The following reflection was shared in advance of the Lenten season to members of the Vincentian Family by Rev. Tomaž Mavrič, CM, Superior General of the Congregation of the Mission in Rome, Italy on February 10, 2021. Dear members of the Vincentian Family, May the grace and peace of Jesus be always with us! […]
Today, February 8th, we celebrate the feast day of St. Josephine Bakhita, FDCC, a twentieth-century saint with ties to the spirit of the Vincentian family. Josephine was canonized in 2000, and we still have much to learn about her life. Born in Sudan in 1869, Josephine was kidnapped and enslaved as a young child. After […]
Global Vincentian Family Did you know that over 300 religious and lay organizations across the world are considered part of the “Vincentian Family?” A movement that started in countryside churches in France has spread for 400 years and is now present in over 100 countries across all six habited continents. There are over 4,000 Vincentian priests across the world1, 14,000 Daughters of Charity serve in almost […]
The Power of Story In the Vincentian family, the practice of learning and sharing people’s stories is sacred. Vincent, Louise, and all the legacy figures who came after them made a conscious effort to see those whom society made invisible. They started a quiet revolution by taking the time to see them and uplift their dignity. They centered the voices […]
As dawn replaces darkness in Chicago and lake effect clouds rise, patrons stand on cold pavement six feet apart to order hot coffee along quasi-empty streets with boarded-up businesses. The wind bites customers who shiver as they stand waiting under the gloomy sky. What do they recall about this time last year? What has changed? […]
Go-Then The Vincentian mission starts not from a place of theory, but instead out in the world. After taking time to listen, learn, and understand the stories of people in our communities, we then return to make meaning. We call this approach, “Go, then.” The Vincentian mission calls us to go into the world, to serve and accompany those who are most […]
Dignity and Relationship As Vincentians, we know that learning a person’s name and understanding their story is the first step toward systemic change. Relationship is at the heart of how we exist in the world. Vincentians strive to foster mutual, long term relationships with those in their communities, not for the sake of metrics […]
Radical Creativity, Connection and Care “Love is inventive to infinity.” – Vincent de Paul Vincentians, at their core, are trailblazers. When Vincent saw that people were eager to serve their neighbors but lacked the structure to do so, he organized charity in a new way that brought effectiveness to people’s care. When faced with […]
Vincentian Personalism Coined at DePaul in the 1970s, the term Vincentian Personalism refers to the Vincentian family’s dedication to human dignity and holistic care. St. Vincent de Paul and St. Louise de Marillac approached their work with a person-first lens. They saw each person they encountered, whether rich or poor, as God’s beloved creation. This was […]
Responses to injustice based only on charity may readily be maligned for not addressing the systemic issues that cause suffering to be perpetuated; yet, properly understood, charity should be seen as an essential part of transformative action and as the vital relational and affective dimension of justice. The word charity derives from the Latin, caritas, […]