The Spirituality of Systemic Change

1. 1
New spirituality proposed to groups
inspired by Saint Vincent de Paul
by Auréa Cormier, n.d.s.c. (aureacormier@rogers.com)
Excerpts taken from a presentation
by Guillermo Campuzano, C.M., DePaul University
Indianapolis, IN: October 26, 2013

2. Outline of the presentation
1.
2.
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Vincent de Paul„s love for the poor has been
transmitted to millions of Vincentian Family members
Responding beyond the basic needs of the poor
through commitment to systemic change
Vincentian charism: Spirituality of Systemic Change
to create a just and equitable world
Becoming a prophetic voice and letting us be
evangelized by the poor

3. Saint Vincent de Paul : a man
transformed by the poor
 Born in 1581 in France, Vincent was ordained
priest at 19 and he received a bachelor‟s
degree in theology when he was 23 years old
 Following an obscure period of his life, he
became the chaplain of upper class families
who supported him, throughout his entire
life, in his works with the poor
3

4. For Vincent, the poor become our Lords
and Masters and we their servants
4
“From the moment the love of Christ shed away
the scales from the eyes of Vincent and
touched his heart, then his concerns totally
focussed on the poor. They became for him a
revelation of God through the continuity of His
Incarnated Word and love for us, his path to
sainthood, with his desire to share their lot” 1
1 Translated
from Giuseppe Toscani. La mystique des pauvres, p. 38.

5. Impact of Vincent on his contemporaries
 1617:
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Formation of teams of women from the
upper class, later known as “Ladies of Charity”
who reached out to the needy
 1625 : Foundation of the Congregation of the
Mission (C.M.), an association of Priests and
Brothers whose purpose was to follow Christ who
evangelized the poor
 1633 : Co-founder, with Louise de Marillac, of the
Daughters of Charity

6. Influence of Vincent de Paul after his death
 The
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rule of St. Vincent de Paul, written for the
Daughters of Charity, was taken and adapted by
Elizabeth Seton for the Congregation of the Sisters
of Charity she founded in 1809
 The Sisters of Charity have mainly been educators
but many also dedicated their lives in the service
of the poor and the sick
 Congregations belonging to the Federation of the
Sisters of Charity share the spirituality of Vincent de
Paul and Elizabeth Seaton; the congregation of
Notre-Dame-du- Sacré-Cœur is one of them

7. Spirituality of Saint Vincent de Paul
embraced by Frederic Ozanam
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 Young Frederic felt compelled to serve the poor
 In
1839, at age 20, Frederic and six of his student
friends founded the Society of St. Vincent de Paul
“which should neither be a political party, nor a
Frederic was a
school, nor a brotherhood… but profoundly
scholar (Doctor
Catholic, at the same time as secular”; their motto: in Law) and
professor at the
Let us go to the poor
Sorbonne. He
 Along with Sister Rosalie Rendu, Daughter of
was a married
Charity, Frederic and his group went to the poorest and a
man
father.
of Paris, serving them with respect, just like Vincent

8. 8
Vincentian Family: over 10 million members
Present in135 countries, the Vincentian Family regroups:
1. St. Vincent de Paul Society: over 175,000 members in 142 countries
2. The International Assoc. of Charities: 260,000 members in 40 countries
3. Vincentian Marian Youth groups: 240,000 members in 45 countries
4. The Daughters of Charity: 24,000 members in 87 countries
5. The Congregation of the Mission: 4,000 members in 80 countries
6. The Sisters of Charity Federation: approximately 7,000 members
7. The Religious of St. Vincent de Paul: some 250 priests and brothers
8. The Assoc. of the Miraculous Medal boasts 5-10 million members
9. MISEVI: 30 members in 4 countries
Source : www.svdpmemphis.org/whoweare/84-vincentian-family

9. 9
Common elements of the Vincentian Family
1. OPTION FOR THE POOR
To be WITH the poor, to work WITH
them and to let them speak for
themselves – they have their own
voice; we must let them show us the
way
2. OPTION YOUNG PEOPLE
We must integrate young people in
the activities of the Vincentian Family

10. Commitment of the Vincentian Family
to Systemic Change
 In
2006, Fr. Greg Gay, Superior General of the
Congregation of the Mission, named a
Commission for Promoting Systemic Change.
 Mandate:
“To help bring about systemic change
through the apostolates of the members of the
Vincentian Family, especially those ministering to
the oppressed poor.”
10

11. 11
Broad definition of Systemic Change
 There
are many definitions of systemic change.
Perhaps the most broadly valid definition is “change
that pervades all parts of a system, taking into
account the interrelationships and
interdependencies among those parts.”
 This definition is useful to distinguish systemic change
from piecemeal change.
http://systemicchange.wordpress.com/systemicchange/

12. Working definition of Systemic Change for
the Vincentian Family of North America
Systemic Change, in works among those living
in poverty, aims beyond providing
food, clothing and shelter to alleviate
immediate needs; it enables people
themselves to engage in the identification of
the root causes of their poverty and to create
strategies to change those structures
which keep them in poverty; this requires
changing attitudes that have caused the problem
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Effects :
bad weeds
Causes :
Hidden roots

13. 13
Systemic Change within the Vincentian Family
 Saint Vincent never limited himself to giving food, lodging
and medication to the poor
 He always sought ways to move them out of all forms of
poverty, in a sustainable way
Together, for a
Sustainable change
Charity
versus
Us
Nous
The poor

14. Working toward changing a system which
impoverishes will have an impact
 We
need to understand that in government
circles, certain systemic changes may irritate
politicians; this will draw negative criticism
toward those who try to break the poverty cycle
 A systemic change approach transforms the way
we see, understand and do things in life
 We need to rethink our spirituality and our approach
toward the poor: we need to do it WITH them
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15. Working to ensure a better world
 Systemic
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change is a specific way in which the
Vincentian Family wants to transform the world so
that ALL can feel at home in this human dwelling
 Through systemic change, we can contribute locally
and globally to articulate a minimum consensus to
save and regenerate our common home, today
victimized due to ecological
devastation, international systemic injustices and
violence

16. Before committing to systemic change,
several questions must be answered
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Are we willing to personally commit ourselves, with all our
energy, to work toward achieving a systemic change?

