Newsnote: Vincentiana Purchase of the Week: Edward Young, C.M. missionary in Kanchow (1932)

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Recently purchased by the Vincentiana collection at DePaul University’s archives and special collections, this 1932 press photo features the Rev. Edward Young, C.M., a missionary from the Eastern Province of the Vincentians headquartered in Germantown, Pennsylvania. The province’s Chines mission was headquartered in Kanchow. The text fails to note that Young had in 1929 been captured and held for ransom by the communist forces. For more information on Young see American Vincentians (Cape Girardeau: Vincentian Studies Institute, 1987), p. 377.

Book of the Week: “Dictionnaire Richelieu”

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From the publisher: «Premier ministre de Louis XIII » et « fondateur de l’Académie française » : tels sont les titres associés à la figure d’Armand Jean du Plessis (1585-1642), cardinal-duc de Richelieu, sur les plaques de rue qui affichent son nom au coeur de Paris. Ce ne sont que les plus connus d’un grand nombre de titres acquis ou attribués à ce célèbre homme d’État et d’Église dont la vie, l’histoire et la légende se composent de mille et une facettes. Ce Dictionnaire invite le lecteur à les découvrir ou à les redécouvrir autrement à travers cent vingt notices rédigées par cinquante-sept spécialistes du Cardinal et de son époque. Replacé dans son contexte français, européen et, parfois même, mondial, chaque sujet abordé renvoie à plusieurs autres dont la lecture – complémentaire ou indépendante de celle d’une biographie de Richelieu – permettra à tout un chacun d’aborder, selon ses besoins et envies, la réflexion et l’action de celui qui avait largement contribué à l’avènement du Grand Siècle. Publisher: Honore Champion, Paris Pages: 400 ISBN: 9782745328663 70,00 Euros

DePaul Charleston Vigil – Opening Remarks

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Rev. Keith Baltimore,University Minister, DePaul Christian Ministries, led a July 1 vigil on the Lincoln Park campus for the DePaul community to honor those killed in Charleston, S.C.  Here are his opening remarks.

vigil candles

This afternoon, we as community have come together to acknowledge and remember the nine people whose lives were tragically ended in Charleston, South Carolina.

On the evening of Wednesday, June 17, 2015, nine people of faith gathered as they always did for Bible study, fellowship and prayer at their church – the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in downtown Charleston. During that bible study, they welcomed someone they did not know into their sacred space.  This person sat among them a while, before standing and violently shooting and killing nine people.

The unusual nature of this tragedy can cause even the most devout person to doubt or scramble for some meaning that makes sense. Trying to answer the question of “Why? Why? Why…” can be frustrating and overwhelming.  I know because I’ve been there… In fact, I’m still there.  I’m still in that cold, dark space in my heart and head trying to sort it all out.  As of today, I have nothing.  I’m still confused, still at a complete loss and I am still searching for something that will help me make sense of all this evil.

At some point we may need to recognize that we won’t be satisfied.  While I may never understand this… I refuse to accept it.  I refuse to get used to innocent people being savagely killed for some insane reason.  We must not become desensitized to violence that tears away at our community and our spirit.   I’ll admit to you again that I don’t have any answers, but let me offer to you something very small that I know for sure that has helped me.  Nothing…nothing stays the same.  I know for sure that our country and its people have the capacity to change.  So I will hold on, I will continue to work and I will keep on fighting until true change comes.

There is much to learn from this tragedy.  The discussions and, more importantly, the work necessary to identify and then end what caused this great tragedy must and will continue.  We can’t allow ourselves to become distracted by trite debates over state flags that simply symbolize racism and do nothing to end actual racism.  The time for wrestling with the cause of this great evil that occurred in Charleston will come soon enough, but for today… today we must admit that we feel broken, shocked and overwhelmed with sadness.  So right now… we will just sit together, cry together, and remember them the best way we know how.

A concurrent vigil was also held on the Loop campus, and moment of silence was held at 12:30 p.m. campus wide for those who could not gather as a community.  We will continue to hold all affected in our prayers, and DePaul is sending a Resolution for the nine church members, read at the vigil, to Emanuel AME on behalf of the university.

