History of the Vincentian Marian Youth (VMY)
The Historical Event: 1830
We are an international association of young Catholics that originates from the expressed desire of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a desire that was revealed on July 18, 1830 to Saint Catherine Labouré in Paris, France. Sister Catalina Labouré communicated this message to her director, Fr. Jean Marie Aladel, CM: “The Blessed Virgin wants to entrust you with a mission, she wants you to start an association of which you will be its founder and director. It is a confraternity of the Sons and Daughters of Mary”. A few months later, the Blessed Virgin Mary would entrust Sister Catherine with a new mission: to create the Miraculous Medal, which would be to the insignia of the Association.
From 1830 to 1847, Fr. Aladel began his mission and established the first fifteen groups of the Daughters of Mary in and around Paris. The first member was called Benigna Hairón, a member of one of the boarding schools administered by the Daughters. The first meetings of the Daughters of Mary were called “Marian Cenacles”.
The Superior General, Fr. Etienne, obtained Pontifical Approval from Pope Pius IX through the rescripts of June 20, 1847 (for a female branch) and July 19, 1850 (for a male branch). The name “Association of Daughters and Sons of Mary Immaculate” was given to the group. The Pope entrusted the care of our Association to the Superior General of the Congregation of Mission and the Daughters of Charity, who would be its Director General. The support provided by the Superiors General and the encouragement, admiration and blessing received from the Supreme Pontiffs contributed to the expansion of the Association.
From 1848 to 1870 the expansion of the Association reached America, Asia and Africa. On September 19, 1931, Pope Pius XI granted the Association the right to be established in all parishes, with the permission of the Bishops. Its Headquarters was erected in the Chapel of the Apparitions (Rue de Bac 140, Paris, France).
The canonization of Saint Catherine Labouré in 1947 by Pope Pius XII strengthened the spirit of the Association and prepared the members to receive the renewing breath of the Council. New life and an increase in numbers was the result of this time of renewal.
Based on the guidelines of the Second Vatican Council, the Association renewed its structures, united young men and women in the same group, reinforced its charitable-social commitment and changed its name to “Vincentian Marian Youth”. Its members were divided in the following manner: children, teenager, young adults, Vincentian Marian Families, married Daughters of Mary and Elder Daughters of Mary … each group having a distinct formation and commitment in accord with their faith development. With this renewal, more responsibility was given to young people within the life and forward movement of the Association.
In 1997, the Association resumed its international journey with a Forum of Leaders, organized in Paris during the XII World Youth Day.
On February 2, 1999, the Holy See approved the new International Statutes and recognized the change of name while maintaining the same identity. In February of that same year, Fr Robert Maloney, CM, General Director, established the headquarters of the International Secretariat of JMV in Madrid, Spain.
In August 2000, within the framework of the Youth Jubilee, the First General Assembly was held in Rome.
Identity
The identity of the Association is designated by its diverse aspects:
From the moment it enjoyed Pontifical Approbation in 1847, it has been considered as one of the apostolic groups that comprise the Church. It considers itself as a force in the Church, where it carries out its work of evangelization in the person of each of its members, who belongs to this Church by reason of his/her baptism (ECCLESIAL CHARACTER).
The Association has for Model, Mary, Mother of the Church, leader of the Community, who leads us to CHRIST (specific MARIAN CHARACTER).
This is why the members of this Movement strive to contemplate MARY, under the different aspects offered to us by the Church: A Woman who Believes, A Woman who Prays, Mother of the Church, Servant of the Poor, Universal Mediatrix.
Every Christian is a missionary. Every member of the Vincentian Marian Youth Movement must also be a missionary because Mary, Virgin of the Globe, manifested herself to us in this way to accomplish the command of her Son, Jesus: ” Go and preach”… Children of Mary are Apostles of Evangelization in their milieu and in the Mission Ad Gentes (MISSIONARY CHARACTER).
