About This Journal
Vincentiana is a publication of the General Curia of the Congregation of the Mission, Rome, Italy. The issues are normally divided into the official section first, containing communications from the superior general, official documents, or reports from the offices of the general curia; and then the rest of the issue, often arranged thematically, consisting of studies and documents pertaining to Vincentian life in its broadest sense. Some issues are illustrated. Its principal audience is the Congregation of the Mission.
Vincentiana began in 1957 as a mimeographed newsletter. The first editor and the inspiration behind the publication was Annibale Bugnini. He did not intend to compete with the venerable Annales de la Congrégation de la Mission, published in Paris since 1834. Instead, his perspective was that this newsletter would share items of news from the entire Congregation. Once the General Curia of the Congregation moved to Paris in 1963, Vincentiana gradually took on the character of an official publication.
The first printed issue was vol. 2 (1958). It was regularly published, with a few lapses, six times a year. Many issues combine two or three numbers to accommodate more extensive content. There are occasional supplements, and indices have also been published. The first as a supplement to vol. 17 (1973), and the others are the indeces to vols. 25-34 (1981-1990), and vols. 35-42 (1991-1998). Important larger issues contain the Constitutions of 1980, vol. 24:6 (1980); the publication of the conferences given during the Vincentian Months of 1984, 1987, 1990, and 1993. These were preceded by a single issue, “Miscellanea Vincentiana,” 22:3 (1978). Some single issues were also dedicated to one publication, such as the “Enchiridion Spirituale Sancti Vincentii a Paulo,” by François Garnier, an analysis of spiritual topics in the writings of Saint Vincent de Paul, 23:3, 1979.
Originally published in Latin, Vincentiana quickly turned to articles in the principal European languages of the Congregation. This was refined by three separate editions, one each in English, Spanish and French, begun in 1995. Each issue has about 100 pages.
John E. Rybolt, C.M., November 2009