) the recommendations which
were made for the initial celebration on the local and regional levels.
Our Pentecost 2015 theme is Thanksgiving.
Fr. Greg has offered us a video message as we begin this year. It can be
found on famvin.org, our Facebook page Vincentian Collaboration, and
YouTube (http://famvin.net.pl/YVC2015-GGGvideo-EN ) or scan QR code
The Vincentian Family is encouraged to gather to give thanks to God and to celebrate
together. Below are three readings of St. Vincent that you may include with your prayer
service or Mass of Thanksgiving. You may want to include time for testimony or a
celebration of what has been done by the local Vincentian Family.
St. Vincent reading options:

a. TO JEAN DE FONTENEIL August 29, 1635; Coste volume 1, #204 :

I am also overwhelmed by the charity you have extended and keep on extending
to my poor brother.' Because you have done all this for the love of God, and
because gratitude for so many kindnesses is beyond our power, I beg Our Lord,
Monsieur, to be Himself both your thanks and your reward.

b. TO JEAN DE FONTENEIL December 7, 1634; Coste volume 1, #189 :

Now, for all that, Monsieur, I thank you most humbly and beg Our Lord Himself to
be your thanks and reward and to shed upon you more and more abundantly His
graces and blessings. O Monsieur, how my heart is filled with consolation every
time the above-mentioned M. de la Salle writes to me about your zeal for the
salvation of souls, your diligence in winning them over, the blessing Our Lord is
bestowing on you, and the solid virtue you possess! I assure you, Monsieur, all that
gives me a joy I cannot express to you and a very special fidelity in asking God to
be pleased to continue for you and to increase the same graces within you.
Vincentian Family Collaboration Commission
500 East Chelten Avenue, Philadelphia, PA19144, USA
VFO@famvin.org
+1 (215) 713-3984

c. TO ETIENNE BLATIRON February 14, 1648; Coste volume 3, #1017.

The graces God is showering on your labors are the result of His pure mercy and
not of our wretched prayers. We are poor people, more liable to turn aside His
blessings than to draw them down. I thank His Divine Goodness for the zeal and
fidelity He gives your heart and those who are with you. In fact, Monsieur, I am so
touched by the use you make of these virtues and of many others that, when the
opportunity arises to animate the Saint-Lazare community to its own perfection, I
relate to it the examples that yours gives us of this. I tell them of your long labors,
despite the weaknesses of some of your men, your patience in difficulties, your
charity and support for one another, the gracious welcome, courtesy, and
consideration outsiders find in each of you. So you see, Monsieur, that honey from
your hive flows even into this house and serves as food for its children. O Dieu!
what a source of consolation for the whole Company, but also what a motive for
our little family to humble itself before God and to do ever better and better, since
He is pleased to extend and multiply in this way the good it is doing even in places
where it is not present!.
In addition, you will find attached with this letter a model of a prayer service which you
might want to adapt to your local situation.
Please dont forget to send write-ups and pictures of your celebration to us at
ag o s t in o j v @ g m ail.c o m or v f c a p ro g r a m @ g m a i l . c o m
Thank you making the celebration of this year one filled with thanksgiving for the many
ways in which we work together in the service of those living in poverty.

Sincerely,

Rev. Joseph V. Agostino, C.M.


Coordinator
Vincentian Family Collaboration Commission

Link to prayer service: http://famvin.net.pl/YVC-pray-eng

Vincentian Family Collaboration Commission
500 East Chelten Avenue, Philadelphia, PA19144, USA
VFO@famvin.org
+1 (215) 713-3984

Prayer Service for

Vincentian Family
Collaboration
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of
your love, send forth your spirit and they shall be created and you shall renew
the face of the earth.
Song- Veni Sancte Spiritus (Taize)

Ant. On the day of Pentecost they gathered and received the Holy Spirit.
Psalm 113
Servants of God, praise
Praise the name of the Lord
Bless the Lords name
Now and always.
Praise the Lords name
Here and in every place,
From east to west.
The Lord towers above the nations,
Gods glory shines over the heavens.
Who compares to our God?
Who is enthroned so high?
The Lord bends down
To see heaven and earth,
To raise the weak from the dust
And lift the poor from the mire,
To seat them with princes
In the company of their leaders.
The childless, no longer alone,
Rejoice now in many children.
Glory be to the father

Ant. The Holy Spirit has inundated you with his presence and calls you to a generous
response.

