On this 400th anniversary of the Congregation of the Mission, what aspects of Saint Vincent de Paul’s charism do you consider most urgent for the Church and the world today?

Father Tomaž Mavrič: I would emphasize that one of the most urgent aspects is formation. Popular missions, which can be carried out in different ways, and the formation of the clergy.

Saint Vincent formed the Congregation with both sides of the lungs: the brothers and the priests. In many countries, they call us “Father Pauls,” which is incorrect; we need to change that to “Missionary Pauls.” That’s where both groups come in. But with “Paul Fathers,” we forget about the “Paul brothers,” who throughout history also accomplished very important things in the field of the Gospel. Today we have examples of people who are more prepared than a priest if we want to compare them intellectually. So that also needs to be kept in mind.

Then, with the parishes, we face a challenge, because we are not called to prioritize parishes. Yes, in the missions and in the peripheries, reviving there the experience of a shared mission alongside a Vincentian lay group. But taking parishes and leaving everything the same, with the same style as a diocesan parish, we are not called to do that.

We still have the majority of our confreres present in parishes. The invitation is for mission communities to be formed from the parishes: mission houses called to be present in the parish territory. The confreres are flexible; they can direct the formation of the clergy, they can hold retreats for young people, retreats in different places, in parishes, or popular missions.

Pope Francis emphasized in his message the importance of renewing our missionary commitment and imitating Christ’s preferential love for the poor. How do Vincentian missionaries live this missionary fidelity today in the most difficult peripheries?

T.M.: Yes, some are exceptional confreres; they are models of life. One truly shuts up when one sees or hears them. We must have these confreres as models.

Those of us who do not live this form of mission are invited to do so, precisely in the grace of the 400 years that can lead us to change. To do so without ever putting our own interests, desires, or other personal motives first. Always the person, happiness, Jesus in the person. And the poorer the person, the clearer the face of Jesus is seen in that person. That is what must move us. It is Vincent’s discovery, which was the beginning of his radical change, his profound transformation. And that is what will also change us.

Paris is hosting some very significant celebrations these days. What message do you hope will resonate in the hearts of the faithful and the Vincentian family at the end of this Jubilee?

T.M.: In the end, if someone were to exclaim: ‘We are witnesses to the beginning of a new Pentecost,’ I would say to myself: Look, Thomas, this is what Jesus wanted, what he desires, and what is now beginning to blossom in us.

You have encouraged young people to get involved in the mission. How can the legacy of Saint Vincent de Paul inspire young people today to be courageous witnesses of the Gospel?

T.M.: I think we have an extraordinary, extraordinary charism—in terms of doing, and a spirituality of being. But it comes from Jesus himself, from Jesus’s mission. What more could we ask for? What more can we ask of the Gospel?

When He, in the synagogue of Nazareth, opened the scroll—the scroll of Isaiah—and read the text, it said: “He was sent to bring the Good News to the poor, the helpless, those living in prison,” and so on. And at the end, He says: “This happened today.” This happened today, here and now. This is the mission I am beginning, the one that was spoken of so many centuries before: it is today. So, it is from there that we take this invitation.

For young people, we have a beautiful mission for them. We are not specialists in the sense that, when we speak of young people, one immediately thinks of the Salesians, right? Because they have it as their primary, central charism. But young people in formation, in different forms of accompaniment, we concretely deal with the mission. It is about encountering the poor, encountering Jesus in the poor.

So, where should we go? We must go to the places where He most wants to be. And He wants to be where people suffer the most: those most abandoned spiritually, materially, and psychologically.

Being missionaries is an attractive invitation, if we use the word “Vincentian” in the field of marketing, for young people. And I am so grateful to Pope Francis, from the bottom of my heart, for reminding us and inviting us to this journey.

The “13 Houses” campaign and other social initiatives show that the Vincentian spirit continues to transform lives. What challenges and hopes do you foresee for the future of the Congregation of the Mission and the entire Vincentian family?

T.M.: Right now, the Vincentian family is made up of 180 organizations, including congregations and lay associations. So, the first challenge is collaboration, internal unity, and not forgetting that we all belong to the Vincentian family. I think that word, “Vincentian family,” has to be much more; it has to grow from moment to moment. Because in the global world, we will become better known as a Vincentian family, not as a “Congregation of the Mission” or “Association of Saint Vincent de Paul.” While we say we are the Congregation of the Mission of Saint Vincent de Paul, we belong to the Vincentian family.

Together we can do much more; we have a much greater charism, talents, and united gifts, right? This way, we can help much more; that’s the point. This is a learning opportunity for our family.

For example, the Thirteen Houses project is the first time we’ve done something global. The initiative in the field of charity also seeks to provide a global response to needs, disasters, and emergency situations.

At the same time, in the field of education—where many congregations are very strong—we must also unite these forces at the international level. Vincentian education, where lay people are present and served in a special way, is another area we have in mind and must revitalize to be more effective in the future.