“First the heart and then the work”: Vincentian Advice for New Year’s Resolutions

Cassy Mission and Ministry, Mission Weekly , , ,

Updates, resources, and events highlighting the integration of DePaul’s Vincentian mission into the daily life and work of the university community.

MISSION MONDAY

“First the heart and then the work”: Vincentian Advice for New Year’s Resolutions

Doing good well, rather than doing more, should be the goal for 2026.

 

 

 

                                   IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

January 21 | Day of Peace Event

Becoming Peacemakers invites the DePaul community to pause on January 21 for prayer, reflection, and action rooted in our Vincentian mission. Please join us!

 

 

 

 

 

 

January 22 | Foundation Day Mass & lunch for Faculty & Staff

The DePaul community is invited to the Foundation Day Celebration and Mass, a gathering that brings faculty, staff, and students together for prayer, reflection, and community. The celebration honors DePaul’s Vincentian roots and offers space to celebrate our shared life at the university. RSVP

January 28 | Lunch with Vincent: Peter Coffey and Amanda Thompson

DePaul faculty and staff are invited to Lunch with Vincent with Peter Coffey and Amanda Thompson, who will share how DePaul’s advocacy and community engagement are shaped by our Vincentian mission. Join us in person or virtually for conversation and connection. Lunch will be provided for in-person guests. For questions, contact Tom Judge at tjudge@depaul.edu Please register to join.  We would love to have you! RSVP

April 29 | Vincentians and the Papacy Symposium – Call for Papers

The Vincentian Studies Institute is planning to host an April 2026 symposium on Vincentians and the Papacy. For more information on our call for papers and possible participation, please see our post on Way of Wisdom. RSVP

Vincentians and the Papacy Symposium

Cassy DePaul University, Mission and Ministry, Vincent de Paul , , , ,

Call For Papers

Event date: Wednesday, April 29, 2026

DePaul University, Chicago, IL

The election of Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, a Chicago native whose parents attended DePaul University, and whose chosen name, Leo XIV, connects him to his predecessor, Leo XIII—the author of Rerum Novarum, the major social encyclical of the nineteenth century—invites us to take a closer look at the connection between the Vincentian family and the papacy.

This one-day symposium organized by the Vincentian Studies Institute will take place on the campus of DePaul University. It welcomes papers from scholars and practitioners on any topic, past or present, connecting the Vincentian family—defined as all lay and religious, male and female branches, organizations, and community members with ties to Vincent de Paul—to the papacy. Possible topics could include:

  • Vincent de Paul’s journeys to Rome and efforts to establish the Congregation of the Mission.
  • The place of Vincentian personnel within the Vatican and papal administration.
  • The appointment by the Holy See of Vincentians as bishops or apostolic delegates in mission territories, and recourse to Rome in cases of local conflict.
  • Canonization causes of the Vincentian family ranging from the cases of Vincent de Paul and Louise de Marillac to present-day memory issues (such as the martyrs of the Spanish Civil War), to stories whose impact has faded (for example, the Chinese martyrs).

Twentieth-century topics and more contemporary studies might include:

  • The reception of the major social encyclicals—from Rerum Novarum (1891) to Fratelli tutti (2020)—within the Vincentian family.
  • Influences of missionary experiences on papal doctrine, as in the case of Vincent Lebbe (1877–1940), and the idea of inculturation.
  • The contribution of the Vincentian family to the Church’s Third World movement born of Populorum Progressio and the Medellín declaration.
  • The reform (aggiornamento) of male and female religious congregations following the decree Perfectae Caritatis (1965) that led to internal discussions, general assemblies, and revised constitutions.
  • Proximity and distance with the pontifical centers of power: Vincentian family interactions with dicasteries or pontifical commissions, such as those responsible for addressing poverty or for overseeing education.

These questions are not exhaustive and are intended to open avenues of exploration for our symposium, which will take place as a complement to the conference on Pope Leo (April 30-May 1) sponsored by the Center for World Catholicism and Intercultural Theology at DePaul University. Presentations will be delivered in-person and may take the form of academic papers or experience-based contributions grounded in more personal testimony.

