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REMARKS BY PRESIDENT MARY MCALEESE AT THE 119TH NATIONAL MEETING OF PRESIDENTS

REMARKS BY PRESIDENT MARY MCALEESE AT THE 119TH NATIONAL MEETING OF PRESIDENTS OF THE SOCIETY OF ST. VINCENT DE PAUL

It is a particular joy for me to be with you this morning in this – my first year as President of Ireland. It is a chance to renew my links with the Society – when I can acknowledge the role of the Society in my own life – and to give recognition, as President, for the tremendous work that the Society is doing for the disadvantaged in our communities. I want, therefore, to thank Noel Clear for giving me the honour of joining you for your meeting – and for giving me the opportunity to share my thoughts on the world in which the Society works today.

My own connections with Saint Vincent de Paul go back to my school days in Belfast – when I set up the Society in St. Dominic’s – my school. As a member of its National Youth Council in the late 1960’s – I made many contacts and friends from Dublin to Derry – all of whom, thankfully, are still close friends to this day. I suppose you could say that it was while I was on the Youth Council that I first learnt how to build bridges – a skill for which I have had much use since – and for which I am extremely grateful. But my gratitude goes beyond that – because my first training in TV was courtesy of Saint Vincent de Paul – who very generously sponsored me on a communications course in 1970, in Dublin! That training was to be the start of successful and enjoyable career in broadcasting. So I have a lot to be thankful to the Society for – and I am more than happy to acknowledge that debt here today.

Since my school days in Belfast, Ireland of course has change considerably. The economic fortunes that now see us celebrating tremendous progress – with new opportunities and new frontiers – are reflected in a society that has transformed from one of close family structures to the culture of the individual, living independently in a world that greatly rewards enterprise and risk. But it is a society that belies the other world of want and deprivation – of marginalisation and disadvantage – that is very much with us – despite the veneer of progress and gain - and seems to be all the more intractable because of the disparities that exist between those who have and those who are without.

This new manifestation of poverty – the poverty of prosperity - is the task that the Society faces today, in the communities throughout Ireland that find themselves trapped in cycles of disadvantage –that become increasingly difficult to escape from. While the problem remains the same – the changes in Irish society mean that the problems must be addressed in a different way – in a way that reflects the new structures that exist – and the new challenges that individuals and communities face as we approach the new millennium. As Blessed Frederic Ozanam put it – “Justice is a fixed star . . . . It can be seen from different points of view, but justice itself remains unchanged”.

The theme of your meeting “Christian Mission for the Society and the Millennium” very much reflects that need to take a new perspective of today’s circumstances – and the need to adjust our focus on the manner and means which can be employed to meet the shifting priorities. The success of the Society in the past has been in its ability to address the changing circumstances in which it operates – and that has been facilitated by a membership which has been willing and eager to make the adjustments that are needed. That ability to critique and review is what will keep the Society focussed on its mission - through support and friendship to foster self-respect – to promote self-sufficiency and self-worth – and to work for social justice.

The imminent arrival of a new millennium – the 2000th anniversary of Christ - concentrates our minds on where we are today and where we should be going. In the words of John Paul II, it “invites us to gather with renewed fidelity and ever deeper communion along the banks of this great river: The River of Revelation, and of Christianity, a river which flows through human history starting from the event which took place at Nazareth and then at Bethlehem 2000 years ago”. Like all great organisations, the challenge of change impacts of the work and direction of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul. The process of critique and review which the new millennium spawns is a healthy process – and involves going to the very core of the ideals and idealism of its founder – and re-assessing how his philosophies map onto today society – and on today’s ‘interpretations’ of Christianity. In 1848, Frederic Ozanam said “let us occupy ourselves with people who have too many needs and not enough rights, who call out rightly for a greater involvement in public affairs, for guarantees of work – and who cry out against misery”. Today that call has as much validity as it had 150 years ago. But the world is a completely different place. The mission for the years ahead is to seek out the new needs - and to address them with new means. That is the challenge for the Society – and one which it can meet through the dedication and commitment of the members whom you represent here this morning.

The Society’s work has shown the caring face of Christ in offering love to those who are not easy to love, offering hope to those who believe their lives are blighted, offering a helping hand to those whose lives hit a crisis which could become a calamity without a bit of support. The Society has made a difference to many lives – its work can never be measured in money or hours but in the witness to the challenge held out in these words – “Love one another as I have loved you”.