The Vincentiana Collections at DePaul University’s Archives and Special Collections has recently purchased this small mid-19th century transfer-ware plate depicts Daughters of Charity as “Angels of the Battlefields.”
DEMONstration
Christian Ianniello is a first year student majoring in journalism. Christian comes to DePaul from California and is an active blogger. In the future, she hopes to work in a job that combines her passions for journalism and photojournalism with her passion for social justice.
Have you ever been listening to someone speak and you understand so perfectly what they are trying to say that their words begin to move inside of you? Before you know it, you are standing up and the words seem to be guiding you, and you realize the words are now flowing out of your mouth and dancing in the air creating harmony. The one way to describe that feeling is humanity.
Well, on Wednesday, October 1, 2014, many DePaul students and I shared that feeling. We listened to students from all different backgrounds chant and speak about the injustices within the police force. The demonstration was not about one ethnic group but about any ethnic group who is stereotyped and profiled, which ultimately leads to injustices. The words that were making us experience that harmonious feeling connected us because of the simple fact that we are all human beings – brown, black, white, rainbow. We all have hearts, feelings, and a voice.
The group leaders, from clubs such as JASA (Just A Sister Away) and MOVE (Men of Vision and Empowerment), directed the group, who had their hoods on and hands up in honor of Trayvon Martin. We began in front of the Student Center, moved to the SAC and the Vincentian Circle and onto Fullerton, and ended by coming back to the Student Center.
As I was taking pictures, I could feel the power through the lens of the strong faces looking, not towards me, but towards justice. Bystanders were curious and, after understanding the chants, some even joined in on the marching. I did not intend to be a part of the demonstration, rather behind it taking pictures, but before I knew it, I was chanting as I snapped photos.
I was profusely sweating while I tried to be vocal, take pictures, and not get in the way. When we arrived back at the Student Center, I realized my heart was pounding and my camera’s memory card was almost full. I had never participated in a demonstration before, and I was proud to call the DePaul Injustice System Demonstration my first demonstration. I hope it will be the first of many more because it was quite the DEMONstration.
JASA and MOVE hosted and organized the DePaul Injustice System Demonstration, which was sponsored by The Sankofa Student Formation Program.
More information about JASA can be found here.
More information about MOVE can be found here and here.
More information about The Sankofa Student Formation can be found here and here.
Knit with Meaning: Crafting for a Cause
Katie Sullivan is the University Minister for Catholic Social Concerns in Catholic Campus Ministry.
In the last few years, I’ve found myself doing a lot of knitting. Some of this knitting is definitely because a lot of people I know are having babies – friends, siblings, co-workers, you name it. Some of this knitting is because I simply enjoy it or want to make something special for a loved one. And some of it is because of Crafting for a Cause, our CCM program for students who want to knit or crochet things to donate to those in need and build community with each other as they knit.
In the process of doing all this knitting, I’ve discovered that when I knit, I keep the person I’m knitting for in my consciousness and hope that the love I’m feeling for them goes into the item. In this way, knitting is now a spiritual practice for me. Knitting with intention, as I try to do, has become prayer.
During the 2013 summer months, one knitting project in particular took on extra special meaning for me – a blanket I was making for my older sister, Keary. She had been diagnosed with breast cancer earlier that summer, and I had decided to make her a blanket she could take with her to chemotherapy.
This blanket felt extra special; it was a big blanket and required a lot of yarn and every time I worked on it, I thought of Keary and put my heart into the project, essentially praying for her health and recovery. Yet, it somehow seemed to have more mistakes than usual in it.
When I gave it to her, and apologized for the many mistakes, she smiled and said, “Don’t you remember what Mrs. Samson [our former teacher who taught us both to knit] said about mistakes? They’re your love.”
I hadn’t remembered that little nugget of wisdom from the woman who had taught me to knit but hearing it made me happy because it felt so true. I had been thinking of any mistakes in my knitting as my signature (thanks to a friend for sharing that piece of wisdom with me). Now, though, I think I’ll look at any mistakes and see them as both love and a signature.