Abdul-Malik Ryan, Assistant Director of the Office of Religious Diversity, welcomes mourners to a memorial service for the victims of the Charleston (SC) church shooting. (DePaul University/Jamie Moncrief)
Guests light candles in honor of the victim as the DePaul University community gathered for simultaneous memorial services Wednesday, July 1, 2015 at the Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Chapel and the St. Louise de Marillac Chapel to remember and mourn the nine victims of the Charleston church shooting. (DePaul University/Jamie Moncrief)
Guests light candles in honor of those who were killed. (DePaul University/Jamie Moncrief)

Newsnote: Vincentiana Purchases of the week: 6/29/2015 “19th century Daughter of Charity cartes-de-visites”

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During the mid-to-late 19th century as photography became the rage of the day, and as photographs became cheap and affordable the tradition of taking portrait photos (cartes-de-visites) became widespread. The above examples were recently purchased by the Vincentiana collections at DePaul University’s Archives and Special Collections Department. It is difficult to image that the practice of having one’s photograph taken was ever officially condoned by the poverty and simplicity conscious Daughters of Charity. It is likely, however, that family members and admirers of individual sisters prevailed upon them to have their photos taken, and then paid for them. In any event, the practice was widespread. Unfortunately, very few of the sisters in these photographs are identified by name. Yet, often the photographer would have his advertisement on the back of the photo enabling us to identify the location where the photographer worked.

DRMA Spring Lecture 2015

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Title: Romantic Catholics: Frédéric and Amélie Ozanam, Marriage, and the Catholic Social Vocation

Speaker: Carol Harrison, Ph.D. professor of History at the University of South Carolina. Author of the book: Romantic Catholics: France’s Post-revolutionary Generation in Search of a Modern Faith.

Marriage to Amélie Soulacroix in 1841 transformed Frédéric Ozanam’s sense of his obligations to the society in which he lived. The sacrament of marriage in general and the particular marital relationship that Amélie and Frédéric developed were central to his understanding of the Catholic social vocation. The younger Ozanam valued fraternal ties among male friends above all, and the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, founded in 1836, reflected this attachment to an egalitarian world of bachelor men. As Amélie’s husband, however, Frédéric came to see society as analogous to the family and he perceived his obligations to society as parallel those he owed his family: love, respect, and care for the weak. Ozanam carried this mature view of society into the Revolution of 1848, and it informed his confidence that French Catholics could participate in the work of the new republic by directing it toward a social mission that drew on charitable traditions infused with a modern sense of justice and democracy.

Goodbye for Now

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by Katie Sullivan

“Goodbye for now, love you, and keep in touch.”  My senior year of college a priest said these words at one of our last masses of the year; they always come back to me around this time of year when a new group of students is graduating and getting ready to move on to the next chapter in their lives.

On May 29th, I marked ten years since I graduated from college.  Ten years since I left the University of San Diego and the great experiences I had as a college student.  In some ways, I can’t believe it’s been that long but I think that’s at least partly because for the last seven years I have worked in higher education and gotten to celebrate with students each year as they have reached the milestone of graduation and set off for new adventures.

graduation
Katie with her friends and family on her graduation day ten years ago

In my three years at DePaul, I have greatly enjoyed being part of our baccalaureate mass tradition each year welcoming the graduates and their families and celebrating with them at the start of the graduation weekend.  Bacc Mass is a great time to take a breath, reflect on the journey, ponder what comes next… (you can join us Friday, June 12th at 4pm in St. Vincent de Paul Church if you’d like). Each baccalaureate mass I attend brings back memories of my own and the feelings I had as I got ready to graduate.

I remember wondering if I was ready.  I knew what I was going to do after college (lifeguard at the neighborhood pool for the summer and then off to Hartford, CT, for a year in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps), but I was definitely not sure that I was ready to leave my friends and the community I had built.

So, in that vein, I’d like to let our graduates know that it’s okay to be feeling some nerves along with the excitement that comes with graduation.  Maybe you’re a little uncertain – you don’t have a job or you have a job in a different city.  You are not alone in your uncertainty nor will you be alone on the journey out of uncertainty.  Look to your family and friends.  Your mentors and role models.  Seek advice.  Don’t be afraid to ask for help.  Remember to check in with your friends even if you are spread across the country in different cities doing different things every day.  It’s not about how often you talk but about the fact that you remember the other exists and you want to remain connected to them.

And, as you move on from DePaul, maybe instead of saying goodbye to your friends, say “goodbye for now, love you, and keep in touch.”

Katie Sullivan is the University Minister for Catholic Social Concerns in DePaul’s Catholic Campus Ministry office.

Newsnote: “More of World War I and the community in France: The Berceau.”

