Visit to VMY Italy 2010

GioVin 2010, Rome, Italy

“Ci sarai dentro cuesta sfida? Porterai insieme a me piu’ vita. Troverai un amico que anche nel buio non ti lanscera’ mai!” This was the hymn of Giovin JMV Italy that I could hear with so much joy in the weekend form 24^th to 26^th of September in Rome to celebrate the feast of St. Vincent de Paul and St. Louise de Marillac. The whole Vincentian Family gathered on 25^th of September.

For these three days our home was an institute of Salezians which welcomed 270 young people full of joy and energy. I have been  in Rome for the first time, so the celebration was so much bigger for me. On Friday afternoon I went with group JMV from Sicilia, who were very nice, to see the town a little bit because the National president of VMY in Italy, Giuseppe Maienca, who was also responsible for organization of these three days, said, that it would be a sin not to see the city… When we got back to the institute there wasn’t any special program for this evening, so youngsters had time to spent together just talking, laughing, and sharing their hearts. On the next morning we started with breakfast where I met so wonderful girls who at first denied speaking English with me, but during our conversation they found some courage and they were really good! I went to a prayer with them, where we all together gave our minds and hearts to the Lord with the Morning Prayer, where we were invited to listen to the Gospel (John 12, 1-8) and think about what words of Jesus means for us, as Vincent shoots. In all three days we were listening to the story of poor Lazar, whom Jesus loved so much.

To get to know St. Vincent better we had five different workshops. I attended the one called Fedelta – loyalty where we talked about what the word means, how St. Vincent lived it, what he had to struggle with, to stay fateful to himself and to God. In this group of people I met two wonderful seminaries who both spoke Spanish, so they were translating to me so nicely what the group was discussing about.  Just before the “talk show” we had a small break and during this few minutes you could see all VMY dancing together, having so much fun, celebrating their friendship with everybody in the spirit of St. Vincent. We continued with our mission of service in a talk show where youth could ask different questions the persons responsible for Vincentian Family. Together we were thinking about why is important to be Vincentian, how can lay members collaborate with CM and Daughters of Charity and what are the difficulties of collaboration, how to live Gospel in everyday life even tough sometimes it seems so hard. We concluded are our thoughts with words of St. Vincent and a hymn. I hope that, if it is God’s will, fruits of this conversation will grow in us to serve better to the Lord and the poor.

After the lunch we went to Basilica of St. Peter to celebrate the Eucharist in the most beautiful and magnificent way with all Vincentian family. The Mass was very beautiful, presided by Card. Franc Rodé CM, especially because we were all fully involved as brothers and sisters, different in culture, generation, but one in Christ.  After the mass some of us almost run to the place of “fiesta” in the Provincial house of Daughters of Charity that VMY prepared for all the youth. I had so nice time just watching dance VMY, sisters, seminaries, everybody.  I had time to meet some other young people.  On Sunday, we went to house Leoniano (collegio Leoniano) to conclude three days of celebration in St. Vincent’s name with the mass presided by Fr. Nicola Albanesi CM, (Visitator, Province of Rome). Finally, we said goodbye in Vatican watching big screen and listening to the words of Pope, who mentioned St. Vincent in his praying of Angelus.

Thanks to our God the celebration really was a time of happiness and mercy for all of us.

Karmen Kunc

VMY International Councillor