New president calls membership to Mission

The Society of St Vincent de Paul has a new executive. Angelique Taylor was the lone nominee for the post of President at the SVPTT’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) September 29 at the Trinity College East and installed to serve a three-year term 2019–2022.
She takes over from Rudolph Boneo who has served three terms 2007–2010, 2010–2013, 2016–2019 and was no longer eligible. It is Taylor’s second three-year term; she served 2013–2016, becoming the first woman to head the organisation.
A media release from the SVPTT stated, “With the theme being …towards Oneness resonating through the entire day’s proceeding, the outgoing President issued a clarion call for the members of the Society to come together as One, put their shoulders to the wheel and work to save the financially burdened in the community”.
There was a lot of work for the SVPTT with the growing numbers of poor and downtrodden. The release said, “He urged the membership to use all the tools available to them including new technology, to help the disenfranchised in society”.
The new president reminded members of the parable of the talents as God entrusts His servants with talents and money. “The message in the parable of the Talents [sic] is pertinent to us as Vincentians today. The Lord entrusts us with multiple and copious gifts and talents to produce riches for His kingdom…” the release said.
One of her personal mandates is to encourage and offer opportunities for members to build deeper spiritual relationships with God and each other for the benefit of persons they served and the Society.
According to the release, Taylor reminded the membership they were called to mission with a sense of joy and grace that should radiate from their hearts. This was in keeping with the Antilles Episcopal Conference Mission Congress which had as its theme Baptised and Sent: The Church of Christ on Mission in the World.
It stated that Taylor emphasised the implementation of systemic change opportunities to bolster the poor into more sustainable living.
Vicar General Fr Martin Sirju presented greetings on behalf of Archbishop Jason Gordon. The release said Fr Sirju reminded the more than 145 attendees that “SVP is not into Social Work but into God’s work first and foremost. We are baptised in Christ… to be sent out in the vineyard”.
Fr Sirju also challenged the membership to embrace the “new technology” and “re-sacramentalise” the world by the quality of their Catholic lives. The AGM ended with Fr Sirju’s celebration of Holy Mass.