“Kindness is the key to hearts.”[1] —Saint Vincent de Paul Last week (and every year on January 25), on the Catholic feast day of the conversion of Saint Paul, Vincentians around the globe celebrated what we have come to know as Foundation Day. Vincent de Paul remembered this day as the critical moment when his […]
“So then, gentleness and forbearance are necessary among ourselves and for our service to the neighbor.” — Vincent de Paul (Correspondence, Conferences, Documents, 12:249) By the end of his life, Vincent was known for his gentleness and approachability. However, these characteristics grew over time and were part of Vincent’s long, slow transformation. He spoke of […]
Written by: Rev. Diane Dardón, ELCA, D. Min., Director, Pastoral Care and Religious Diversity A few weeks ago, I found myself in the Student Center elevator with several students who were talking about the number of guests joining them for their graduation ceremonies. The animated conversation moved into a communal reflection on how quickly their […]
Written By: Katie Sullivan, Assistant Director, Vincentian Service and Formation Office, Division of Mission and Ministry One of DePaul’s longest-standing traditions is Vincentian Service Day (VSD), which started as part of DePaul’s Centennial celebration during the 1998–1999 school year. This event, held yearly on the first Saturday of May, is a day when students, staff, faculty, […]
Please Join Us… In honor of Saint Louise de Marillac’s Feast Day on May 9th, the Division of Mission and Ministry invites the DePaul community to celebrate Louise Week 2025 from May 3-9. As a DePaul community, our current context is inviting us to embrace our reality with care, pragmatism, advocacy, and creativity– and Saint […]
Written By: Gabriella Bucci, Associate Professor of Economics Sustainability was core to the work of Saints Vincent de Paul and Louise de Marillac. Saint Vincent understood that charitable donations of food and clothing, while providing temporary relief, are not long-term solutions for the deprived, war-torn, and impoverished. He wanted to provide seeds for farmers and […]
“It feels like we are standing on shifting sands. What can we hold onto when there seems to be an attack on the principles DePaul was founded on and why I do my work?” This question was posed to me recently by a team member. The current realities in our society and in the field […]
Written By: Tom Judge, Chaplain, Faculty and Staff Engagement, Division of Mission and Ministry This winter I’ve been doing some travelling, spending a lot of time behind the wheel. Usually when I find myself with long stretches in the car, I like to listen to a little music. My choices, not surprisingly, are most often […]
Written By: Miranda Lukatch, Editor, Vincentian Studies Institute What do Vincent de Paul, Louise de Marillac, Elizabeth Seton, and Frédéric Ozanam have in common? Some answers are obvious: they loved God deeply, they shared a mission, and they accomplished enormous good for the poor. But they shared commonalities not only in what they did but how […]
Exactly eighteen years ago, on this day, December 9th, I became the first woman in my family to chant publicly from the Torah. I still remember the opening words like a catchy song. In Vayishlach, the Torah portion for this week, there are two brothers—twins—Jacob and Esau, who never really get along. One is smooth, […]