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Companions of Vincent
Public Group active 7 months agoVolunteer group of men and women collaborating with the Eastern Province U.S.A. of the Vincentians.
Bylaws:
The Companions of Vincent are men and women responding to their lay vocation, committed to following Christ, the evangelizer of the poor, in the manner of St. Vincent de Paul. The Companions have their origin in the 1997 Provincial Assembly of the Eastern Province of the Congregation of the Mission. There a proposal was made and accepted, to seek ways to provide for the collaborators in the Vincentian ministry, to pray and reflect together on their ministry and to be more deeply formed in the Vincentian Spirit. Soon after, a committee was formed to draw up a document for the formation of these groups that came to be known as the Companions of Vincent. Groups began in Brooklyn and Philadelphia and later on Long Island. The members covenant with the group and with the priests and brothers of the Eastern Province of the Congregation of the Mission to fulfill the following goals:
1. To share a gospel-based Vincentian spirituality which would integrate life, work and prayer.
2. To live a spirituality connected to the poor and Vincent’s way of serving the poor.
3. To foster a spirit of community and to support one another in the evangelization and service of the poor and in living out the Vincentian charism.
4. Each member commits to be involved individually or with a group in serving the poor.
5. To deepen knowledge and appreciation of Vincent and the Vincentian charism.
6. To have a special relationship with the priests and brothers of the Eastern Province of the Congregation of the Mission – a relationship of mutual support.
I FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF LOCAL GROUP AND ITS MEMBERS
1. There shall be both individual and group commitments to prayer. Local groups shall meet for shared prayer and study of the Vincentian charism at least four times a year.
2. Local groups can take on common projects or link members to evangelization or service projects as needed or desired.
3. The members of each local group will attend an annual assembly of the Companions at which they will renew their commitment in a covenant ceremony.
4. Each group shall have delegates to the Companions of Vincent Coordinating Committee, unless distance makes this impractical. Each local group should attempt to have some kind of solidarity with the whole group and with the Coordinating Committee. This includes utilizing the resources provided by the Coordinating Committee.
5. Each Companion shall pray for the other Companions and all the vowed members of the Eastern Province on the 25th of each month. This date is taken from the Foundation of the Congregation- January 25th, 1625.
6. The Companions will be available, when circumstances permit, to contribute services to various ministries or needs of the Eastern Province.
7. Each local group shall have a Companions formation team, consisting of two or more members, which will work with new members in discerning and developing the lay Vincentian vocation.
8. Where it is desirable, local groups can provide resource libraries of Vincentian material.
9. Each group will choose a lay coordinator who will work with the moderator to lead the group to ensure its identity, formation, community and mission. Each group will develop a job description for the coordinator and moderator. They pay particular attention to developing a continuity of leadership.
II FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE EASTERN PROVINCE
1. The Province shall support the development of Companions of Vincent groups. This is part of our commitment (following the 1998 General Assembly) to recognize the gifts of the laity and involve them in the fulfillment of the Vincentian mission.
2. As part of their commitment of mutual support with the Companions of Vincent, the vowed members of the province will pray for the Companions and other members of the Vincentian family on the 25th of each month.
3. The Province and the local houses shall provide appropriate invitations to the Companions to participate in celebrations of feasts, special gatherings for prayer or other meetings or convocations where it is feasible.
4. The Province shall invite the Companions to assist in the ministries of the province, especially when they can contribute to the mission through their unique gifts.
5. The Province shall make the resources of the Vincentian Renewal Center available to the Companions of Vincent.
6. The Province shall encourage the vowed members of the Congregation of the Mission to take on the role of moderator in order to support the individual groups and their lay coordinators.
III FUNCTIONS AND COMPOSITION OF THE COORDINATING COMMITTEE
1. The Coordinating Committee shall facilitate the operation of local groups and recommend Vincentian prayer and educational resources.
2. It shall organize the annual assembly and covenant ceremony, and sponsor other combined events (like retreats) as they are requested or needed.
3. The committee will hold an annual organizational meeting to evaluate the year’s activities and progress. The evaluation should be shared with all the Companions and the Provincial. 4. It shall share news about the Companion groups with the Eastern Province through the Vincentian newsletter and website.
5. Each local group shall appoint two lay members and one vowed member to the Coordinating Committee. In addition to the members indicated above, the Provincial of the Eastern Province shall appoint a liaison person, and other vowed members as they are needed or recommended by the Companions. The number of vowed delegates shall not outnumber the number of lay delegates.
IV FORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS
Each local Companion group shall have a Companions formation team to welcome, orient and form new members. These new members will go through a discernment process which will include instruction on the mission and charism of St. Vincent, the Congregation of the Mission and the Companions of St. Vincent. As part of the discernment process the candidate shall participate in all the activities of the local Companion group. Upon conclusion of this orientation period, the candidate will be invited to participate in the covenant ceremony at the Annual Assembly.
V FINANCES AND LEGAL CANONICAL STRUCTURE
1. The lay Companions shall be responsible for the finances of the group. Individuals shall bear the cost of written materials used by them, and for meals and the use of the Vincentian Renewal Center. The Eastern Province shall make a fund available to pay for the development of local groups so as not to exclude anyone because of limited finances. It will also make funds available for education in the charism of St. Vincent.
2. For legal and canonical purposes, The Companions of Vincent is considered to be a separate entity from the Eastern Province of the Congregation of the Mission, which has its own membership requirements according to its Constitutions and the Code of Canon Law.
Tags: Bylaws
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George J. Whelan posted an update in the group
Companions of Vincent: 7 months agoWell, I am not working with the Companions, since November of 2010. I am working with the Ignatian Volunteer Core (Jesuit program for senior volunteers). Specifically, I am working from my home town of Camden, New Jersey with Immigrants and Refugees. It is rewarding.
I feel young and yet old driving around the old streets and neighborhoods…[Read more]
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pevanickdc joined the group
Companions of Vincent 1 year, 3 months ago -
Connie Anderson posted an update in the group
Companions of Vincent: 1 year, 8 months ago · updated 1 year, 8 months agoFound the Bylaws! Gave a quick look-see. Will respond after I had the chance to read them more thoroughly. Are they based on by-laws of St. Vincent, St. Louise or Bl. Frederic?
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George J. Whelan posted an update in the group
Companions of Vincent: 1 year, 8 months agoA Ms. Connie Anderson from the Baton Rouge, La. Diocese has joined the web site. I suggested that she ask me questions about the by laws which are posted. I also told her about my wife and I living in Baton Rouge back in 1975. I felt a little homesick
.GJW
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Connie Anderson joined the group
Companions of Vincent 1 year, 8 months ago -
John Freund posted an update in the group
Companions of Vincent: 1 year, 8 months agoWelcome to all of you from the staff of VirtualVins!
We are delighted that you have chosen to use this format to keep in touch.
If there is any way we can help you just let me of Monica Watson know.
Don’t hesitate to to explore other groups. -
John Freund joined the group
Companions of Vincent 1 year, 8 months ago
Connie:
1)Je Ne Sais Pas (my French is very rusty having had only one year of it in the late 60s
). Only one year commitments are required. We in essence can do things on our own or when asked work along side vowed members.
2)This is a “long shot”. Anne Dunn from the legislative staff and I worked together. She likes riding horses. When…[Read more]