In a very special way, knitting, for me, has become prayer in its own unique way. What are some things that you do that have become spiritual practice?
Do you want to try knitting as a spiritual practice now? If so, please join our Crafting for a Cause group on Fridays at 11am in the CCM office (Suite 104 of the Lincoln Park Student Center).
To What End?
“In the face of these immense efforts which already preoccupy the entire human race, people raise numerous questions among themselves: What is the meaning and value of this feverish activity? How should all these things be used? To what goal are the strivings of individuals and societies heading?”
From: Gaudium et Spes (Joy and Hope): The Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, a document of the Second Vatican Council.
This year, as the Catholic community continues to remember the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), this quote resurfaced. It struck me again as relevant even 50 years after it was written. While praising the rapid advances made in science, technology, economics and politics, among other areas of human knowledge and culture it raises the essential, fundamental human question:
“To what end are we oriented?”
Individually and collectively, this is the central question which determines our moral compass, the foundation for our daily choices, our sense of meaning and purpose, and what is good, true, and beautiful. How we answer defines who we are and seek to be. Ideally, one’s ultimate hope is one that is worth living for, worth persisting through the challenges of life in order to achieve, worth taking courageous steps to grow towards, worth making sacrifices to attain, and one in which we find our deepest joy as we invest our life to make real.
“Success” alone doesn’t get us to the peace we desire, unless it is directed towards a meaningful and purposeful hope or purpose. Material possessions, career accomplishments, safety, comfort, or sexual gratification cannot alleviate the underlying anxiety which exists when people lack some good and meaningful vision for to orient their life, their time, their energy, their will, their emotional life, and their decisions. If we are oriented towards that which is ultimately fleeting, unfulfilling or entirely self-oriented, we remain fundamentally anxious as human people, and we tend to develop the habit of responding out of this anxiety. Anxiety becomes the voice we begin to most recognize and falsely identify as our own.
Part of the gift of a spiritual tradition and a faith community to ground you and surround you is that it offers the possibility of helping keep you oriented towards a meaningful end, one which leads ultimately towards joy and fulfillment rather than ongoing anxiety. There is much in our society, culture, and everyday lives that steers us off-course and entices us to pursue only fleeting, material, and ultimately unsatisfactory pleasures. As human beings, we need some forms of regular spiritual practice (meditation, prayer, journaling, walks in nature, spiritual reading, etc.) and we need each other in order to keep us honest and centered on that which is fulfilling in the end, lest we spend too much of our time and too many of our days pursuing empty promises.
I have found that to be in an ongoing, right relationship with the ultimate source of hope and joy is exactly what it means to be in relationship with God, the fruit of which is a truly desirable end: to know oneself embraced by love and to desire only to love in return.
Mark Laboe is Associate Vice President for University Ministry at DePaul University
Book of the week: “Status Interaction during the Reign of Louis XIV.” Giora Sternberg
From the publisher: The first study to address social status in Louis XIV’s court as a key tool for defining and redefining identities, relations, and power. Offers perspectives on members of the court, rather than the usual perspective of the Sun King himself Draws from a wide variety of printed and manuscript sources. Who preceded whom? Who wore what? Which form of address should one use? One of the most striking aspects of the early modern period is the crucial significance that contemporaries ascribed to such questions. In this hierarchical world, status symbols did not simply mirror a pre-defined social and political order; rather, they operated as a key tool for defining and redefining identities, relations, and power. Centuries later, scholars face the twofold challenge of evaluating status interaction in an era where its open pursuit is no longer as widespread and legitimate, and of deciphering its highly sophisticated and often implicit codes.