If your proposal is accepted, the Vincentian Studies Institute will contribute to transportation and housing expenses. Papers resulting from presentations will be considered for publication in the journal Vincentian Studies.

For more information contact Nathaniel Michaud, Director, Vincentian Studies Institute: NMICHAUD@depaul.edu

“First the heart and then the work”: Vincentian Advice for New Year’s Resolutions

Cassy Mission and Ministry, Mission Monday , ,

Reflection by: Miranda Lukatch, Editor, Vincentian Studies Institute

If you’re a perfectionist like me, making New Year’s resolutions is exhilarating and exhausting. The year’s end often prompts me to make an extensive assessment of how life is going and how it—and I—can be improved. I end up with a long list of things I want to change or things I want to do. It’s exciting to think about the end result—a new, improved self—but exhausting trying to figure out the steps to get there. Trying to make my grand goals into things that are actually achievable is a less interesting and far more daunting task. So often my aims are about doing more. Saints Louise de Marillac and Vincent de Paul were champions at accomplishing things. So, facing resolution time this year, I decided to see what kind of wisdom they might have to offer so that I might be able to avoid my common pitfall.

The first thing I found in my quest was that Louise de Marillac also battled perfectionism, and it sounds as if she made many resolutions, some of which survive now in her Spiritual Writings. (These often concern meditations she wanted to make on spiritual topics or acts of adoration she wanted to do. An ambitious soul, sometimes she drew up a daily schedule for them.) But she learned that “once a year is quite enough to delve into this kind of research . . . recognizing our weakness.”[1] She added, “We’re under an illusion if we think ourselves capable of perfection, and still more so if we think ourselves capable of perfection by watching closely the slightest movement or disposition of our soul. . . . It’s useless, even dangerous, to be forever analyzing our soul and picking it apart.” She cautioned her followers not to be “like those persons who become bankrupt instead of amassing riches because they refine everything in the effort to find the philosopher’s stone.”[2] This got me thinking that one way to understand the “riches” I already have in myself might be to list the resolutions I would like to make, but then also list the foundation that I have for this goal or steps I’ve already taken, perhaps without realizing it, to make the desired result of them real.

The other piece of advice I found comes from Vincent. It is a reminder to pace myself, and interestingly, it was written at year’s end in December 1630. Vincent said to Louise, “Be careful not to do too much. It is a ruse of the devil, by which he deceives good people, to induce them to do more than they are able, so that they end up not being able to do anything. The spirit of God urges one gently to do the good that can be done reasonably, so that it may be done perseveringly and for a long time. Act, therefore, in this way, Mademoiselle, and you will be acting according to the spirit of God.”[3] As it does so often, Vincent’s wisdom echoes down the years and almost holds a mirror in front of me. Because what so often happens as a result of comprehensive resolutions? I burn out.

As Louise and Vincent cautioned, moderation is the key to success. Limiting myself to one or two resolutions might help me actually put them into effect long term. But, to return to my original question of how to do more, I found that Vincent de Paul had advice for that too. We often formulate it here at DePaul as “it is not enough to do good. It must be done well.” He also said, “God asks first for your heart, and only then for your work.”[4] Doing more should not necessarily be the goal. It’s doing something well, out of a sincere intention of doing good, that matters most. Armed with this knowledge, I think I can set a reasonable—and sustainable—goal for doing good this year, and not just for myself, but for the part of the world that I can impact. What about you? How can the Vincentian advice in this reflection help you set your aspirations for the year ahead?

Reflection Questions

How can you set yourself up for success when setting goals for yourself? How can you make your expectations of yourself reasonable and your goals achievable?

Reflection by Miranda Lukatch, Editor, Vincentian Studies Institute

[1] Quoted in Margaret J. Kelly, D.C. “The Relationship of Saint Vincent and Saint Louise from Her Perspective,” Vincentian Heritage Journal 11:1 (1990): 80. Available online at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/vhj/vol11/iss1/6.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Vincent de Paul, Letter 58, “To Saint Louise, in Beauvais,” 7 December 1630, CCD, 1:92.

[4] Conference of Vincent de Paul to the Daughters of Charity, “The Purpose of the Company,” 18 October 1655, ibid., 10:108.

