History
Les Amis des SVD (SVD Friends) was initiated by Fr Aristide Vignidah SVD, parish priest of the Marie Theotokos Parish in Lomé. On Easter Vigil of 2006, after three years of catechumenate in the parish, a group of newly baptized parishioners pledged to continue gathering in regular prayer and for ongoing Scripture-based reflections. From then on the group has been growing in number of both members and sympathizers.
Mission Outreach
Les Amis des SVD
(SVD Friends) is a parish-based group helping in mission animation mainly through common prayer and study. Its circle of permanent members gathers:- every 1st and 3rd Sundays for adoration of the Blessed Sacrament –mainly in prayer support for the worldwide mission enterprise of the SVD, SSpS, SSpSAP;
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once a month for biblical study with the help of resource persons;-
occasionally for mission talks (depending on the availability of visiting missionaries).To these main forms of mission outreach sympathizers are invited to take part whenever they wish or can.
Organization
Still at its second year of existence,
Les Amis des SVD count 53 permanent members (excluding sympathizers). They are formally organized under the leadership of a president, a secretary and a treasurer –each of which has an assistant. Added to their number are two organizers, and four councilors (i.e., two married couples). The organizers are in charge of initiating, mobilizing and/or coordinating planned activities. Besides serving as advisers of the leadership team, the councilors further watch over the transparent accounting of their treasury. To fund its activities permanent members are expected to contribute a minimal monthly fee. To supplement the sum of these membership dues, voluntary donations are solicited from sympathizers. Some resourceful members produce home-made articles (such as knapsacks or images of our SVD saints) labeled with edifying sayings and sold at popular prices. Members turn times of grieving (e.g., death in a family) or feasting (e.g., baptisms or weddings) into occasions for Christian fellowship among themselves by way of personal presence and mutual aid.La Voie du Coeur
History
In early 2007 at the Parish of Marie Theotokos (Lomé), in a seminar that prepared couples for sacramental marriage, Fr Aristide Vignidah (parish priest) raised a gentle challenge to the ‘graduating’ group: to continue meeting in Christian fellowship and for apostolic service in the Christian community. Five couples responded by forming their families into a circle of regular prayer and mutual aid. In a year’s time, as the group hopes to grow plural in number and ethnic belonging, it is also widening its mission outlook and outreach.
Mission Outreach
La Voie du Coeur
(The Way of the Heart) is a parish-based group whose aims are:- to pray for the Church’s worldwide mission, especially that of the SVD, SSpS, SSpSAP;
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to promote Christian fellowship and mutual aid among members –beyond differences of tribal or ethnic belonging;-
to rotate in welcoming new foreign missionaries in their homes and to help initiate the latter into the local languages and cultures by taking part in modest family life at the grassroots.For their apostolate of prayer, to which sympathizers are invited to take part, the group organizes prayer meetings: (1) every first Tuesday of the month in the parish church, (2) twice a month in the homes of members by rotation.
Organization
La Voie du Coeur is organized as the Les Amis des SVD: the leadership consists of a president, a secretary and a treasurer – each of which has an assistant. Added to their number are two organizers, and four councilors (i.e., two married couples). The organizers are in charge of initiating, mobilizing and/or coordinating planned activities. Besides serving as advisers of the leadership team, the councilors further watch over the transparent accounting of their treasury. To fund its activities permanent members are expected to contribute minimal membership dues every month. To the sum of these fees, voluntary donations are solicited from sympathizers and benefactors.