My Connection to the Vincentian Mission
DePaul University is built on the Vincentian mission. Our school is a named for Patron Saint Vincent DePaul. Within the Catholic Church, he is the patron saint of charity. This means that at the core of DePaul University, charity is one of our most important values. The Vincentian mission can be boiled down to one phrase: What must be done? This phrase is introduced to us students during our freshman orientation, and we learn all about the history of both Vincent DePaul and DePaul University relating to this mission. Alongside that, we learn about all of the amazing programs that DePaul facilitates to pursue this mission. Between community service, education, and student programs, DePaul University creates an environment of kindness and service for the community.
For me, I try to fulfill my personal goals for the Vincentian mission through my participation in the student organization DemonTHON. DemonTHON is a member of the Children’s Miracle Network of dance marathon organizations, and we are DePaul’s largest philanthropic student organization. We fundraise year-round for Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital located right here in Chicago. I spend about 10 hours each week on my work for DemonTHON, and that involves a variety of different things. I am on the executive board, so I do a lot of work within the organization to facilitate communication between members and fundraising participants, and I also spend time working with various DePaul faculty as well as working at the events we hold.
I find that I get a lot of fulfillment from my time in this organization, and seeing everyone else put their time in to make our fundraising happen is amazing. The people that I have met through this organization have been some of the best people I have met at DePaul, and I think this is because they are people who are actively choosing to give their time to help others. Last year we were able to raise over $96,000 for the hospital, and seeing that number at the end of the year makes all the work and time we put in so worth it.
Besides DemonTHON, there are so many options to participate in service for the community at DePaul. A different student organization that does great work is the DePaul Community Service Association, and they have things going on all the time where students can simply show up and help out. DePaul also does a ton of work on Vincentian Service Day, and a huge part of the student body participates during that day every year. Another great resource for the community is the Seton Soup Kitchen within the Division of Mission and Ministry at the Saint Vincent DePaul Parish. They provide meals for anyone in the community four days a week, and many students volunteer to help serve.
DePaul University is built upon the principles of service and charity that Saint Vincent DePaul believed in, and there are tons of options for students to get involved with service on campus. If you are looking for more information on how to get involved once you get on campus, check out the DePaul website!
~Jeff