They fulfill this apostolate of Evangelization and of Service in a “Vincentian manner,” by imitating Saint Vincent de Paul in serving the poor and the marginalized of society in the regular or periodic services that the Association or the Vincentian Marian Youth Movement offers them in conformity with their age and level of maturation in the Faith (VINCENTIAN CHARACTER). Here is the charismatic aspect proper to all the members of the Vincentian Marian Youth Movement.
JMV (VMY) Imitates Mary
All members of the Vincentian Marian Youth Movement contemplate in Mary the young people’s resolve to imitate the virtues characteristic of the Association: transparency (purity), collaboration (humility), seeking the will of God (obedience), and sensitivity to the poor (charity). These are virtues that all young members must acquire.
A lived Marian Consecration strengthens the baptismal consecration and will be, so to speak, the summit of one’s contemplation and imitation of Mary, as a culmination of the growth process in one’s Faith. “To Jesus through Mary”.
1. Transparency (purity & simplicity).
2. Collaboration (humility).
3. Seeking the will of God (obedience).
4. Sensitivity to the poor (charity).
5. Marian Consecration.
Formation
The social reality and the historical context of each nation and/or geographical area means that the formation process of the members of the Association must confront different demands. Normally, in planning a formation process, the following four elements are to be taken into consideration:
A catechumenal process helps young people mature and develop their faith. In this process, the Word of God is the enlightening center that motivates and leads the young men and women to a commitment to live their lives in an integral manner and to configure their lives to Christ. Through the use of the scrutinies, one is able to measure, in an objective manner, the growth of the individuals, and this provides the possibility of opening new channels.
The spiritual life of the young men and women (Christ-centered and Marian) enables them to harmonize their life in the midst of the world through a life of prayer and through participation in the sacraments.
Their action program is developed in light of the objectives and lines of action that are developed on the national, provincial, diocesan and local level (campaigns, festivals, celebrations and forms of outreach to the poor).
The VMY does not work in an isolated manner but ministers as a community. From the parish or the diocese, the members work together with other active church groups and in a special way, seek to coordinate their work with others who share their charism, that is, with other members of the various branches of the Vincentian Family. This takes place on a provincial, regional, and national level.
The Historical Event: 1830
We are an international association of young Catholics that originates from the expressed desire of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a desire that was revealed on July 18, 1830 to Saint Catherine Labouré in Paris, France. Sister Catalina Labouré communicated this message to her director, Fr. Jean Marie Aladel, CM: “The Blessed Virgin wants to entrust you with a mission, she wants you to start an association of which you will be its founder and director. It is a confraternity of the Sons and Daughters of Mary”. A few months later, the Blessed Virgin Mary would entrust Sister Catherine with a new mission: to create the Miraculous Medal, which would be to the insignia of the Association.
From 1830 to 1847, Fr. Aladel began his mission and established the first fifteen groups of the Daughters of Mary in and around Paris. The first member was called Benigna Hairón, a member of one of the boarding schools administered by the Daughters. The first meetings of the Daughters of Mary were called “Marian Cenacles”.
The Superior General, Fr. Etienne, obtained Pontifical Approval from Pope Pius IX through the rescripts of June 20, 1847 (for a female branch) and July 19, 1850 (for a male branch). The name “Association of Daughters and Sons of Mary Immaculate” was given to the group. The Pope entrusted the care of our Association to the Superior General of the Congregation of Mission and the Daughters of Charity, who would be its Director General. The support provided by the Superiors General and the encouragement, admiration and blessing received from the Supreme Pontiffs contributed to the expansion of the Association.
From 1848 to 1870 the expansion of the Association reached America, Asia and Africa. On September 19, 1931, Pope Pius XI granted the Association the right to be established in all parishes, with the permission of the Bishops. Its Headquarters was erected in the Chapel of the Apparitions (Rue de Bac 140, Paris, France).
The canonization of Saint Catherine Labouré in 1947 by Pope Pius XII strengthened the spirit of the Association and prepared the members to receive the renewing breath of the Council. New life and an increase in numbers was the result of this time of renewal.