How can we stay grounded and resilient during challenging moments like these?

jkirby3 Mission and Ministry, Mission Weekly , , ,

Updates, resources, and events highlighting the integration of DePaul’s Vincentian mission into the daily life and work of the university community.

MISSION MONDAY

How can we stay grounded and resilient during challenging moments like these?

This is a difficult time for us, yet we will move through it together when we do so with care for ourselves and others.

 

                                   IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

DECEMBER 9 | Pop-Up Gathering for Staff and Faculty

Please join us for a very special faculty and staff gathering!

Tuesday, December 9
Beginning at 12:00pm
Loop DePaul Center
DePaul Club – Room 11018

Feel free to bring your lunch and anything else you might like to share.  We will provide beverages and desserts.

We hope this will be an opportunity for fellowship and support during these challenging times at our university as well as a way to nurture our spirits during this season of hope.

We will also have a service opportunity available if you would like to write out a holiday card or decorate a gift bag for our community partners at Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly.   These will then be given to their elderly friends throughout the Chicagoland area.

Please register to join.  We would love to have you!

RSVP

 

DECEMBER 11 | End–of–Year Faculty & Staff Connection: Caring for Our Community

Take a moment to pause and connect as we close out the calendar year. Bring your lunch—or just yourself—and join fellow DePaul faculty and staff for an open-house lunch hour with warm beverages, conversation, and mutual support. This is a space to share care, strengthen connections, and foster the spirit of our community.

Thursday, December 11
Stop by between 11:00am – 1:00pm
LPC Student Center Room 220

Registration is optional, but if you know you’ll be attending please let us know.

RSVP

How can we stay grounded and resilient during challenging moments like these?

jkirby3 Mission and Ministry, Mission Monday , , , , ,

Reflection by: Mark Laboe, Interim VP for Mission and Ministry

Some version of this question has often been posed to me and my colleagues in Mission and Ministry over the past several weeks, as the university community braces for the impact of budget and staffing cuts. Unfortunately, there is no magic pill or solution that will serve to help every person or situation. These are hard moments for all. Many are feeling bad and maybe hurting. We may feel let down, angry, and without much hope in sight. We may wish things were otherwise. This is the reality before us. Yet, we can and will move through it together when we do so with care for ourselves and others.

In seeking some sense of support and orientation from our Vincentian heritage, a few pieces of wisdom may provide some sustenance or insight to aid us through the current realities with continued resilience and hope. Also, in thinking about this question, it becomes clear that what is suggested here are mostly practices that are, ideally, always some part of our way of life. They just become even more important in times of challenge, stress, and difficulty.


1. Remember Who You Are

Vincent de Paul encouraged his followers: “Please be steadfast in walking in the vocation to which you are called.” (CCD 5:256) A good starting point is to remember, especially in moments of difficulty, that you are (still) a person who has much to offer to the world and those around you. You have a life of experience, learning, and successes. You have overcome challenges before. The external circumstances of your life do not change that fact. You also have a vocation (a purpose) to live out in whatever setting or situation you find yourself, and you are far more than just your work life. You have core values that are important to you and that you want to embody in your life. You are not just a machine producing widgets, but a human being who hopes and dreams, who loves, who has much to offer to those around you.

Though we may feel shaken, it is important that we do not allow difficult moments to lead us to forget or stray from our fundamental vocation and identity. Rather, we must use the occasion to reach even deeper into what is at the core of who we are and to find our roots there. This moment may simply be an invitation to grow stronger in understanding and conviction about what exactly that core identity and vocation is for us.

You may find that taking a moment to look at the “long view” of your life may help—using the well-known adage to “begin with the end in mind.” That is, envision who you want to have become as a person at the end of your life, then consider how you can continue to be true to that and to move in that direction even through this difficult moment.

2. Never Go It Alone

One of Vincent de Paul’s key insights came in the recognition that the mission to which he was called, or that he was entrusted with, was much bigger than he could fulfill on his own. He needed others, if his mission would ever be realized. We are all like Vincent in this way, even if we may lose sight of it when things are going smoothly. In a society that urges one to be an independent achiever, the fact remains that we are interdependent creatures. We each have a life to lead and a mission to fulfill as individuals, AND we can’t do it alone. At times like these it’s good to reflect on the fact that who we have become is a result not just of our own efforts and accomplishments but of the help and support of many other people around us. This is the human way, and it is the Vincentian way. So, especially in times of difficulty, don’t forget that, or pretend it can be otherwise.