WHEN will we commit ourselves to alleviate the
sufferings and revive the lives of marginalized people?

WHERE will we go when life calls us to “Go to the poor”

HOW will we respond with enthusiasm, in spite of our
reluctances? Who will do the work once we get there?

17. 17
Challenges to bring about systemic change
 Increase
the awareness of the public on
the failings of political systems because
the problem of poverty is often ignored
 Overcoming
the tendency to do
nothing, to turn the switch “OFF”
 Arouse
passionate interest of individuals
and institutions to move people out of
poverty

18. Interactions of the Where, When and
How of the Vincentian Family Today
Charism
Spirituality
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• Vincentian Family and
Systemic change are
inseparable
• The Vincentian charism
is a gift of the Spirit
• The beginning of the
spirituality of systemic
change can be in action
but it always implies a
deep conversion

19. Charism of Vincent de Paul passed on to Louise de
Marillac and Elizabeth Seton : source of inspiration
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An experience
of the Spirit
A new spirituality to face the challenges of the 21st century

20. Vincentian School of Spirituality presupposes…
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1. A common experience of the Spirit
2. A methodology: a proper way to read and interpret
reality, key to our Vincentian Spirituality
3. Elements of diverse/common identity
4. A doctrine
5. A life style
6. A specific way to develop our mission: using all our
economic, structural and human resources to GO to
the POOR of TODAY
Vincent de Paul wrote in a letter to Father Codoing in Rome
“This is my faith, this is my experience”

21. Spirituality of Systemic Change
 Spirituality
is our door to enter into the heart of
reality
 Energy to pursue the mission of Vincent de
Paul, Louise de Marillac and Elizabeth Seton is
given to the Vincentian Family as the starting
point and source of life
 The spirituality of Systemic Change implies a
deep CONVERSION
 The Vincentian charism possesses the necessary
elements for us to become whole/holy
 We need to overcome our doubts and fears, a
process which takes time and progresses slowly
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22. 22
Spirituality of Systemic Change (continued)
We need to assume prophetic courage, as people of
faith, following that primal urge to give our hearts away, to
trust, to invest, to embrace and to love
 We need to act, think, and pray together in a new
way, making the link between Vincentian Family and Systemic
Change
 Unless we change our mentality (metanoïa in Greek), we
perpetuate our old practices and our oppressive ways
 If we do not see with new lenses, we won‟t be able to
understand where we are called to go…


23. Christian mystery in our spirituality
of Systemic Change
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We are in search of a global home, where POOR people also
have a space, a place that is our habitat and theirs, where we
feel at home and where basic needs are met
 Planet Earth, our common dwelling, is being destroyed; the
spirituality of Systemic Change will help us overcome the
ecological crises before it is too late
 Gustavo Guttiérrez wrote “It is a reordering of the great axes of
Christianity in order for us to understand and act accordingly in
the present time”
 We must not rush into concrete actions but we must integrate
the spiritual dimension to our actions


24. 24
To regenerate the Earth and Humanity, we must…
1. Regenerate the cultural and social fabric and accept
pluralism
2. Regenerate the religious fabric through interreligious
dialogue and collaboration
3. Regenerate the ecological fabric – theological and
anthropological ecology
4. It may possibly take 50 years before the results become
visible
5. We need to overcome a romantic understanding of
systemic change and avoid calling everything we do
as systemic change

25. Becoming a prophetic voice
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
God speaks to the heart of prophets, giving them the
ability to penetrate reality

The world will disappoint us, but it is worth investing in

Pope Francis insist on the contact with the
poor,
not so much to evangelize them but to
become evangelized by them, much like Vincent did

His own life style has much in common with the
Vincentian charism and it is a challenge to our own

His open attitude offers hope for today‟s Church

His option for JUSTICE includes the poor and young people

26. Conclusion
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 The love of Vincent de Paul for the poor has been transmitted
to the millions of members of the Vincentian Family
 In this 21st century, the Vincentian Family wants to go beyond
covering the basic needs of poor people and it has chosen to
tackle the systems which impoverish them
 Today‟s Vincentian charism is best expressed in the spirituality
of Systemic Change, where we are in search of a global home
where the POOR also have a place and enjoy a minimum of
justice and equity
 As does Pope Francis, we must become prophetic voices and
allow ourselves to be evangelized by the poor

27. Reflection period
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1. Identify concrete seeds of hope in your
life, community, congregation, in relation to this binomial
Vincentian Family and Systemic Change
2. How can the Vincentian Family effectively contribute to
save and regenerate our existential
dwelling, humanity/earth?
3. Discuss some of the essential elements of the Vincentian
School of Spirituality from a Systemic Change perspective