VISIT OF THE INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT OF VMY TO Santo Domingo

(From 18 to 19 Nov. 2006)

 

 

 

This weekend, VMY Dominican Republic received a Great God’s Gift. Since few days ago, we were talking with the International President, Yasmine Cajuste, about the possibility of taking advantage of her vacations in her country, Haiti, in order to share with us our expected National Encounter. And our Lord with a very huge love, made this dream come true.

On Sunday 18th, Yasmine arrived to Santo Domingo. She was welcomed by the National President, Delia Diaz. The plan for this day was the visit to the communities, which usually meet in the afternoons and on Saturday nights in this Province. Her first stop was in the St. Theresa de Jesus center (Daughters of Charity’s Provincial House), where Yasmine expressed her emotion of being in this country again, but this time in her service as a President and with the illusion of being able to share the Encounter with all.

In the same way, she visited the Santo Domingo oriental zone’s groups, specifically the Vincentian Parishes of St. Vincent de Paul and St. Luisa de Marillac, and the Diocesan Parish of St. Martin de Porres, three communities with a low socioeconomic level, where many young people and children live in risky situations (drugs, illnesses, crime, promiscuity, parents’ abandonment, etc.). But over there, despite the power cuts, the excessive heat, and any other obstacle, youngsters wishing to follow Christ in a Vincentian style met in the VMY’s communities of Altagracia, Santisima Trinidad, Santa Luisa, and La Inmaculada, which were visited by Yasmine and where, as St. Theresa, she was able to share with the participants her happiness of being in our country and to motivate the attendance to the National Encounter.

During this visits, Yasmine was joined not only by the National President, Delia Diaz, but also by the VMY Latin-American Council’s President, Gina Paredes, by the Northeast Region’s Coordinator, Antonio Medrano, by the Southeast Region’s Delegate, Ambrioris Valetin and by the St. Theresa of Jesus Center’s Coordinator, Joan Robles. To finish this day, the President shared with the young people from Altagracia community, their anniversary celebration.

This visits meant for the young people a big happiness for being able to count on the close presence of Yasmine, in their communitarian life’ places.

On Sunday 19th, the National Encounter was held in the praying place Maria Auxiliadora of Santo Domingo city. Since the early morning, the centers from different parts of the country were arriving: Santa Luisa, Santa Teresa, Margarita Naseau, Vicente Noble, Puerto Plata, San Vicente, San Jose Obrero, Santa Rosa Lima, Espiritu Santo, San Martín de Porres and Barahona; 285 people including advisors, catechists, youngsters and teenagers, represented enthusiastically their centers.

 

At 9:30 a.m. started the Encounter with an opening prayer; later there were some welcome words, the presentation of all the present centers and the Encounter’s program and dynamic, after that, the main topic was presented by Sr. Maritza Almonte, who is the advisor of the Vicente Noble Center. The motto of this topic was: LOVE IS AFFECTIVE AND EFFECTIVE

After the dinner YASMINE shared the Association’s worldwide vision, her life in the International Secretariat and her experience in this first year of service as International President. She talked about how meaningful has been this year for her, about the chance of being able to share the life experiences and hopes of VMY young members in some African and South American countries and now in Haiti and Santo Domingo. Moreover, she talked about some service experiences that she has been able to know along this years: Spain and its Missionary communities; Venezuela and its EXSERVIS, etc., motivating the members to live this service charisma with the love and creativity that Christ and St. Vincent lived.

 

In the middle of this sharing activity, we had the presence of the Youth Pastoral National Coordinator, Fr. Luis Rosario, who affectively greeted all the participants.

The young people had also the chance to ask Yasmine several things in a personal level. For all of them it was a great surprise that the President was so YOUNG, AMERICAN and above all SIMPLE. They asked her some questions such as: How she reached VMY, how she looks at the Association in a world level, what the most stunning thing during her year as a President is, what her best and worst experiences have been, how the fact of leaving her country and her family has been, and how she has faced this new role.

The Encounter was finished with the Eucharist presided by Fr. Pelagio Taveras, VMY National and Latin-American Advisor, and concelebrated by Fr. Jean Claude Phillips, Northeast Region’s Advisor. Sr. Esperanza Martínez, National Advisor, encouraged all the people to star a new SERVICE phase in the Association in a National Level.

When the Encounter was finished and the delegations had returned to their countries, Yasmine joined with Delia and Gina, made a courtesy visit to the Daughters of Charity’s Provincial Visitatrix, Sr. Isaura Martinez, and to the Provincial Council, who were reunited with the Director of Daughters of Charity in Dominican Republic –one of the first VMY directors- Fr. Andres Hernandez. During half an hour Yasmine talked about her experience in VMY and mainly about this visit to VMY Dominican Republic.

Then they went to LA MILAGROSA, a Vincentian Parish that was opening the celebration of our Mother of the Miraculous Medal with a Black Theater fitted out by the VMY members from this community. How creative were they! Through light and dark effects and fluorescent colors, they created the perfect images and movements to present 6 Christian topics that really reach the audience’s soul, getting tears from many people’s eyes, including Yasmine’s. A little toast was shared with the night’s organizers, concluding the Yasmine’s second day in Santo Domingo.

On Monday 20th, Yasmine leave to continue her holidays, and with a SEE YOU SOON, she finished her surprising visit to this amazing “quisqueyana” land. CONGRATULATIONS! This visit of Yasmine has open a grace time for everybody in Dominican Republic. The Association in our country is getting bigger and more mature, and this gift serves us as an impulse to continue opening to the different international realities instead of standing still on our island. The young people have stayed very happy with the experience shared with our President, and they have discovered through her that the VINCENTIAN LIFE STYLE is UNIVERSAL.
 
THANKS GOD FOR YASMINE PRESENCE, AND THANKS YASMINE FOR HER JESUS TESTIMONY

 

Gina Paredes, VMY Dominican Republic.

November 20th, 2006