Vivat does its work through an Executive Committee present in New York, while the Board of Directors meets regularly in Rome, where the 10 members maintain the headquarters. 

Twice a year, the Executive Committee meets in New York, borrowing an offices of the International Center of Catholic (ICO) organization. Since the rents in New York are so high, the Vivat office, just a few steps from the U.N., gets along well with a small cubbyhole. 

The meeting centered on the report of the activities carried on in 2010 and the program for 2011. The modern means of communication have also allowed us to maintain a dialogue with representatives of Vivat in Geneva and Vienna, where the U.N. Human Rights and theFight against Drugs and Crime are headquartered. 

After serving two years as the representative of the Comboni Missionaries on the Vivat board in Rome, yesterday's meeting allowed me to understand the enormous amount of possible work and the networks of contacts and information that are readily available in New York. 

What especially interested me was the emphasis on achieving the goals stated through the training courses held on four continents where the members of Vivat work and on the need to ensure that the service offered by Vivat for Justice, Peace, Integrity of Creation (JPIC) is a ministry of missionary evangelization. With the strength of nearly 30,000 missionaries, Vivat can do missionary work, not only promoting the development and the charity as it has done for decades, but also penetrating the social structure  and culture with the Gospel’s values of JPIC. 

The various reports of the work done in New York, Vienna and Geneva; the preparation of texts for the newsletter and the website link,www.vivatinternational.com , and access to an organized database to all those working on grassroots for JPIC, have provided much insight on Vivat work. 

When listening as an observer at the meeting, the Gospel of yesterday was enlightening to me. Jesus freed a legion of 2000 possessed by unclean spirits who wished to go into a herd of pigs. Allowed, they rushed them to the valley and drown them in the lake. The owners came and begged Jesus to leave ... to get out of their way. The Moral of the Story: to do good deeds for people has economic costs and there are those who prefer their wealth to the good of people. This dynamic still exists and is inherent in every human activity: only the power of the Gospel gives us the gift of clarity in our choices and courage to implement them. 

Some news from the meeting really made me think. According to the latest statistics, the expulsions and deportations of immigrants are more numerous today with President Obama, the Democrat, than with former President Bush, the Republican. Money does not stink, said an old proverb. “No,” Jesus would say, but this does not prevent enslavement of everyone and everything, including the ideologies of political parties. A Monk, who complained: “How big is ingratitude today?,” the abbot answered: “Do not be pessimistic. You know why? Because there are less ungrateful people than you think, since ... there are less generous people than we hope.” 

John Paul,

New York, February 1, 2011