VINCENTIAN MARIAN YOUTH

International Secretariat

Madrid

Madrid, 18 July, 2008

Anniversary of the 1st. Apparition to St. Catherine

Dear Members of VMY:

Very loving fraternal greetings from Madrid, on this special day, July 18! A day when we celebrate the 1st Apparition of The Holy Virgin Mary to St. Catherine!

VMY, a work of love founded 178 years ago and blessed by the Miraculous Medal prevails in many countries of the world with the commitment of many worthy people that have said “YES!” to Jesus with Mary.

It is a moment to be grateful and to celebrate the things we live and share in the Association. Within VMY we continue growing and strengthening together, because we share activities that give us a great sense of unity and make us be better people; because we dream together and carry out projects with the Most Needy and because we are ready to continue the Mission that Christ has started: to make present the Kingdom of God here and now.

Our Association is growing; new groups and National Councils have been established, strengthening their formation and apostolate for the less privileged. My recent visit of motivation and formation to Poland (April 1-15) and to Brazil (April 18 to May 28) have offered me the chance of discovering that we keep the enthusiasm of responding to the invitation of Mary, from a committed life that assumes and fulfils the project of God beyond the diversity of cultures and languages; beyond the way the young adapt themselves to the changes the world demands. I have known groups, young and advisors that are passionate followers of Christ and our Vincentian Charisma, that achieve to respond to the challenges of the Youth Pastoral and the society with the creativity that only charity may give.

By the time we are celebrating this anniversary of the Association, VMY Latin America begins its Continental Encounter (Dominican Republic); several members from different countries are participating in the World Youth Day (Sydney, Australia), some African countries are preparing a visit of motivation and formation, done by a member of the International Council; Europe and Middle East continue deepening on the topics discussed during the Encounter of Slovakia (December, 2007).

From these achievements and blessings, I invite you to listen to the voice of God in the silence of the prayer, to listen each other, to discover the will of God in your lives as Mary and St. Catherine did. Starting from this listening, I invite you to wonder: what do I want the Association to be the next year? How am I going to renew it? How am I going to improve VMY for it to be an Association that really serves to the poor? What new poverties are more and more latent in the society and how am I responding before them?

May we celebrate the Love of God together with the Vincentian Family; since we share with all the branches a common heritage bequeathed by St. Vincent de Paul, and may we find the value of living the Systemic Change as Our Lords wants!

From this year on, every July 18 amass will be celebrated in the Rue du Bac, cradle of our Association, to express our gratitude and to pray for the intentions of VMY. Each member and all the Association will be present in our prayers.

Despite of the distance, receive our fraternal regards. May Mary from the Rue du Bac, shower us with the graces we ask her with love and confidence.

Yasmine Cajuste

VMY International President