21/10/2025
From 14 to 17 October 2025, the meeting of the Board of the International General Council and the visit of the PGI took place in Singapore, bringing together representatives from different regions of the world. The stay combined moments of institutional reflection, direct contact with local social realities, and gestures of fraternity that strengthen the Vincentian spirit and our shared mission.
From the outset, this journey aimed to reaffirm the bonds between the International General Council and the local Conferences of Singapore, recognising the value of the Vincentian fabric in Asia and sharing challenges, experiences, and a common vision for the future.
Tuesday, 14 October: visit to St. Vincent’s Home for older persons
This social work developed by the SSVP in Singapore welcomes older persons who meet three conditions: they have no home of their own, lack economic resources, and live in a situation of loneliness. Volunteers, in addition to providing affection and companionship, organise income-generating workshops and assist them with small day-to-day tasks.
There, the young people of SSVP Singapore prepared a special musical performance for the Board, with local songs and original compositions, which became a moving gesture of welcome, and they served dinner on the premises.
Wednesday, 15 October: Committee for the Strategic Plan and Board session
Wednesday began with the meeting of the Committee for the revision of the SSVP Strategic Plan for the next four years, based on four points: 1) Spirituality, Vincentian identity, leadership and youth; 2) Community development and international solidarity; 3) Strengthening the IGG, governance and accountability; and 4) Digital transformation.
Next came the meeting of the Board of the International General Council. It was an intensive working day that addressed various topics, including the Twinning report, which noted the need to promote twinning in Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Financial report, which showed the stability of the financial statements and approved, on the one hand, an allocation for the Oceania initiative consisting of a digital transformation plan that could serve as a model for other countries, and, on the other, a campaign to increase contributions to the Concordat. There were updates on the progress of the Global Foundation with respect to its statutory development, on Strategic Planning for the next four years, on the need for training for national presidents and Council presidents, and on news regarding the canonisation of our principal founder, F. Ozanam; on this matter, the PGI announced a visit in November to Cardinal Semeraro, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, as we hope to receive in April an assessment from the Vatican of the reports submitted. Finally, the report on safeguarding adolescents and young people was presented, together with the conclusions of the meeting of Vincentian youth held last July in Rome, where the upcoming campaign of youth exchanges between the countries of the Confederation was announced.
Several dates were also announced: the Ibero-American Meeting in Panama from 30 October to 2 November; on 5 December, the presentation of the International Annual Report in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil); and, for next year, two Board meetings: in Bratislava (Slovakia) from 14 to 16 January, and from 13 to 15 May in Lebanon. A meeting of English-speaking countries is planned in Paris from 9 to 12 March; the general assembly in Lisbon is scheduled from 18 to 21 June, where the Global Foundation will be presented; and, in October, on a date yet to be determined, the presentation of the 2025 International Annual Report in Australia.
Matters pertaining to various countries were also discussed, including ongoing actions in countries on the African continent.
The PGI announced that the MAPFRE award for the best Social Entity, recently received in Spain, will be allocated to the youth exchange programme and to the CIAD. He also announced the translation of the book by Geisel Junior on the saints who have been members of the Conferences for wider dissemination, and expressed the joy that the canonisation of their patron, Saint Pier Giorgio Frassati, last September, has brought to the entire SSVP and especially to Vincentian youth. With regard to FAMVIN, it was approved to continue with the “13 Houses Campaign.”
The meeting closed with a spiritual meditation led by Fr. Orozco, C.M., entitled “Choosing Heaven,” where he recalled Frassati’s canonisation and his life of holiness. The meditation exhorts us to “choose heaven which, ultimately, is to choose to love and to live with the heart set on God and hands at the service of our brothers and sisters, for to choose to love is to choose life.”
These matters reflect the pulse of the institution: transparency in obtaining and allocating resources, responsible management, the strengthening of bonds between Conferences, the impetus given to our young people, spirituality, and commitment to the canonisation process of our founder.
During the session, the PGI reminded us that “charity is not reduced to giving; it is an act of love that demands responsibility, formation, and personal dedication,” and emphasised that “the unity of our Vincentian network is strengthened only when we recognise one another as siblings, sharing friendship, mission, experiences, and hopes.”
This session made it possible to review the progress of global projects, align strategies, and strengthen the international commitment to the evangelising mission of the SSVP.
Friday, 17 October: Eucharist in the Cathedral and meeting with the cardinal
The members of the Board, accompanied by fellow members of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul in Singapore, took part in a solemn Eucharist celebrated in the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, the oldest Catholic church in the country and the seat of the local archdiocese. The ceremony was presided over by Fr. Jude David and concelebrated by Fr. José F. Orozco, C.M., spiritual adviser to the IGG.
In the afternoon, the delegation was received by His Eminence Cardinal William Goh, Archbishop of Singapore, who shared a profound reflection on the current challenges of social service in the country. He underlined the need to respond sensitively to new forms of emerging poverty, which require ever greater preparation and specialisation.
The cardinal stressed that what truly distinguishes the mission of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul is personal contact, friendship, and closeness with those most in need, for in this its authentic charism is expressed. “Above all,” he affirmed, “the transmission of the Word of God through service must come first.”
His Eminence encouraged SSVP Singapore to continue fostering the generational renewal of its members and to maintain the primacy of spiritual formation over mere material aid, while congratulating the local fellow members for the valuable initiatives undertaken in this direction.
At present, Christianity is the country’s second-largest religion, with a sustained growth trend.
The SSVP in Singapore has existed since 1883, with 142 years of uninterrupted presence. Today it brings together nearly 1,000 Vincentians in 30 Conferences that serve 2,500 families—mainly older persons living alone and children—through home visitation and education programmes; they are also twinned with 50 Conferences in the Philippines and likewise support two education programmes in the Philippines and in Indonesia.
With a visit to various tourist sites in the city and a fellowship dinner attended by several local fellow members, among them the 15th PGI, Dr Michael Thio, this fruitful and fraternal gathering came to a close.
We wish to thank the National Council of Singapore, its president Lucy Cher for all her attentions, Thomas Lew, Elizabeth Ng, Joachim Quah, Dominic Sequerah, as well as those who accompanied us throughout, James, Noel, Michelle, and Tehtarik, and especially to thank Rebecca, who leads the youth group; to all of them, thank you for your kindness and commitment. Our thanks again to the fellow members of Singapore for their hospitality and warm welcome. May this experience inspire new actions, a greater commitment, and a constant renewal in our task of serving those in need with dignity and hope.