Ask yourself who your people are, who you can lean on, who you can develop a stronger relationship with, and how you can put yourself in spaces to be surrounded by a community of support. This may require vulnerability. It may require a recognition of our limits. It will require an acceptance of our interdependence with others in our life and work. Who are your companions on the journey of life? Who are the people who understand you and what you are all about? Who can you lean on? Who helps you remember who you are and what you are all about? Who do you learn from or draw strength and comfort from? Who can you have fun and laugh with? Surround yourself with the people who bring you life along with the support and companionship you need right now—and all the time!

Additionally, one of the best ways to remain grounded and resilient in challenging times is to try and look for ways you can be supportive of and care for others. This is a very important piece of wisdom, and very Vincentian. Often when we are faced with difficulty, looking for ways that we can be of service to others will end up being exactly what WE need, more so than focusing only on ourselves. Interdependence means others are also counting on us to be a support to them. It’s both-and and not either-or.

3. Take One Step at a Time

Vincent de Paul advised his followers that “Wisdom consists in following Providence step by step.” (CCD 2:521) He reiterated that we should not seek to step on the heels or run ahead of Providence. My wife and I have our own similar phrase we share with one another and with our children during tough times: “just do the next thing.”

A common piece of Vincentian spiritual insight is that we need to look for and find God in the reality before us, the person before us, and with each present moment. In that moment or encounter, right in the midst of that reality, lies the opportunity to put charity and love into practice, or to practice who we seek to be and become.

As much as we’d like to sometimes, we can’t fast forward through our lives. Doing so wouldn’t be very helpful, either. Much anxiety is derived from stories created in our own mind about some imagined future outcome that has not yet happened. Such stories are often fear-based, or self-protective, and not often accurate.

So, can we “trust the process” and the unfolding journey of life? Vincent de Paul’s understanding of Providence portrayed a trust and belief that what was needed to live our vocation, to fulfill the purpose entrusted to us, has been given or will be given. It is incumbent on us to trust in this and to open our eyes to the gifts made available to us in the current moment and with each step along the way. One step at a time. Just do the next thing.

4. Trust that Love is Inventive to Infinity

“Love is inventive to infinity,” said Vincent de Paul! (CCD 11:131) His words offer an invitation to see and act creatively and to approach every moment and situation with an openness to what is possible. We can always do something coming from a heart of love. Do the next thing, or in this case, take the time to imagine and act on the next thing. Create the next thing. Actively explore what is possible. The current moment is not the end of the road, but the beginning of the next step of the journey.

There is a common piece of practical wisdom accredited to various public figures that says, “it is easier to walk our way into a new way of thinking” than to “think our way into a new way of walking.” The practice of design thinking suggests that we need to experiment and explore new ideas through our actions and not just in our heads.

When safe spaces are created to brainstorm together with others, new ideas can often surface. Many find the practice of creative arts like drawing or doodling, painting, journaling, dancing, or perhaps walking meditation can “loosen up” our thinking and help us to see in new ways. I find long runs are helpful breeding ground for new insight. Imagine various possibilities. Be open to the invitation to find ways to “love to infinity.”

5. Practice Gratitude

“You should not open your mouth except to express gratitude for benefits you have received…”, said Vincent de Paul. (CCD 5:51) Gratitude is the ultimate antidote against falling into despair or helplessness or escaping a mind that is caught in a spiral of anxiety, stress, or hurt. Yet, somewhat counterintuitively, sometimes the practice of gratitude, or truly allowing ourselves to feel gratitude, requires intentionality. It may take some regular practice or inner work on our part, especially when we are feeling anxiety, stress, or hurt. If we are feeling shut down or closed, we may need to consciously engage our will and our desire to work at locating gratitude in our minds and heart. For a little while, we may need to “fake it until you make it,” as the common 12-step wisdom suggests. Or, we might need to “act as if” we can, as a therapist may tell us, even if we are not feeling up to it in the moment.

