CONSTITUTIONS AND STATUES

''We read in sacred scripture that our Lord, Jesus Christ, sent on earth for the salvation of the human race, did not begin by teaching; he began by doing. And what he did was to integrate fully into his life every type of virtue. He then went on to teach, by preaching the good news of salvation to poor people, and by passing on to his apostles and disciples what they needed to know to become guides for others. Now the little Congregation of the Mission wants, with God 's grace, to imitate Christ, the Lord, in so far as that is possible in view of its limitations. It seeks to imitate his virtues as we// as what he did for the salvation of others. It is only right that if the Congregation is to do the same sort of work, it should act in the same sort of way. This means that the whole purpose of the Congregation is: 1. to have a genuine commitment to grow in holiness, patterning ourselves, as far as possible, on the virtues which the great Master himself graciously taught us in what he said and did; 2. to preach the good news of salvation to poor people, especially in rural areas; 3. to help seminarians and priests to grow in knowledge and virtue, so that they can be effective in their ministry'' (CR, I, l).

In these words, St. Vincent entrusted to the confreres of the Congregation, his followers in the Lord, a unique vocation, a new kind of community life, and an exacting purpose that, with wisdom, should be continually adapted to each new age.

 

Constitutions (1984)

Statutes (1984)

St. Vincent's Rule (1658)

 

General Assembly 2004

The Revised Constitutions 20 Years Later

Theme

Our Vincentian identity today, having lived the new Constitutions for 20 years — an evaluation and three challenges for the future.

Basic Documents

Further Resources