Thinking of notable people in history—past or present—as human beings who lived normal daily lives is sometimes difficult. But doing so helps contextualize our perceptions of them and can often make their actions, ideas, and lives all the more exemplary. For example, during grad school when I was reading particularly dense texts from French or […]
We must be full reservoirs in order to let our water spill out without becoming empty, and we must possess the spirit with which we want them to be animated, for [we cannot] give what [we do] not have.[i] There are times at DePaul when we think working in a “Vincentian” way means remaining tirelessly […]
A key to the spiritual transformation of Vincent de Paul was his recognition that only a community of people working together could accomplish the mission he envisioned. Vincent could not do it alone. This insight grounds the Vincentian spirit carried forth in his ministry for the remainder of his life. The Vincentian mission’s sustainability is […]
“… a great good is worth being long desired.”[1]—Vincent de Paul During my twenty-three years of working at DePaul, I have often found myself wondering what Vincent and Louise would think were they to wander on campus or take a stroll down the streets of Chicago today. Would they recognize that the seeds they planted in […]
As the Division of Mission and Ministry (DMM) seeks to support all members of the DePaul community in their spiritual well-being, the division is preparing to offer monthly prayers for the community. The DMM Pastoral Care Team recognizes that as we continue to live in times of uncertainty and constant transition in the face of […]
Almost exactly one year ago, I left Chicago for Iowa. I was planning to be gone for just a few days and never guessed my stay there would last a full 12 months. Feelings of isolation and despondency, familiar to many during this pandemic, had been growing in me since the spring of 2020. More […]
When you see a butterfly fluttering its wings, what comes to mind? For some, possibly the complete metamorphosis from eggs to caterpillar to chrysalis to adult; others might imagine grace and beauty. In the richness of its diverse expressions, nature provides many images of transition and change like the dynamic life of a butterfly. For […]
After 35 years, DePaul University has fully revised its mission statement. Through a 10-month participatory, historically grounded, yet forward-thinking process, direct feedback was gathered from over 600 community members. The updated concise statement is relevant and apt for the DePaul we all know, and for the DePaul of which we dream. On March 4th, […]
DePaul University Mission Statement Approved unanimously by the Board of Trustees on March 4, 2021 As an innovative Catholic, Vincentian University anchored in the global city of Chicago, DePaul supports the integral human development of its students. The University does so through its commitment to outstanding teaching, academic excellence, real world experience, community engagement, and […]
“To leave God for God is not leaving God at all, that is, to leave one work of God to do another, either of greater obligation or of greater merit.”1 As we know, St. Vincent de Paul was a person of great faith who found strength in prayer and the belief that an unfaltering, loving […]