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How can we stay grounded and resilient during challenging moments like these?

jkirby3 Mission and Ministry, Mission Weekly , , ,

Updates, resources, and events highlighting the integration of DePaul’s Vincentian mission into the daily life and work of the university community.

MISSION MONDAY

How can we stay grounded and resilient during challenging moments like these?

This is a difficult time for us, yet we will move through it together when we do so with care for ourselves and others.

 

                                   IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

DECEMBER 9 | Pop-Up Gathering for Staff and Faculty

Please join us for a very special faculty and staff gathering!

Tuesday, December 9
Beginning at 12:00pm
Loop DePaul Center
DePaul Club – Room 11018

Feel free to bring your lunch and anything else you might like to share.  We will provide beverages and desserts.

We hope this will be an opportunity for fellowship and support during these challenging times at our university as well as a way to nurture our spirits during this season of hope.

We will also have a service opportunity available if you would like to write out a holiday card or decorate a gift bag for our community partners at Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly.   These will then be given to their elderly friends throughout the Chicagoland area.

Please register to join.  We would love to have you!

RSVP

 

DECEMBER 11 | End–of–Year Faculty & Staff Connection: Caring for Our Community

Take a moment to pause and connect as we close out the calendar year. Bring your lunch—or just yourself—and join fellow DePaul faculty and staff for an open-house lunch hour with warm beverages, conversation, and mutual support. This is a space to share care, strengthen connections, and foster the spirit of our community.

Thursday, December 11
Stop by between 11:00am – 1:00pm
LPC Student Center Room 220

Registration is optional, but if you know you’ll be attending please let us know.

RSVP

How can we stay grounded and resilient during challenging moments like these?

jkirby3 Mission and Ministry, Mission Monday , , , , ,

Reflection by: Mark Laboe, Interim VP for Mission and Ministry

Some version of this question has often been posed to me and my colleagues in Mission and Ministry over the past several weeks, as the university community braces for the impact of budget and staffing cuts. Unfortunately, there is no magic pill or solution that will serve to help every person or situation. These are hard moments for all. Many are feeling bad and maybe hurting. We may feel let down, angry, and without much hope in sight. We may wish things were otherwise. This is the reality before us. Yet, we can and will move through it together when we do so with care for ourselves and others.

In seeking some sense of support and orientation from our Vincentian heritage, a few pieces of wisdom may provide some sustenance or insight to aid us through the current realities. Also, in thinking about this question, it becomes clear that what is suggested here are mostly practices that are, ideally, always some part of our way of life. They just become even more important in times of challenge, stress, and difficulty.


1. Remember Who You Are

Vincent de Paul encouraged his followers: “Please be steadfast in walking in the vocation to which you are called.” (CCD 5:256) A good starting point is to remember, especially in moments of difficulty, that you are (still) a person who has much to offer to the world and those around you. You have a life of experience, learning, and successes. You have overcome challenges before. The external circumstances of your life do not change that fact. You also have a vocation (a purpose) to live out in whatever setting or situation you find yourself, and you are far more than just your work life. You have core values that are important to you and that you want to embody in your life. You are not just a machine producing widgets, but a human being who hopes and dreams, who loves, who has much to offer to those around you.

Though we may feel shaken, it is important that we do not allow difficult moments to lead us to forget or stray from our fundamental vocation and identity. Rather, we must use the occasion to reach even deeper into what is at the core of who we are and to find our roots there. This moment may simply be an invitation to grow stronger in understanding and conviction about what exactly that core identity and vocation is for us.

You may find that taking a moment to look at the “long view” of your life may help—using the well-known adage to “begin with the end in mind.” That is, envision who you want to have become as a person at the end of your life, then consider how you can continue to be true to that and to move in that direction even through this difficult moment.

