Dear Vincentian Friends

It is now about a week and a half after the close of the 34th AGA of the National Council of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, and I would like to offer the following reflection, comments etc..
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From all reports, this meeting was a huge success. We are very pleased with the attendance (325 for the banquet) the largest attendance in at least ten years. We had 16 attendees from BC, 4 from WRC, 113 from Ontario, 56 from Quebec, 98 from Atlantic Canada and 6 American guests.

The committee wanted the AGA to be a celebration; as well we wanted to have a good spiritual content – with daily Mass and a special closing celebration. The “vision” was to provide comfortable accommodations, good meals, and social activities with a maritime flair, good liturgies and spiritual content, a solid selection of workshops and presenters and keynote speaker and meaningful program. We wanted the delegates to sample what it is like to eat at a soup kitchen, and to allow you to get to meet and get to know some of the people we serve every day. The closing celebration was certainly enhanced with the installation of Atlantic Regional President Maureen MacIsaac by Archbishop Prendergast.

First of all I want to talk about the reactions of both Vincentians and the people we serve, to our Bar-B-Q on Friday night at St. Patrick’s Church. This event was rated the “best thing we have ever done” by a number of delegates who filled in our evaluation forms. I also want to point out that the people we serve are still (two weeks after the event) talking about the Bar-B-Q and how happy they were to be included. This is very important – they felt included – not “put on display” but included in a celebration with the people who serve them.

For more visit http://www.ssvp.ca/en/lettre.php