Status Interaction during the Reign of Louis XIV addresses this challenge by investigating status interaction – in dress as in address, in high ceremony and in everyday life – at one of its most important historical arenas: aristocratic society at the time of Louis XIV. By recovering actual practices on the ground based on a wide array of printed and manuscript sources, it transcends the simplistic view of a court revolving around the Sun King and reveals instead the multiple perspectives of contesting actors, stakes, and strategies. Demonstrating the wide-ranging implications of the phenomenon, macro-political as well as micro-political, this study provides a novel framework for understanding early modern action and agency. Readership: Scholars and students of the early modern period, of Louis XIV and his court, and of social and political interaction in an historical context.
Oxford University Press, 224 pages. ISBN: 978-0-19-964034-8.
Remembrance
Those of us who remember 9/11 have our stories. I drove back to Chicago from Utah in a rental car a few days after the towers fell and flights were impossible to get. As I listened to radio stations across the country, by and large the messages scared me and I feared for friends who were Muslim. I learned of a prayer service being held not too far from my path and drove to a small country church in Nebraska to celebrate a moment of prayer and try to make sense of what happened. I was surrounded by a community in a strange town without the company of a single person I knew and it was feeling surreal. I guess 9/11 felt surreal to many of us. Later I pulled into a rest stop in Iowa for a national moment of prayer. No one in the fast food line seemed to be taking a pause, but when I left the building to get back on the road I found a small group of young people huddled around a flickering candle on the pavement. There in the twilight we, mostly strangers, prayed together for peace and I felt connected for the first time in days.
Since 2001 I have been called on many times as a Chaplain to lead 9/11 prayers. I am a person who knows two young people, former co-workers, who were at the World Trade Center and heard the stories of how their families frantically searched for them and eventually came to mourn for them. I am a citizen of a country who responded to an extreme act of violence with what appears to be misinformed war that continues to feed more violence, when I had hoped we could choose another way. I have ambivalence about 9/11 – not as a day of remembrance, but for what we are called to remember. I think we are called to acknowledge loss, to be reminded that we need to care for one another and indeed to know one another across difference. For those of us who are religious we can remember that God is operative in this world and should be called upon, and that we are called upon to serve our fellow humans and contribute to peace and not terror in practical ways. People from around the world, from a myriad of cultures and ethnicities and races and religions and classes died in the 9/11 attack so an “America will stand strong against the world” rhetoric seems misguided to me– though I can see why it’s a comfort to many.
Today I think about Darya and Suzanne and the 2,975 others who died September 11th and the people who loved them and are grieving all over again: may they find comfort. I think about our diverse nation on this day and how we respond to global violence: I pray for peace. I think about those who are so desperate that violence becomes a tool – people in my city, my country, my world and I wonder how I am called to respond.
This evening, on the lawn in front of St. Vincent de Paul Church on Webster Ave. at 6:00 pm, the DePaul community will be praying at a candlelight vigil for those who suffer from gun violence. It’s not a 9/11 gathering per se, but it’s a small but important thing to do. I plan to bring my pre-school kids and so this moment of prayer tonight will be our 9/11 remembrance this year. What are you doing to remember this day in a meaningful way?
What are your stories?
Katie Brick serves at DePaul as Director of the Office of Religious Diversity. She also invites you to a DePaul Prayer for Peace to be held in the Lincoln Park Quad on Monday, September 22, at 6:00p.m.
Six Ways to Get Off to Great Start at DePaul
Welcome to DePaul, Class of 2018!!!
I asked a few friends from the Class of 2017 about the top things you should know as you jump into your first quarter at DePaul. Between their thoughts and mine, here are some helpful nuggets that can make your entry into college life be economical, healthy and fun!
Explore Chicago
Whether you are from the Chicago area or new to the city, EXPLORE! This is a great city and DePaul considers the urban setting to be part of the classroom. So, take a field trip! Use your student ID to get discounts at the Art Institute and other museums. Walk around Lincoln Park, discover the zoo, take a walk along the beach (at the end of Fullerton). Walk up and down Clark Street and marvel at the delicious places to eat and the pick one! And don’t forget to check out ALL of the UPass discounts. You’ll be amazed at the deals at your fingertips.