2. Never Go It Alone

One of Vincent de Paul’s key insights came in the recognition that the mission to which he was called, or that he was entrusted with, was much bigger than he could fulfill on his own. He needed others, if his mission would ever be realized. We are all like Vincent in this way, even if we may lose sight of it when things are going smoothly. In a society that urges one to be an independent achiever, the fact remains that we are interdependent creatures. We each have a life to lead and a mission to fulfill as individuals, AND we can’t do it alone. At times like these it’s good to reflect on the fact that who we have become is a result not just of our own efforts and accomplishments but of the help and support of many other people around us. This is the human way, and it is the Vincentian way. So, especially in times of difficulty, don’t forget that, or pretend it can be otherwise.

Ask yourself who your people are, who you can lean on, who you can develop a stronger relationship with, and how you can put yourself in spaces to be surrounded by a community of support. This may require vulnerability. It may require a recognition of our limits. It will require an acceptance of our interdependence with others in our life and work. Who are your companions on the journey of life? Who are the people who understand you and what you are all about? Who can you lean on? Who helps you remember who you are and what you are all about? Who do you learn from or draw strength and comfort from? Who can you have fun and laugh with? Surround yourself with the people who bring you life along with the support and companionship you need right now—and all the time!

Additionally, one of the best ways to remain grounded and resilient in challenging times is to try and look for ways you can be supportive of and care for others. This is a very important piece of wisdom, and very Vincentian. Often when we are faced with difficulty, looking for ways that we can be of service to others will end up being exactly what WE need, more so than focusing only on ourselves. Interdependence means others are also counting on us to be a support to them. It’s both-and and not either-or.

3. Take One Step at a Time

Vincent de Paul advised his followers that “Wisdom consists in following Providence step by step.” (CCD 2:521) He reiterated that we should not seek to step on the heels or run ahead of Providence. My wife and I have our own similar phrase we share with one another and with our children during tough times: “just do the next thing.”

A common piece of Vincentian spiritual insight is that we need to look for and find God in the reality before us, the person before us, and with each present moment. In that moment or encounter, right in the midst of that reality, lies the opportunity to put charity and love into practice, or to practice who we seek to be and become.

As much as we’d like to sometimes, we can’t fast forward through our lives. So, can we “trust the process” and the unfolding journey of life? Vincent de Paul’s understanding of Providence portrayed a trust and belief that what was needed to live our vocation, to fulfill the purpose entrusted to us, has been given or will be given. It is incumbent on us to trust in this and to open our eyes to the gifts made available to us in the current moment and with each step along the way. One step at a time. Just do the next thing.

4. Trust that Love is Inventive to Infinity

“Love is inventive to infinity,” said Vincent de Paul! (CCD 11:131) His words offer an invitation to see and act creatively and to approach every moment and situation with an openness to what is possible. We can always do something coming from a heart of love. Do the next thing, or in this case, take the time to imagine and act on the next thing. Create the next thing. Actively explore what is possible. The current moment is not the end of the road, but the beginning of the next step of the journey.

There is a common piece of practical wisdom accredited to various public figures that says, “it is easier to walk our way into a new way of thinking” than to “think our way into a new way of walking.” The practice of design thinking suggests that we need to experiment and explore new ideas through our actions and not just in our heads.

When safe spaces are created to brainstorm together with others, new ideas can often surface. Many find the practice of creative arts like drawing or doodling, painting, journaling, dancing, or perhaps walking meditation can “loosen up” our thinking and help us to see in new ways. I find long runs are helpful breeding ground for new insight. Imagine various possibilities. Be open to the invitation to find ways to “love to infinity.”

5. Practice Gratitude

“You should not open your mouth except to express gratitude for benefits you have received…”, said Vincent de Paul. (CCD 5:51) Gratitude is the ultimate antidote against falling into despair or helplessness or escaping a mind that is caught in a spiral of anxiety, stress, or hurt. Yet, somewhat counterintuitively, sometimes the practice of gratitude, or truly allowing ourselves to feel gratitude, requires intentionality. It may take some regular practice or inner work on our part, especially when we are feeling anxiety, stress, or hurt. If we are feeling shut down or closed, we may need to consciously engage our will and our desire to work at locating gratitude in our minds and heart. For a little while, we may need to “fake it until you make it,” as the common 12-step wisdom suggests. Or, we might need to “act as if” we can, as a therapist may tell us, even if we are not feeling up to it in the moment.

