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.