In whatever way we manage to get there, allowing ourselves moments to sit with and feel gratitude for small or big things in our life, that we appreciate or recognize as good or beautiful, can be healing, grounding, nourishing, and re-orienting. It is a practice worthy of our time and energy, individually and collectively, especially as we move through difficult experiences.

 

Reflection Questions:

  1. When you ask what is most essential to who you are as a person, what comes to mind and how can you ground yourself more deeply in these values, commitments, or characteristics?
  2. What does accepting our interdependence mean to you in this moment and how can you recognize and live that out?
  3. What is one step that you can take forward right now… with love for yourself and others? With creativity and hope?
  4. List and spend a little time pondering on those things that you are grateful for in this moment.

 

The Business of Living the Mission

Cassy Mission and Ministry, Mission Weekly , , , ,

Updates, resources, and events highlighting the integration of DePaul’s Vincentian mission into the daily life and work of the university community.

MISSION MONDAY

Vincent at his writing desk

The Business of Living the Mission

Besides adeptly demonstrating strategic business acumen, Vincent simultaneously managed to incarnate the very same values that guided his life into the seventeenth-century marketplace.

                                   IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

NOVEMBER 20 | Gathering of Remembrance 2025

Each year, the DePaul community comes together for the Gathering of Remembrance, an interfaith service to honor the lives of DePaul faculty, staff, and students who have passed away this year. The ceremony includes the reading of names of those who have lost their loved ones and prayers from multiple faith traditions, creating a space for reflection, healing, and unity. RSVP

December 4 | Day with Vincent at the Art Institute

Join us for Day with Vincent at the Art Institute, a reflective and enriching experience exploring the intersection of art, beauty, and Vincentian values. Together, we’ll visit featured exhibits, engage in guided conversation, and take time for contemplation and community building. RSVP

Help Our Neighbors

mlaboe Mission and Ministry

Given federal SNAP benefit cutbacks, DePaul community members may be looking for how to support those in need.  One great option is to assist our neighbors through our partnership with St. Vincent de Paul Parish Church, next door to DePaul’s Lincoln Park campus!

The Parish’s Mother Seton Food Pantry and Soup Kitchen serve dozens of vulnerable individuals and families each week.  Monetary donations are most helpful, because they allow the Parish to be flexible to respond to the needs that present themselves.  Ideally, those seeking to make monetary donations can use Zelle to make a donation to STVDEPparish@depaul.edu.  Alternatively, visit the St. Vincent de Paul Parish website at:  Giving – St. Vincent de Paul – Chicago, IL

If you wish to volunteer your time to serve at the Soup Kitchen, you can sign up here:  Elizabeth Ann Seton Food Pantry and Sandwich Kitchen – St. Vincent de Paul – Chicago, IL

If you wish to donate food or non-perishable items to support those served, you can drop them off at the St. Vincent de Paul Parish office at 1010 W. Webster Ave., Chicago, IL 60614, or at campus collection boxes placed at the:

  • Richardson Library 1st floor
  • The College of Education building
  • The Environmental Sciences department in McGowan South
  • The Lincoln Park Student Center, first floor
  • The loop DePaul Center 11th floor

For donated items, they must be new in original manufacturer’s packaging/label, be unopened and not expired or outdated.  Helpful items include:

Non-food Items

  • Personal care items, especially paper products, lotion, sunscreen, deodorant, lip balm, shave cream and razors, pads, tampons, shampoo/conditioner, black hair-care products, cloth and/or disposable masks, and first aid items.
  • Reusable shopping bags.
  • Cleaning Products, especially Laundry Detergent, All-Purpose Cleaning Spray, Floor Cleaner, Swiffer Cloths, Paper Towels)

Food

  • jars of jam
  • jars of pasta sauce
  • boxes of cereal (regular-sized boxes)
  • Drinks: shelf-stable bottles of water /juice (64 oz. family size or single-serve)
  • Condiments and Dressings
  • Ready-to-eat meals (shelf-stable)
  • Cooking Oil, Butter, Sugar
  • Salt, Pepper, Dried Herbs/Spices (garlic powder, paprika, basil, thyme)
  • Snacks: cookies, crackers, granola bars, chips, and candy

If any student or other member of our DePaul community has immediate needs, DePaul’s Women’s Center has shared the following resources:

If you or someone you know is food insecure OR if you have resources to contribute to city-side food banks to meet this crisis, below are two city-wide resources that can direct you to neighborhood food distribution centers where you can access food and/or contribute to the food banks. You can donate, contribute, volunteer at both of these organizations.