In whatever way we manage to get there, allowing ourselves moments to sit with and feel gratitude for small or big things in our life, that we appreciate or recognize as good or beautiful, can be healing, grounding, nourishing, and re-orienting. It is a practice worthy of our time and energy, individually and collectively, especially as we move through difficult experiences.

 

Reflection Questions:

  1. When you ask what is most essential to who you are as a person, what comes to mind and how can you ground yourself more deeply in these values, commitments, or characteristics?
  2. What does accepting our interdependence mean to you in this moment and how can you recognize and live that out?
  3. What is one step that you can take forward right now… with love for yourself and others? With creativity and hope?
  4. List and spend a little time pondering on those things that you are grateful for in this moment.

 

The Business of Living the Mission

Cassy Mission and Ministry, Mission Weekly , , , ,

Updates, resources, and events highlighting the integration of DePaul’s Vincentian mission into the daily life and work of the university community.

MISSION MONDAY

Vincent at his writing desk

The Business of Living the Mission

Besides adeptly demonstrating strategic business acumen, Vincent simultaneously managed to incarnate the very same values that guided his life into the seventeenth-century marketplace.

                                   IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

NOVEMBER 20 | Gathering of Remembrance 2025

Each year, the DePaul community comes together for the Gathering of Remembrance, an interfaith service to honor the lives of DePaul faculty, staff, and students who have passed away this year. The ceremony includes the reading of names of those who have lost their loved ones and prayers from multiple faith traditions, creating a space for reflection, healing, and unity. RSVP

December 4 | Day with Vincent at the Art Institute

Join us for Day with Vincent at the Art Institute, a reflective and enriching experience exploring the intersection of art, beauty, and Vincentian values. Together, we’ll visit featured exhibits, engage in guided conversation, and take time for contemplation and community building. RSVP

The Business of Living the Mission

Cassy Mission and Ministry, Mission Weekly , , , ,

Updates, resources, and events highlighting the integration of DePaul’s Vincentian mission into the daily life and work of the university community.

MISSION MONDAY

Vincent at his writing desk

The Business of Living the Mission

Besides adeptly demonstrating strategic business acumen, Vincent simultaneously managed to incarnate the very same values that guided his life into the seventeenth-century marketplace.

                                   IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

NOVEMBER 12 | Lunch with Vincent:

DePaul faculty and staff, you are warmly invited to Lunch with Vincent where we will be joined by DePaul University Board of Trustees chair, Michael Scudder. Scudder will discuss his role as Board chair and how DePaul’s mission helps to guide his leadership during these challenging times for our university.  Hope to see you there!  RSVP

NOVEMBER 20 | Gathering of Remembrance 2025

Each year, the DePaul community comes together for the Gathering of Remembrance, an interfaith service to honor the lives of DePaul faculty, staff, and students who have passed away this year. The ceremony includes the reading of names of those who have lost their loved ones and prayers from multiple faith traditions, creating a space for reflection, healing, and unity. RSVP

The Business of Living the Mission

Cassy Mission and Ministry, Mission Monday , , , ,

Written by: Siobhan O’Donoghue, PhD, Director of Faculty and Staff Engagement, Division of Mission and Ministry

St.Vincent at his writing desk

In spiritual circles, it is sometimes said that a person of faith should be in the world but not of the world. This expression has always perplexed me, and I have never truly understood it. How can a person be in the world but not of it? If this were even possible, why would a person want to live in such a bifurcated manner? Surely, such a dualistic way of being must lie at odds with the holistic Catholic and Vincentian worldview to which our mission at DePaul invites us.

I recently found myself musing over this while considering the challenging times we’re facing. Whether it be at our institution, in our city, or on a national or global scale, this is undoubtedly a turbulent period. It might be understandable to want to distance ourselves from the messiness of life right now, and to ensconce ourselves behind a wall of ideas and pristine principles, but that would not be in keeping with our mission. Rather, Vincentian wisdom calls on us to do quite the opposite. Instead, it invites us to gain practical knowledge (that can only be obtained in the doing) to weave together seemingly disparate worlds into a single, value-threaded tapestry.[i]

My intellectual meandering led me to turn to the life of our founder. When Vincent de Paul engaged in the world of business he did so anchored by a spiritual vision that upheld the dignity of all, particularly those who existed on the margins of society. Even if not always successful, Vincent’s quest was rooted in service of a higher cause to serve those who were economically poor.