Develop healthy habits
Take it from someone who is horribly un-athletic and ate nothing but Chipotle over summer: be healthy. The Freshman Fifteen is real and it’s coming for you. Start good health habits NOW! You don’t need to be a gym junkie to keep fit. Run or work out or pick up some basketball with friends or SOMETHING at least once or twice a week. Make the Ray your friend and figure out how to fit some workout time into your weekly routing. Also, fruits and vegetables aren’t that bad. Neither is water. You might find the meal plan to be a LOT different from mom’s cooking, but you can choose healthy options. Your body will thank you. The sooner you start, the better. Trust me!
Play the book game
The book game is the game you play when you aren’t sure if that book is ACTUALLY required for your class, especially once you see the price. Look at your book lists as soon as you know your classes so you can find the most affordable option. In some cases, it’s best to buy, or even better rent the book. If you can get a copy for a good price on Amazon, go for it. If you do buy or rent a book you don’t wind up needing, you can sell the book back or, better yet, return it (KEEP YOUR ECEIPTS!). It’s a big juggling game, deciding what you’re really going to need and whether to buy books, so keep on top of it.
Get a job or internship ASAP
Get a part-time job if you can. This is a time commitment that will help you learn to manage money wisely and build your job experience. If not a part-time job, get an internship. Internships in your field will help you determine if the career path you’re on is the one you want, and if it is, it also builds job experience. Do something, preferably paid, because you’ll want to enjoy the city and that costs money!
At least try to get along with your roommate(s)
You already know that there is that awkward period when you feel somewhat obligated to be best friends with your new roommate(s). Well, here’s a great piece of news: No one expects you to be best friends or maybe even friends at all! While friendship does happen sometimes, it’s not necessarily the norm. Your interests may differ or your personalities may clash. Odds are you’ll disagree over a lot of things. For example, your roommate has to get up at 6 am to go to work and you want to be up ‘ til 3 am. Figure out how to make it work! You could go to a study lounge and hang out and then expect your roommate to do the same when you need to get up early and she/he wants to be the night owl. No double standards allowed! The best way to get along is to clearly communicate. Let one another know expectations, likes and dislikes, and what pushes your buttons. Communicate a lot. This starts the minute you meet!
Get Involved
Nothing starts friendships like, “Hey, you like that too?” So get plugged in. If you’re a commuter stay on campus sometimes and join a club or group you’re interested in. If you live on campus, fight the urge to go home every weekend so you can get involved. DePaul has over 300 student organizations so there’s a group for everyone. Some people join sororities or fraternities. Some people get fired up with community service organizations through VCSO (Vincentian Community Service Office). Some people get plugged into faith-based organizations like DePaul Christian Ministries or Catholic Student Union or Jewish Life. Some people play club sports. Some people like things like gaming (DeFRAG), Otaku/Japanese culture (JMAC), movies (DCCS), or poetry (POETS). Maybe you like to perform? DePaul has multiple choirs like DePaul Gospel Choir or try out for a play, brush off your iimprov talents or find one of many groups on campus to dance your way through school. Try something you never thought you would be interested in. You’ll make friends and learn more about yourself in the process.
Whatever you are into, one thing you will definitely learn (if you haven’t already figured it out): DePaul loves acronyms. Whether you work for UMIN (University Ministry), dance with DCD (DePaul Dance Club), serve with AIRE (Achieve Immigrant Rights and Equality), or help out with DAB (DePaul Activities Board), you are entering into an endless sea of acronyms. Don’t worry though, if you don’t know what someone is talking about, there’s no harm in asking. There’s certainly no test, so there’s no need to feel obligated to remember all of them. But ASK when you don’t know because there are probably others who are clueless also!
Class of 2018, we’ve got you covered! The good news about being a freshman is that you are in really good company…we’ve all been there! So, welcome to DePaul! Have a great start to a great college adventure!
Lindsay Echito is a Sophomore at DePaul who worked with University Ministry during her Freshman year.