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This postcard image from 1914 depicts one of the student dormitories at the Berceau of Saint Vincent de Paul (near Dax) temporarily transformed into a military hospital (hopital auxiliaire). Daughters of Charity from the orphanage and hospice served as nurses. In the left hand lower corner a confrere (wearing a biretta) plays a board game with one of the wounded soldiers. This postcard was recently acquired by the Vincentiana collection at the Archives and Special Collections at DePaul University in Chicago.

Setting Trends

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DePaul University Ministry staff Gets Deep with the question: “If You Were a Celebrity, What Would You Make Trendy?”

“I would invite random people out on tea dates and ask them to order a tea that best described them – then explain why…”
Siobhan O’Donoghue, Director of the Vincentian Community Service Office

“To bring attention to how poor people are so often blamed for being poor as a moral failing or for being lazy or unwilling to participate in getting themselves out of poverty as a way to avoid looking at systemic injustices that make escaping poverty so incredibly difficult.  The trick would be to do this in a way that doesn’t “otherize,” doesn’t deny that there are times people can rise above incredibly difficult situations (but that this is not the norm so what happened that can be replicated/supported), and that positively attends to the tremendous assets within impoverished communities and people — rather than coming off like Gwyneth Paltrow around the food stamps budget. It might take a consistent employing of facts, featuring people’s stories, being in solidarity with others in an authentic way.  I don’t know. But I hope it happens.”
Katie Brick, Director of the Office of Religious Diversity

“A profound love for humanity!”
Guillermo Campuzano, CM, Chaplain in Catholic Campus Ministry

“If I were a pop culture icon, I’d make smiling trendy. I’d max out social media to get people excited about being aware of their demeanor and get them to smile at themselves, at the world, at one another. It’s amazing how simply donning a smile can make life lighter…and the world around you brighter…even when—perhaps especially when–life sucks!”
Diane Dardon, Protestant Chaplain in the Office of Religious Diversity

“Conservation of resources.”
Karl Nass, Assistant Director of the Vincentian Community Service Office

“I would make wearing meat trendy.  What?  Lady Gaga already did this?!  Ok, then I would make serving, striving for justice and a deep sense of gratitude to our Creator trendy.”
Thomas Judge, Chaplain, CTI and Law School in the Office of Religious Diversity

“Make shaking off apathy and despair trendy through random acts of kindness.”
Ruben Alvarez, Coordinator, Vincentian Community Service in the Vincentian Community Service Office

“If I were a pop culture icon, I would make the bartering/’no buy’ movement trendy. Why spend money and add to a broken supply chain when you can share with neighbors and build community?!”
Emily LaHood, Coordinator, Service Immersions in the Vincentian Community Service Office

Responses compiled by Quang Luu, Residence Hall Chaplain with DePaul University Ministry.

DRMA Spring Lecture, 2015

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Title: Romantic Catholics: Frédéric and Amélie Ozanam, Marriage, and the Catholic Social Vocation

Speaker: Carol Harrison, Ph.D. professor of History at the University of South Carolina. Author of the book: Romantic Catholics: France’s Post-revolutionary Generation in Search of a Modern Faith.

Marriage to Amélie Soulacroix in 1841 transformed Frédéric Ozanam’s sense of his obligations to the society in which he lived. The sacrament of marriage in general and the particular marital relationship that Amélie and Frédéric developed were central to his understanding of the Catholic social vocation. The younger Ozanam valued fraternal ties among male friends above all, and the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, founded in 1836, reflected this attachment to an egalitarian world of bachelor men. As Amélie’s husband, however, Frédéric came to see society as analogous to the family and he perceived his obligations to society as parallel those he owed his family: love, respect, and care for the weak. Ozanam carried this mature view of society into the Revolution of 1848, and it informed his confidence that French Catholics could participate in the work of the new republic by directing it toward a social mission that drew on charitable traditions infused with a modern sense of justice and democracy.

Newsnote: Vincentiana Purchase of the week 5/31/2015

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The Vincentiana Collection in the Archives and Special Collections Department of DePaul University’s Richardson Library has recently purchased this early 19th century color lithograph of St. Vincent. The legend at the bottom reads: “St. Vincent de Paul. Founder of the priests of the Mission and of the Sisters of Charity, and of the Pitie, Bicetre, Salpetriere and Foundling hospitals. Born in 1576. Died in 1660. Dedicated to the Maternity Society.