According to Thomas McKenna, “Vincent’s sanctity came to blossom in a world of political hard knocks, financial and legal risk taking, and sometimes fierce corporate pressures. His heavy involvement in the institutional world evolved because it was necessary to finance all the initiatives he undertook. Hospitals, shelters, seminaries, half-way houses, preaching teams, orphanages, soup kitchens, war relief campaigns—they all needed sound and long-term backing.”[ii] With the goal of sustaining such ministries, Vincent would spend many hours requesting donations from the rich and powerful, establishing endowments, and buying, selling, and managing real estate. He utilized such financial approaches to help the ministries he founded thrive, not unlike many of the business strategies that DePaul University employs today to sustain our institution.

Furthermore, Vincent had a very hands-on approach to business. He would travel extensively throughout France to oversee negotiations in person. Sometimes, because of business ventures backfiring, Vincent would have to deal with “uncollected rents, unjust taxes, court suits, ruined harvests, delinquent debtors, contested wills, and crippling war damages.”[iii] Yet, Vincent remained a shrewd negotiator and steadfast administrator who, at times, possessed a clarity of thought that others lacked. Vincent’s words to the head of a retreat house clearly reveal this dynamic: “I’m glad you always have plenty of people on retreat. But you should be aware that quite a number of them, on the pretext of making a retreat, come only for the food. There are types who are only too happy to spend a peaceful seven or eight days at no expense to them!”[iv]

Over the course of his business dealings, Vincent certainly had to learn how to endure myriad institutional pressures. Yet, at no point did he understand himself as inhabiting two disparate worlds. Rather, “Vincent’s saintliness existed right in engagement with commerce and politics and bottom lines. For Vincent, the kingdom was pursued in the rough oceans and not in the calm of a mountain lake.”[v]

Fundamentally, besides adeptly demonstrating strategic business acumen, Vincent simultaneously managed to incarnate the very same values that guided his life into the seventeenth-century marketplace. Yet all the while, Vincent’s gaze never deviated from his end goal to support the foundations he had established to assist those who were socioeconomically poor and neglected.

At DePaul today, as unforeseen headwinds threaten to deviate us from our course, Vincent’s ability to sail in the powerful institutional currents of his day, and to learn from his struggles, must surely offer us a beacon of hope. In essence, when stormy seas loom, Vincent’s journey offers us key insights in how to steer a steady course while never losing sight of our desired end destination.

Reflection Questions

  1. Where do you turn for support so you can remain true to reaching your end destination when headwinds threaten to throw you off course?
  2. What spoke to you most about Vincent’s story of the saint who kept his worlds together? What might you learn from this insight both professionally and personally?

Reflection by: Siobhan O’Donoghue, PhD, Director of Faculty and Staff Engagement, Division of Mission and Ministry

[i] Thomas McKenna, C.M., “Vincent de Paul: A Saint Who Got His Worlds Together,” Vincentian Heritage 18:1 (1997), 1. See https://via.library.depaul.edu/vhj/vol18/iss1/1/.

[ii] Ibid., 5.

[iii] Ibid., 7.

[iv] Ibid., 8.

[v] Ibid., 12.

Beginnings, Endings, and the Sacred In-Between

Pradnya Mission and Ministry, Mission Weekly , , ,

Updates, resources, and events highlighting the integration of DePaul’s Vincentian mission into the daily life and work of the university community.

 

MISSION MONDAY

Beginnings, Endings, and the Sacred In-Between

It is in the in-between where we are formed to live our lives with meaning and purpose.

READ MORE

 

 

UPCOMING EVENTS

Baccalaureate Lunch and Mass

Please RSVP HERE.

