FROM THE DESK OF THE DIRECTOR

Dear Friends,

It is often good to reflect on our past - to recall where we have come from in order to understand where we are now.

When Fr. John Maronic, O.M.I., called together the first six people, they accepted an invitation not only to do something new but also to become someone new. As they worked together, shared ideas and played with possibilities, they entered into a new identity. They were no longer a collection of seven individuals. they had grown into a new understanding of who they are and what they could be. By the end of that first year, they had become the Victim Missionaries and were ready to encourage and invite others to join them. That identity continued to grow and eventually the name was changed to the Victorious Missionaries, as a way of pointing to the new
identity that they had evolved to.

We still need to cherish our history, to recall those charter members and the legacy that they have passed on to us.

• Are we willing to invite others to share in the giftedness that we have experience as a Victorious Missionary?
• Are we willing to help others to grow in a hopeful and healthy relationship with God and the people that are part of the fabric of their lives?
• Are we willing to carry on the tradition that was handed on to us?

Bro. Tom Ruhmann, O.M.I. – VM National Director

NATIONAL SHRINE OF OUR LADY OF THE SNOWS
442 S. DeMazenod Dr.        Belleville, IL 62223-1023
618-394-6281 (TDD)   FAX 618-397-1210
www.vmusa.org