Synopsis
We are pleased to share a moving video testimony from Sister Rosemary Moynihan, SC, who offers her personal reflection on the Second Vincentian Family Convocation, held in Rome in November 2024. From 2011 to 2019, Sister Rosemary served as General Superior of the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, and her deep roots in the Vincentian tradition shine through every word of her witness.
Transcript:
My experience at the Vincentian Family gathering in Rome, November 2024 was a source of great hope and joy for me.
- There I experienced firsthand and personally St. Vincent’s quote that “Charity (or God’s love) is the cement which binds communities to God and people to one another…
- And there was a deeply personal emphasis – “So let us love God, but let it be with the strength of our arms and the sweat of our brow” It was clear to me why the vibrant Vincentian Charism of Charity has remained alive and on fire for 400 years…
- Vincentians of all ages, cultures, races, abilities came to the convocation – Responding to the call to personal involvement / commitment to the Mission of Charity…
- We:
- reflected on the meaning of these times;
- probed our experiences to gain greater understanding of the challenges of our collective identity and mission;
- rekindled the fire of Charity in each other…conscious followers of Vincent, Louise and Elizabeth to become prophets of hope as called by Pope Francis.
- I found that my commitment was …. revitalized once again
- …the formal and informal sharing created a bond that strengthened our shared identity…. carrying us together back into our chaotic, uncertain, polarized world with deeper faith, and greater certainty and focus on the charism of charity.
- One experience remains in my heart and mind. Two religious sisters traveled from Indonesia, SE Asia……fairly isolated by language and culture they enthusiastically made every effort to communicate and learn. They shared with me through signing language and our mutual desire to communicate that “we care for people like your Helen Keller…we help those who are unable to speak, hear or see” … Are they poor I asked?
- “Not all, but those who live around us are. They are farmers who are unable to grow enough even to feed their own families.”
- That’s why we’re here…. we wanted to share our deep concern for them and our efforts to help them. Resources are scarce here so we….tried to make connections to help them….our congregation was founded in Netherlands…and when vocations stopped coming, we moved the motherhouse to Indonesia to engage young women in the Mission.
- In thinking the situation through we decided to contact a bank in the Netherlands and worked with them to set up a system of microloans to help the farmers. Now a few years later they are able to harvest enough to feed themselves and take the rest to market. It worked!
- I was humbled and heartened by these 2 women, one young, one older…traveling so far with communication barriers, …intense direct ministry…awareness of the needs around them and with creativity and courage taking the risk to find a helpful intervention for their neighbors.
There were some quotes from the convocation…that shaped my experience
- Vincent’s “The Grace of God has its Moments”
- And simply, On the last day of the convocation at the Vatican Mass for the World Day of the Poor…
If there was any time to seek to be open to grace and to trust that it is at work it is now…in our chaotic, frenetic, polarized world/society Pope Francis’s last word to us (probably the last words most of us ever heard him say) “Don’t Forget the Poor”. Don’t Forget the Poor!Many blessings, Dear Friends… let us continue to walk together in the Mission of Charity and let us never forget the poor. Thank you.