Beginnings, Endings, and the Sacred In-Between

Cassy Mission and Ministry, Mission Monday , , ,

Written by: Rev. Diane Dardón, ELCA, D. Min., Director, Pastoral Care and Religious Diversity

Photo by Steve Woltmann and Thomas Vangel/DePaul University

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 time at DePaul had flown. They agreed that it seemed like only yesterday when they came to campus for freshman orientation—and now they are preparing to leave behind their college adventure. Now they are preparing for new beginnings.

T. S. Eliot once wrote, “What we call the beginning is often the end … The end is where we start from.” [1] This quote and the elevator conversation I was privy to beautifully illustrate the cyclical nature of beginnings and endings. At DePaul, students begin their journeys by stepping into a community committed to helping them find their purpose as they prepare for careers, engage in service, and learn to reflect and act. And at the end of their DePaul journey graduates step out into the world hopefully with a heart transformed and committed to continuing the Vincentian mission of service, kindness, and goodness as new adventures unfold.

Our tapestries of beginnings and endings are woven over and over again: graduations, new jobs, farewells, and first hellos mark the turning points of our journeys. But as we pause to celebrate or grieve these milestones, we often overlook the most transformative part of the journey—the in-between. It is in this space—in the middle of the journey at DePaul—that we create a beloved community, where we find opportunities to grow and serve, where we stand in solidarity with one another, where we are formed and transformed to live our lives with meaning and purpose. Our Vincentian values—service, community, human dignity, and commitment to the marginalized—form a foundation that every member of the DePaul community is invited and encouraged to embrace. At DePaul, it is in the sacred in-between that students, faculty, and staff are invited to allow themselves to be transformed by our Vincentian legacy.

Transformation may not be quick, and it rarely takes root at the beginning or end of the journey. Instead, it happens over time, and is the result of intentionally making changes, seeking knowledge, relying upon the wisdom of others, building relationships, and allowing for reflection. Living in the middle and allowing for transformation of heart and mind is life-giving, and it is complicated. Brené Brown, a Texan professor, researcher, and storyteller describes the in-between as “messy, but it’s also where the magic happens.” [2] At DePaul the messy middle is where we find ourselves changed, it is where we meet grace, and it becomes a space for learning about and deeply engaging with our Vincentian values. The middle is where we are often challenged by the messiness but also transformed to be our very best. Each act of kindness, each honest conversation, each difficult decision taken with integrity, is part of the sacred in-between that shapes who we are becoming.

As graduates have been shaped over the years and now end this chapter of their lives, our hope is that they boldly carry their Vincentian values forward as they embark upon new beginnings and enter new communities, careers, and vocations. Our hope is that they have been formed and transformed into people of purpose who are committed to changing the world.

Poet Mary Oliver asks, “What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” [3] Our hope is that DePaul grads carry with them the very things they’ve encountered in the sacred in-between: a Vincentian heart shaped by service, community, reflection, and action—and live their one wild and precious life with intention, compassion, and purpose.

Congratulations to the Class of 2025! May you be deeply enriched as you embark upon beginnings, endings, and all the in-betweens to come!

Reflection Questions

1. As you’ve lived in the in-between at DePaul, how have you been transformed by our Vincentian legacy?

2. As you’ve served in the in-between at DePaul, how have you shared our Vincentian legacy and encouraged the transformation of others?

Reflection by: Rev. Diane Dardón, ELCA, D. Min., Director, Pastoral Care and Religious Diversity

[1] T. S. Eliot, “Little Gidding,” Four Quartets (Harcourt, Brace, 1943), 21.

[2] See Brené Brown, Rising Strong (Spiegel & Grau, 2015).

[3] Mary Oliver, “The Summer Day,” House of Light (Beacon Press, 1990). Available online at: https://www.loc.gov/programs/poetry-and-literature/poet-laureate/poet-laureate-projects/poetry-180/all-poems/item/poetry-180-133/the-summer-day/.

Called to Serve

Pradnya Mission and Ministry, Mission Weekly , , , ,

Updates, resources, and events highlighting the integration of DePaul’s Vincentian mission into the daily life and work of the university community.

 

MISSION MONDAY

Called to Serve

Vincentian Service Day brings our DePaul community together to connect with our mission.