Psalm 11
I have taken shelter in God,
So how can you say to me:
Go, fly like a bird to the hills,
For the wicked bend their bows,
Lock their arrows on the string
To shoot the just from the shadows.
When the world falls apart,
What can the good hope to do?
God dwells in his holy temple,
The heavens hold Gods throne;
The Lord watches the earth,
Eyes fixed on all nations,
Weighing both righteous and wicked,
Rejecting the violent.
God sends rain of fire,
Allots them a scorching wind.
The Lord loves justice,
The just will see Gods face.
Glory be to the father

Suggested readings for reflection:

TO JEAN DE FONTENEIL August 29, 1635:
I am also overwhelmed by the charity you have extended and keep on
extending to my poor brother. Because you have done all this for the
love of God, and because gratitude for so many kindnesses is beyond
our power, I beg Our Lord, Monsieur, to be Himself both your thanks
and your reward.
TO JEAN DE FONTENEIL December 7, 1634:
Now, for all that, Monsieur, I thank you most humbly and beg Our Lord
Himself to be your thanks and reward and to shed upon you more and
more abundantly His graces and blessings. O Monsieur, how my heart
is filled with consolation every time the above-mentioned M. de la Salle
writes to me about your zeal for the salvation of souls, your diligence in
winning them over, the blessing Our Lord is bestowing on you, and the
solid virtue you possess! I assure you, Monsieur, all that gives me a joy
I cannot express to you and a very special fidelity in asking God to be
pleased to continue for you and to increase the same graces within
you.

TO ETIENNE BLATIRON February 14, 1648:

The graces God is showering on your labors are the result of His pure
mercy and not of our wretched prayers. We are poor people, more liable
to turn aside His blessings than to draw them down. I thank His Divine
Goodness for the zeal and fidelity He gives your heart and those who
are with you. In fact, Monsieur, I am so touched by the use you make of
these virtues and of many others that, when the opportunity arises to
animate the Saint-Lazare community to its own perfection, I relate to it
the examples that yours gives us of this. I tell them of your long labors,
despite the weaknesses of some of your men, your patience in
difficulties, your charity and support for one another, the gracious
welcome, courtesy, and consideration outsiders find in each of you. So
you see, Monsieur, that honey from your hive flows even into this
house and serves as food for its children. O Dieu! what a source of
consolation for the whole Company, but also what a motive for our
little family to humble itself before God and to do ever better and
better, since He is pleased to extend and multiply in this way the good
it is doing even in places where it is not present!.

Ant. May God be pleased to strengthen you and to establish great union
among you; for you will be even stronger if you are all closely united.
(VII:473)

Prayer of the Faithful

Loving Father, lover of the poor, send down your spirit from heaven.
Generous Father, You inspired Vincent and other founders within the
Vincentian family. We thank you for inspiring them with this gift of
serving you in the poor. We thank you for nearly 400 years of
existence. We thank you for the many graces and blessings we have
received through this service. We ask you now to hear our prayers.

- For those who experience poverty, those whom you have called us
to serve, that we may always see your image in them and respond
generously to their needs. The meek, those who cry, those who
hunger and are in need of justice

- In this year of collaboration may we unite our efforts as

Vincentian Family always desiring to have that love which is
creative to infinity.

- May we be a grateful people who know and cherish our rich

Vincentian heritage and inspire others to join us as Priests,
Brothers, Sisters and Laity; as members of the Vincentian Family.
A network of Charity.

- May we always stand on the shoulders of our Vincentian Brothers

and Sisters who have gone before us, that united with them we
may come to know the joys of life everlasting.
Lord, have mercy Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy Lord, have mercy.
Mary, Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Pray for us.
St. Vincent de Paul Pray for us.
St. Louise de Marillac Pray for us.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Pray for us.
Bl. Frederick Ozanam Pray for us.
St. Joan Antide Thouret Pray for us.
St. Catherine Labour Pray for us.
All our holy sisters and brothers of the Vincentian Family Pray for us.
Lord, be merciful - Lord, save your people.
Be merciful to us sinners - Lord, hear our prayer.

Let us pray: Almighty and Loving God, be our light, our truth and the way we follow
as we go forth to continue the work you have entrusted to the Vincentian Family.
R. Amen