  • ChicagosFoodbank.org – Greater Chicago Food Depository. Find Food Distribution Sites all over the city and Contribute to the Food Bank.
  • Online Market | New Convenient Food Pickup Service | Nourishing Hope
  • ALSO, at DePaul:
    • *the Women’s Center’s Food Share. There is a food cart that sits right outside of the Women’s Center (SAC 150). Anyone can pick up nonperishable food items when available, and if you can, anyone can contribute nonperishable food items.
    • *the Basic Needs Hub – Student Food Pantry– Students need to sign up and must demonstrate food insecurity or financial hardship. They are then able to access food as well as clothing.

 

The Business of Living the Mission

Cassy Mission and Ministry, Mission Weekly , , , ,

Updates, resources, and events highlighting the integration of DePaul’s Vincentian mission into the daily life and work of the university community.

MISSION MONDAY

Vincent at his writing desk

The Business of Living the Mission

Besides adeptly demonstrating strategic business acumen, Vincent simultaneously managed to incarnate the very same values that guided his life into the seventeenth-century marketplace.

                                   IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

NOVEMBER 12 | Lunch with Vincent:

DePaul faculty and staff, you are warmly invited to Lunch with Vincent where we will be joined by DePaul University Board of Trustees chair, Michael Scudder. Scudder will discuss his role as Board chair and how DePaul’s mission helps to guide his leadership during these challenging times for our university.  Hope to see you there!  RSVP

NOVEMBER 20 | Gathering of Remembrance 2025

Each year, the DePaul community comes together for the Gathering of Remembrance, an interfaith service to honor the lives of DePaul faculty, staff, and students who have passed away this year. The ceremony includes the reading of names of those who have lost their loved ones and prayers from multiple faith traditions, creating a space for reflection, healing, and unity. RSVP

The Business of Living the Mission

Cassy Mission and Ministry, Mission Monday , , , ,

Written by: Siobhan O’Donoghue, PhD, Director of Faculty and Staff Engagement, Division of Mission and Ministry

St.Vincent at his writing desk

In spiritual circles, it is sometimes said that a person of faith should be in the world but not of the world. This expression has always perplexed me, and I have never truly understood it. How can a person be in the world but not of it? If this were even possible, why would a person want to live in such a bifurcated manner? Surely, such a dualistic way of being must lie at odds with the holistic Catholic and Vincentian worldview to which our mission at DePaul invites us.

I recently found myself musing over this while considering the challenging times we’re facing. Whether it be at our institution, in our city, or on a national or global scale, this is undoubtedly a turbulent period. It might be understandable to want to distance ourselves from the messiness of life right now, and to ensconce ourselves behind a wall of ideas and pristine principles, but that would not be in keeping with our mission. Rather, Vincentian wisdom calls on us to do quite the opposite. Instead, it invites us to gain practical knowledge (that can only be obtained in the doing) to weave together seemingly disparate worlds into a single, value-threaded tapestry.[i]

My intellectual meandering led me to turn to the life of our founder. When Vincent de Paul engaged in the world of business he did so anchored by a spiritual vision that upheld the dignity of all, particularly those who existed on the margins of society. Even if not always successful, Vincent’s quest was rooted in service of a higher cause to serve those who were economically poor.

According to Thomas McKenna, “Vincent’s sanctity came to blossom in a world of political hard knocks, financial and legal risk taking, and sometimes fierce corporate pressures. His heavy involvement in the institutional world evolved because it was necessary to finance all the initiatives he undertook. Hospitals, shelters, seminaries, half-way houses, preaching teams, orphanages, soup kitchens, war relief campaigns—they all needed sound and long-term backing.”[ii] With the goal of sustaining such ministries, Vincent would spend many hours requesting donations from the rich and powerful, establishing endowments, and buying, selling, and managing real estate. He utilized such financial approaches to help the ministries he founded thrive, not unlike many of the business strategies that DePaul University employs today to sustain our institution.