Based on the guidelines of the Second Vatican Council, the Association renewed its structures, united young men and women in the same group, reinforced its charitable-social commitment and changed its name to “Vincentian Marian Youth”. Its members were divided in the following manner: children, teenager, young adults, Vincentian Marian Families, married Daughters of Mary and Elder Daughters of Mary … each group having a distinct formation and commitment in accord with their faith development. With this renewal, more responsibility was given to young people within the life and forward movement of the Association.
In 1997, the Association resumed its international journey with a Forum of Leaders, organized in Paris during the XII World Youth Day.
On February 2, 1999, the Holy See approved the new International Statutes and recognized the change of name while maintaining the same identity. In February of that same year, Fr Robert Maloney, CM, General Director, established the headquarters of the International Secretariat of JMV in Madrid, Spain.
In August 2000, within the framework of the Youth Jubilee, the First General Assembly was held in Rome.
Identity
The identity of the Association is designated by its diverse aspects:
From the moment it enjoyed Pontifical Approbation in 1847, it has been considered as one of the apostolic groups that comprise the Church. It considers itself as a force in the Church, where it carries out its work of evangelization in the person of each of its members, who belongs to this Church by reason of his/her baptism (ECCLESIAL CHARACTER).
The Association has for Model, Mary, Mother of the Church, leader of the Community, who leads us to CHRIST (specific MARIAN CHARACTER).
This is why the members of this Movement strive to contemplate MARY, under the different aspects offered to us by the Church: A Woman who Believes, A Woman who Prays, Mother of the Church, Servant of the Poor, Universal Mediatrix.
Every Christian is a missionary. Every member of the Vincentian Marian Youth Movement must also be a missionary because Mary, Virgin of the Globe, manifested herself to us in this way to accomplish the command of her Son, Jesus: ” Go and preach”… Children of Mary are Apostles of Evangelization in their milieu and in the Mission Ad Gentes (MISSIONARY CHARACTER).
They fulfill this apostolate of Evangelization and of Service in a “Vincentian manner,” by imitating Saint Vincent de Paul in serving the poor and the marginalized of society in the regular or periodic services that the Association or the Vincentian Marian Youth Movement offers them in conformity with their age and level of maturation in the Faith (VINCENTIAN CHARACTER). Here is the charismatic aspect proper to all the members of the Vincentian Marian Youth Movement.
JMV (VMY) Imitates Mary
All members of the Vincentian Marian Youth Movement contemplate in Mary the young people’s resolve to imitate the virtues characteristic of the Association: transparency (purity), collaboration (humility), seeking the will of God (obedience), and sensitivity to the poor (charity). These are virtues that all young members must acquire.
A lived Marian Consecration strengthens the baptismal consecration and will be, so to speak, the summit of one’s contemplation and imitation of Mary, as a culmination of the growth process in one’s Faith. “To Jesus through Mary”.
1. Transparency (purity & simplicity).
2. Collaboration (humility).
3. Seeking the will of God (obedience).
4. Sensitivity to the poor (charity).
5. Marian Consecration.
Formation
The social reality and the historical context of each nation and/or geographical area means that the formation process of the members of the Association must confront different demands. Normally, in planning a formation process, the following four elements are to be taken into consideration:
A catechumenal process helps young people mature and develop their faith. In this process, the Word of God is the enlightening center that motivates and leads the young men and women to a commitment to live their lives in an integral manner and to configure their lives to Christ. Through the use of the scrutinies, one is able to measure, in an objective manner, the growth of the individuals, and this provides the possibility of opening new channels.
The spiritual life of the young men and women (Christ-centered and Marian) enables them to harmonize their life in the midst of the world through a life of prayer and through participation in the sacraments.
Their action program is developed in light of the objectives and lines of action that are developed on the national, provincial, diocesan and local level (campaigns, festivals, celebrations and forms of outreach to the poor).
The VMY does not work in an isolated manner but ministers as a community. From the parish or the diocese, the members work together with other active church groups and in a special way, seek to coordinate their work with others who share their charism, that is, with other members of the various branches of the Vincentian Family. This takes place on a provincial, regional, and national level.
