Help the Vincentians Continue Their 400-Year Mission of Serving the Poor This Christmas
Vincentians bring food, clothing, and hope to families in need.
As we approach Christmas—a season of hope, generosity, and love—let us remember and support the Vincentians in carrying forward their 400-year legacy of serving Christ in the poor. Founded by St. Vincent de Paul in 1625, the Congregation of the Mission understands that true faith is lived most fully by walking beside those in need— feeding, clothing, and ministering to the vulnerable, the forgotten, and the outcast.
Across the Eastern Province, Vincentians operate ministries that provide food, clothing, housing, utility assistance, and pastoral care to those facing hardship. From parish outreach programs and thrift shops to emergency aid efforts, their work is a tangible expression of the Gospel.
When we help the Vincentians, we help Christ Himself in the faces of the poor. St. Vincent once said the poor are “our masters who feed us”—a radical call to humility, compassion, and action.
This Christmas, join the mission of mercy. Your love and generosity make it possible for the Vincentians to live St. Vincent’s call to “Go to the poor, you will find God.” With your gift, you share God’s compassion—feed the hungry, providing warmth and comfort, and sustaining the ministries that bring hope to those who feel forgotten.
Together, we can bring the light of Christ to our neighbors in need this holy season.
You can help the Vincentians continue their mission and bring Christ’s mercy to every corner of society.
A Day in the Life of a Vincentian Seminarian
“I’m learning how to serve more deeply and live out the Vincentian call to encounter Christ in everyone.”
St. Vincent de Paul said, “Go to the poor, you will find God.”
Prayer Requests and Candles
Lift up your prayer requests, problems, and sorrows into the hands of Our Mother, Mary: “Come to the foot of the altar. There graces will be shed upon all who ask for them.”
Visit miraculousmedal.org/pray
Our Lady of Kibeho Shrine Dedicated at The Basilica Shrine
The new Our Lady of Kibeho Shrine is the first official Shrine to Our Lady of Kibeho in the United States.
After nearly a year of anticipation, the Our Lady of Kibeho Shrine was blessed and dedicated on Sunday, August 17, 2025, following a joyful Mass at The Basilica Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal.
Between 1981 and 1989, Mary appeared to three Rwandan girls, introducing herself as “Mother of the Word” and calling for conversion and repentance. In her apparitions, she touched on suffering as a way to holiness and warned against divisions among their people.
The girls had what many see as prophetic visions of the genocide that would cause so much devastation in Rwanda in 1994. Mary is said to have told them, “The world is in rebellion against GOD.
Many sins are being committed. There is no love and no peace. If you do not repent and convert your hearts, you will all fall into an abyss.”
Most Reverend Efren V. Esmilla, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, presided over the liturgy, joined by Fr. John Kettelberger, CM, rector of the Basilica Shrine, and Homilist Fr. Patrick Obot, CM. More than 350 people attended the celebration.
Deacon James Mahoney, associate rector of the Basilica Shrine, coordinated the liturgy. Drawing from the Basilica’s Marian Missal, he selected prayers and readings that honored the Blessed Mother and the spirit of dedication.
The vibrant Mass featured readings and prayers in multiple languages, the African Catholic Choir’s uplifting music, and praise dancers who honored Our Lady of Kibeho with expressive movement. Following the liturgy, Bishop Esmilla blessed the new mosaic shrine along St. Vincent’s Rosary Walk.
The shrine—made possible through a generous grant from Willa Stokes, a Black Catholic donor and neighbor of The Basilica Shrine—was created in partnership with the Martin de Porres Foundation and the Central Association of the Miraculous Medal.
The shrine stands as a lasting reminder that Mary’s love unites us all in faith, repentance, and hope.
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