Furthermore, Vincent had a very hands-on approach to business. He would travel extensively throughout France to oversee negotiations in person. Sometimes, because of business ventures backfiring, Vincent would have to deal with “uncollected rents, unjust taxes, court suits, ruined harvests, delinquent debtors, contested wills, and crippling war damages.”[iii] Yet, Vincent remained a shrewd negotiator and steadfast administrator who, at times, possessed a clarity of thought that others lacked. Vincent’s words to the head of a retreat house clearly reveal this dynamic: “I’m glad you always have plenty of people on retreat. But you should be aware that quite a number of them, on the pretext of making a retreat, come only for the food. There are types who are only too happy to spend a peaceful seven or eight days at no expense to them!”[iv]

Over the course of his business dealings, Vincent certainly had to learn how to endure myriad institutional pressures. Yet, at no point did he understand himself as inhabiting two disparate worlds. Rather, “Vincent’s saintliness existed right in engagement with commerce and politics and bottom lines. For Vincent, the kingdom was pursued in the rough oceans and not in the calm of a mountain lake.”[v]

Fundamentally, besides adeptly demonstrating strategic business acumen, Vincent simultaneously managed to incarnate the very same values that guided his life into the seventeenth-century marketplace. Yet all the while, Vincent’s gaze never deviated from his end goal to support the foundations he had established to assist those who were socioeconomically poor and neglected.

At DePaul today, as unforeseen headwinds threaten to deviate us from our course, Vincent’s ability to sail in the powerful institutional currents of his day, and to learn from his struggles, must surely offer us a beacon of hope. In essence, when stormy seas loom, Vincent’s journey offers us key insights in how to steer a steady course while never losing sight of our desired end destination.

Reflection Questions

  1. Where do you turn for support so you can remain true to reaching your end destination when headwinds threaten to throw you off course?
  2. What spoke to you most about Vincent’s story of the saint who kept his worlds together? What might you learn from this insight both professionally and personally?

Reflection by: Siobhan O’Donoghue, PhD, Director of Faculty and Staff Engagement, Division of Mission and Ministry

[i] Thomas McKenna, C.M., “Vincent de Paul: A Saint Who Got His Worlds Together,” Vincentian Heritage 18:1 (1997), 1. See https://via.library.depaul.edu/vhj/vol18/iss1/1/.

[ii] Ibid., 5.

[iii] Ibid., 7.

[iv] Ibid., 8.

[v] Ibid., 12.

During These Anxious Times, What Must Be Done?

Cassy Mission and Ministry, Mission Monday , , , ,

Written by: Tom Judge, Chaplain, Division of Mission and Ministry

A student whom I’ve known for several years (I’ll call them Alex, not their real name) reached out recently to ask if we could chat. They wanted to talk about their future, potential graduate programs, and other things one thinks about when the end of college is near. We set a time to meet and on the appointed day Alex was at my office early, as is typical, and well prepared for our conversation. Thoughtful questions, attentive listening, and a nice rapport followed. We settled in, and I was enjoying the visit, but I noticed that when I asked Alex how they were doing outside of the classroom, they shied away and answered simply “I’m ok…there’ve been some ups and downs”.

I soon learned what was behind those ups and downs. Several weeks before, one of Alex’s parents had been detained by ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) and had then been deported. Prior to this detention and deportation, Alex’s parent had been living, working, and raising a family in the US for over 20 years, without incident. But now, in a matter of days, Alex’s parent had been sent away from their home, job, and family because they were undocumented. Now Alex is terrified for the well-being of their remaining parent, while also struggling to help support their family as their household income has dropped dramatically. Alex has recently taken on a part-time job to help make ends meet, even though they already have a full-time job and are managing a full course load.

I was astonished by what Alex was sharing with me as they described their families’ anguish, and we began to brainstorm how the university might be of help. Since the day that we met, and thanks to their own courage and openness, Alex has been connected to generous members of the DePaul community who have made time and stepped up to provide support in real ways. But even now, as I think about Alex and their situation, I ask myself how many more people at DePaul are like them? How many have had their lives, or the lives of their loved ones, profoundly impacted by these disruptions beyond their control? I also ask, what can the DePaul community do to help them feel supported during these anxious times?

