The Vincentians: A General History of the Congregation of the Mission


Book Description

THE SUBTITLE OF THIS SIXTH AND FINAL VOLUME of The Vincentians, “Internationalization and Aggiornamento (1919–1980),” describes the growth and change of the Congregation of the Mission in the twentieth century. Formerly European in focus, the provinces of the Congregation gained their own voice. Membership in mission lands, such as China, Brazil, and Ethiopia, surged, as local vocations joined their European confreres. The same is true of maturing provinces elsewhere. St. Vincent de Paul’s congregation became internationalized in both outreach and membership. The Vincentians in these recent decades also tasted the bitterness of persecution. The Congregation was suppressed at various times in Europe, Latin America, Asia, and Africa. Its members often reacted by moving elsewhere, thus furthering the internationalization of the Vincentian charism. Under the Nazis and Communist regimes, many suffered imprisonment, torture, and death. The provinces of Central Europe (Slovakia, Hungary, and Poland), to say nothing of China, were particularly hard-hit. Updating (aggiornamento) was the watchword toward the close of this period. As society changed, so did the Church, and with it the Vincentians. The process was difficult and painful, but it moved the Congregation in directions originally laid down by the Founder. Increasingly, the members emphasized mutual cooperation with many Vincentian-inspired lay organizations, the Vincentian Family. The inspiration shared among them all has been a further manifestation of the compelling insights of St. Vincent de Paul.




Collected Writings


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The Black Carib Wars


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In The Black Carib Wars, Christopher Taylor offers the most thoroughly researched history of the struggle of the Garifuna people to preserve their freedom on the island of St. Vincent. Today, thousands of Garifuna people live in Honduras, Belize, Guatemala, Nicaragua and the United States, preserving their unique culture and speaking a language that directly descends from that spoken in the Caribbean at the time of Columbus. All trace their origins back to St. Vincent where their ancestors were native Carib Indians and shipwrecked or runaway West African slaves—hence the name by which they were known to French and British colonialists: Black Caribs. In the 1600s they encountered Europeans as adversaries and allies. But from the early 1700s, white people, particularly the French, began to settle on St. Vincent. The treaty of Paris in 1763 handed the island to the British who wanted the Black Caribs' land to grow sugar. Conflict was inevitable, and in a series of bloody wars punctuated by uneasy peace the Black Caribs took on the might of the British Empire. Over decades leaders such as Tourouya, Bigot, and Chatoyer organized the resistance of a society which had no central authority but united against the external threat. Finally, abandoned by their French allies, they were defeated, and the survivors deported to Central America in 1797. The Black Carib Wars draws on extensive research in Britain, France, and St. Vincent to offer a compelling narrative of the formative years of the Garifuna people.




Vincent de Paul and Louise de Marillac


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Here are the rules, conferences and writings of these two Vincentian founders who, through service to the poor, left an indelible mark on the church in France in the seventeenth century and beyond to the present. Louise (1591-1660) first came to Vincent (1581-1660) for spiritual direction and they became coworkers and friends for the rest of their lives.




China's Old Churches


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China’s Old Churches, by Alan Sweeten, surveys the history of Catholicism in China (1600 to the present) as reflected by the location, style, and details of sacred structures in three crucial areas of north China. Closely examined are the most famous and important churches in the urban settings of Beijing and Tianjin, as well as lesser-known ones in rural Hebei Province. Missionaries built Western-looking churches to make a broad religious statement important to themselves and Chinese worshippers. Non-Catholics, however, tended to see churches as sociopolitically foreign and culturally invasive. The physical-visual impact of church buildings is significant. Today, restored old churches and new sacred structures are still mostly of Western style, but often include a sacred grotto dedicated to Our Lady of China--a growing number of Catholics supporting Marian-centered activities.




Deep Down Things


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Deep Down Things is a collection of homilies, talks and letters based on daily scripture readings. They provide much enrichment for meditation and prayer.




401 Vincy Caribbean Proverbs


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VINCY CARIBBEAN PROVERBS AND IDIOMS SERIES Uncovers amazing proverbs of Vincentian Caribbean culture, charged with wisdom, philosophy and laughter. This book, 401 Vincy Caribbean Proverbs, is as lively and witty as the English Caribbean lingo it represents. MARLON JOSEPH, EXECUTIVE OFFICER, S.V.G. TOURISM AUTHORITY. 401 Vincy Caribbean Proverbsis a breath of cultural air.It effectively mirrors the unique communication skills of a people - the Vincentian peopleone would not be able to avoid cracking-up, as the words belonging to nowhere else emerge, where a people tell their own story, and experience their own reality. DR. GEORGE R. FREDERICK, AUTHOR, DIVISION & DICHOTOMIES - STOP THE BICKERING. Never before this has our Vincy proverbs been recorded with such insightfulness, giving us a deeper sense of who we are. JANICE FRASER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, VINSAVE, S.V.G. Brilliant work; makes quite interesting reading. A must-read for generations. DAVID DARKIE WILLIAMS, PRESIDENT, S.V.G. GARIFUNA HERITAGE FOUNDATION. The 401 Vincy Caribbean Proverbs to Guide You comes with a companion website designed to go hand in hand with this book in order to enhance and complete your learning experience.




Stories from Our Indian Elders


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Your choices now and in the future are guided by the past. Tap into the resources and experiences of our Elders today! The Indians who travelled to St. Vincent over a hundred years ago demonstrated how human beings can adapt to deal with difficult situations. In the face of dire economic conditions and famines in India many of them showed bravery by travelling abroad. Their lives and that of their descendants over the years show how they survived and became successful. In this book you will be captivated by the Elders' stories of hardship, risk-taking, struggle, adaptation, assimilation, strategy, identity, resilience, progress, strength and success. The book is a collection of eight fascinating interviews followed by thematic analyses and commentaries. The stories are preceded with a background of the historical situation that existed both in India and St.Vincent before the Indians embarked on their journeys to the Caribbean. They are followed by a periodic review of the narratives and a consideration of available records while also looking at the current situation in St. Vincent and India and future relationship possibilities. "This work by Lenroy Thomas is a compelling read. Although it is dedicated to Indo-Vincentians in SVG and in the diaspora, it is really for all Vincentians since the Indian population is a significant part of the nation and has made valuable contributions to overall national development... I congratulate Lenroy Thomas on this piece of work and was pleased that he used oral history as a tool for developing the story of his people." Dr. Adrian Fraser, Retired Head of the University of the West Indies Open Campus. This book by Lenroy Thomas is a rich, multi-layered and multi-faceted resource. It contains the historical background of Indians in SVG, transcribed interviews with elders, and rare photographs. The value of this book resides in its worth as a source of secondary and primary data. The analysis of the interviews themselves can be the material for another book. - Dr. Kumar Mahabir, Anthropologist, University of Guyana




Elizabeth Seton


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