Purchase of the Week The Vincentiana Collections at DePaul University 8/31/2014
The Vincentiana Collections at the Archives and Special Collections department of DePaul University’s Richardson Library has purchased a rare yearbook (1910-1911) of Holy Trinity College, Dallas, Texas. This ill-fated university (1905-1927) was part of a disastrous over-extension of the then Western Province of the Congregation of the Mission in the United States. For more information see: http://lgdata.s3-website-us-east-1.amazonaws.com/docs/674/1148968/U…
#ReadPrayAct
This past weekend I was on a road trip with my wife back to our home town of Edmond, Oklahoma. As we drove the 12 hours cross-country to reach our destination, we passed through many different towns and cities. About 4 hours outside of Chicago we started to drive toward St. Louis. As we saw signs for SL and its surrounding suburbs my mother called to make sure I was safe.
“Safe?” I thought, “That is a strange thing for her to say.” Why would she be concerned for my safety when driving through a place like Missouri? Nothing ever seems to happen there.
Then the name “Ferguson” flashed through my mind. I recalled the news stories, the social media posts. I thought of the news clips and images of police in full riot gear and armored vehicles roaming the streets of this small American town. I quickly took out my phone and asked my wife to look up the location of Ferguson MO.
“It’s on the other side of the state” I thought to myself. “It won’t have anything to do with me, or my short amount of time spent here in Missouri.” But lo and behold, Ferguson was fifteen minutes from our current location, just north of the city.
We see things on the news. We hear things on the radio. We engage with posts on facebook and twitter. We know about the world around us and events within an instant of their occurrence, but how often do we stop and think about its true effect on our lives?
The Middle East is so far away, how would anything going on there really have anything to do with us? Ebola virus, doesn’t that come from another continent? Darfur, Syria. How can I, living in my own little reality here in Chicago, have any connection with these events?
Herman Melville once said “We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men…” But finding those fibers can be difficult at times. Sometimes it is realizing your location in regards to an event that opens the door. Ferguson is not far away. The people affected by this are not in a distant land, separated by oceans and mountains. These are my neighbors. These are our brothers and sisters and they are mothers and children who live only a small drive away. Who live next door. Unjust treatment of African Americans is happening all over America. All over my city. To my co-workers and to people living on my block.
One of the things I do to bond, to strengthen the fibers that link me with my fellow man, is educate myself. If you know about what is going on, then I think you start to care. So I say find ways to educate yourself about issues that concern you. Take the time to do your own research and don’t take for granted what one sources tell you – you have to shop around for the truth.
Secondly, I pray.
A rabbi once told me that Prayer is like clapping along to a song. It might not change the song itself. It does not fix the chorus you don’t like, or change the words, or alter the notes, but it allows you to actively engage with the song. When you clap, you are an active participant in the music, you engage on a personal level.
When we pray, we show that we are active participants in the world around us. We show ourselves that empathy and thought are crucial to how we see the world. Even if our prayers might not directly affect the outcome of a situation, we are there in spirit. We are joining the greatly collective of humanity that is hoping for peace and love in this world.
When I read, I understand. And when I pray, I empathize. Knowledge and empathy are the first steps to action. In writing this blog I am wondering where knowledge and empathy of the events of Ferguson and all over the nation can take me. I feel the need to act. How about you? Maybe knowledge and empathy will inspire you to sign a petition, join a march, call your legislators or share your knowledge with others. What to do and how to change the world we live in are up to us.
Matthew Charnay serves as DePaul’s Coordinator for Jewish Life.
Rare 18th century rule of the Ladies of Charity acquired
The Vincentiana Collection in Archives and Special Collections at DePaul University has acquired a rare 1754 edition of the rules for the Ladies of Charity in the parish of Saint-Severin in Paris. Saint-Severin is a parish that is still in existence and is located on the left bank of the Seine very near to the cathedral of Notre Dame. This later text will enable scholars to compare with earlier rules from a century before to trace the evolution of the Ladies during the Ancien Regime.