These questions confound me. However, I know that thoughtful people at our university are working to help educate and prepare our community for any eventuality that might arise, and this does reassure me.[i] But I also believe that at DePaul, with our Vincentian, Catholic identity, when difficult circumstances like this present themselves, we are called to look to our mission and heritage for insight, inspiration, and to ask that proverbial question: what must be done? We are also called to discern an answer that is informed, at least in part, by our mission, which originated with Vincent de Paul.

In turning to Vincent, we remember that when problems arose or disaster struck, his heart always went first to the poor, the vulnerable, and the ones in greatest need.[ii] In his time, like our own, it was refugees who were often in most urgent need. These were people compelled to migrate from violent or desperately poor regions to a new place that offered them greater security and hope. This is why Vincent gently urged his community members to take in refugees from war-torn regions outside of France, even if there was some risk to their own community. We see this in an excerpt from a letter he wrote to one of his confreres:

“If you grant asylum to so many refugees, your house may be sacked sooner by the soldiers; I see that clearly. The question is, however, whether, because of this danger, you should refuse to practice such a beautiful virtue as charity.”[iii]

Seeking out those most in need and finding the means to provide them with generous and compassionate support, both materially and spiritually, even at some cost to yourself, was what Vincent was urging his community to do. This example still resonates with Vincentian communities today.

What else from our Vincentian heritage might help to illuminate our response to our present circumstances? How can Vincent de Paul’s example infuse the ways we address burdens and injustices not just at the personal level, as in the case of Alex, but on a larger, more systemic scale? This may be a more difficult answer to discern. Vincent and his contemporaries did not have an understanding of social justice or systemic change like we do today. Put succinctly, more often than not their vision would have been to work within the system to address society’s ills, not to change the system itself.

That said, one thing Vincent was not afraid to do when the common good was at stake was to go to those who held authority, the “powers that be.” He would gently but firmly express to them his heartfelt observations, concerns, and entreaties, always from a place of respect and always after a period of discernment. Vincent spoke “truth to power” in this way to the likes of Queen Anne, the wealthy aristocrats who ran the Confraternities and Ladies of Charity and, most perilously, to the two most powerful men in the kingdom after the king, Cardinal Richelieu and Cardinal Mazarin. Sometimes such confrontations caused fractures in Vincent’s relations with these leaders, but never was the break total or permanent. He always acted in accordance with following the will of Providence, and frequently his fearless interventions contributed to the common good.

Looking at this distant mirror of some 400 years, we can begin to see how the challenges we face in our time are not altogether different than the challenges Vincent, Louise, and their communities faced in theirs. It is heartening to believe that perhaps our Vincentian mission has grown stronger in wisdom, resilience, and applicability over these many years and through countless challenges. May it now be put to good use for students like Alex and others, both inside and outside our DePaul community. And, may it lead us safely, as Vincent would wish, where Providence intends for us to go.

Reflection Questions

  • Do you know someone within or outside of DePaul who may be vulnerable because of their immigration status? How are they? Is there anything you can do to provide support?
  • How do you think being a part of a Vincentian community calls you to “care”? Is it in small, personal ways? Or in large, more systemic ways, or both? How can you contribute to making DePaul a more “caring” community?

Reflection by: Tom Judge, Chaplain, Division of Mission and Ministry

[i] To learn about immigration enforcement policies and support at DePaul go to the Office of General Counsel’s website at: https://offices.depaul.edu/general-counsel/services/immigration/Pages/faqs-related-to-immigration-and-customs-enforcement-officers-on-campus.aspx.

[ii] For example, “Now, the Little Company of the Mission strives to devote itself ardently to serve persons who are poor, the well-beloved of God; in this way, we have good reason to hope that, for love of them, God will love us. Come then, my dear confreres, let’s devote ourselves with renewed love to serve persons who are poor, and even to seek out those who are the poorest and most abandoned.…” Conference 164, Love for the Poor, January 1657, CCD, 11:349.

[iii] Letter 1678, To Louis Champion, Superior, In Montmirail, 6 November 1653, CCD, 5:49.