A family born again
Mihaela used to go to sleep worrying that the house would fall on her and her family. She lived with her mother and her four children, aged between 14 and 7 in a tiny house in Iasi, Romania second largest city. “We felt deprived of any hope, of protection during that...
From the basement to the hope of a new life
The Flórez Sierra Family hasn’t had it easy since they arrived in Spain from Colombia. “We used to live in a basement, unhealthy, without the right conditions, we were suffering, mostly for our child”. Besides, were living in an unregularized situation in the country....
94 houses opened and blessed in Australia as part of the “13 Houses” Campaign
Vincentians have opened and blessed 94 houses in Cardiff, New South Wales (NSW) Australia. This is the last batch of the 500 houses built by the St Vincent de Paul Society and the local government, a project which is part of the “13 Houses” Campaign. The Social and...
Lenten Letter 2021 From Fr. Tomaž Mavrič, CM, to the Vincentian Family
My Broken Christ Dear members of the Vincentian Family, May the grace and peace of Jesus be always with us! After the dramatic events of last year as the suffering caused by wars, natural disasters, and famine was compounded by the pandemic of COVID-19, our faith...
All (and everybody) for our homeless friends
Christmas celebrations in the “Charité” Santa Luisa in Turin have been incredibly significant. Our “Day Centre for and with homeless people” has lived a wave of Providence and Grace. We were surprised but not overwhelmed, thanks to the Lord, we sail out with tailwind....
Letter from Tomaž Mavrič, CM, President of the Executive Committee of the Vincentian Family, on the “13 houses” initiative
Rome, 2 February 2021 Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord Dear Superiors General, International Presidents, Presidents of the National Councils or representatives of the Vincentian Family in any given country, all members of the worldwide Vincentian Family, May the...
The FHA Christmas Appeal almost quadruples the target goal
The FHA Christmas Appeal “A room at the inn” has raised almost four times the amount of money needed to help five homeless families to provide them with the same warmth and security that Mary and Joseph were seeking for their family. Thanks to generous donations, the...
Homeless people: a question of humanity and fraternity
Homeless people exist. Calling them by their name is a question of humanity and fraternity, recognizing them with an ID and personal documents means building a healthy, united, open and creative society. Without residency there are no real opportunities for civic,...
Reflecting on three years of the Famvin Homeless Alliance
The Famvin Homeless Alliance (FHA) has reached three years working with the poorest of the poor and the homeless. This anniversary comes at a time when the Vincentian service for homeless people is more necessary than ever in the post Covid-19 world. Three years...
The “infection” of Love
This is an extraordinary moment. For months we have been trying to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, not even pausing for a summer break; we have never let our homeless friends be alone. We have adapted our services, while maintaining our values, according to the...
This Christmas, help a family get a home
“And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7)Ann, Paula, Age, Mariano, Alba, and many other families around the world currently experiencing internal...
500 new houses for the homeless in Australia mark the 2º anniversary of the “13 Houses” Campaign
Mr EE is an elderly man who, for most of his life, has suffered from substance abuse. With limited family and support, Mr EE found himself living in a small room at a pub. His life changed when he accessed one of the new 502 housing units that make up the latest “13...