READ MORE

 

UPCOMING EVENTS

Faculty and Staff are Invited…

DePaul faculty and staff, you are invited to Lunch with Vincent where our distinguished presenters will be Professor Ken Butigan, from the Peace, Justice, and Conflict Resolution Program and Fr Stan Chu IIo from the Catholic Studies Department.  Together they will share stories of peace and justice from around the world inspired by their faith and enriched by our Vincentian spirit.  Please join us for meaningful conversation, warm community and a tasty meal!

Please RSVP HERE

 

Spring MEAL with DePaul: Hospitality in Action

DePaul faculty and staff, please help make Vincentian personalism real by hosting international students for a meal in your home through Global Engagement’s Spring MEAL with DePaul program!  You don’t have to be a top chef or have a large home to be a host, you simply need to have the spirit of hospitality and community modeled for us by Sts Vincent de Paul and Louise de Marillac!  We hope you will join us!

To learn more click here: https://shorturl.at/

 

Vincentian Service Day

This year Vincentian Service Day is Saturday, May 3rd and registration is available on the VSD website. We have over 25 community partners ready to welcome you!

You can register as an individual or as a group for a service site. If you would like to participate in VSD as a group, please check out the Group Registration FAQs on the website for more information about the this registration process. You can also view this video, which provides a step-by-step guide to group registration. You must log in with your DePaul credentials to view the video.

We are excited about the many opportunities to engage in service and hope you will participate! If you have any questions, please email serviceday@depaul.edu and a member of the VSD Team will get back to you. We hope you will participate in this longstanding DePaul tradition!

 

Vinny Games

Join us for our 4th Annual Vinny Games for faculty and staff! Come to The Ray to build community and play games (no athletic ability required!) Make connections and have fun! Food and prizes are included. Feel free to just drop by or stay the entire time. Either way, we hope to see you!

RSVP HERE

Called to Serve

Pradnya Mission and Ministry, Mission Monday , , , ,

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, and alumni go out into the community, connecting with community partners and doing service.

I have been at DePaul since 2012 and participated in VSD during my first five years by helping with the morning program, the post-service barbecue, and doing service. In the 2017–2018 academic year, my role at DePaul changed, and overseeing all aspects of Vincentian Service Day became one of my primary job responsibilities.

I learned quickly that putting together a big event like VSD is like putting together a big jigsaw puzzle. First, I work on the edges—cultivating relationships with colleagues around the university to ensure that the event aspect of the day is prepared, interviewing and selecting students for the Service Day team, connecting with community partners to ensure we have sites for participants, etc. Then I work on the inside of the puzzle and figure out where each piece goes and how to fit them in with the other pieces of the puzzle: there’s outreach to student organizations and departments, follow-up with community partners, ordering flyers, and more. These things are gratifying, maddening, and challenging all at once. That final, most satisfying piece of the puzzle gets put into place at the end of the event, when everyone has returned from their service sites and is enjoying lunch on the Quad.

So many times, tasks and duties in our lives can feel daunting. I always find it important to remember that I am not alone when things feel like they’re piling up. Many people in my life are willing to listen and help me when I need to vent. If I didn’t have these people to help me, I am sure my frustrations would sometimes get the best of me. Yet, they provide a much needed lift and it’s usually right when I need it, which Saint Louise de Marillac would call “Divine Providence.”

What are some of the tools you use for yourself when you’re managing challenging projects? How do you manage when things are feeling out of control or frustrating? Whom do you turn to for support to ensure you can keep going when you are facing a challenge?

This year Vincentian Service Day is Saturday, May 3. The students on the team jumped right in to help put the puzzle together. Some of the students have helped with previous VSDs, and some are brand new to the role, learning about the many, many tasks involved in creating a successful event like on-the-job training. Our hope is that we create a day for our DePaul community to come together and connect with our mission by doing service with more than 25 community partners all over Chicago. For me, service has always been a great way to get out of my head and stop thinking about the never-ending list of things I should be doing. Maybe VSD can be that for you—a way to do something different and give yourself a break from the many things on your to-do list.

Many service sites this year are community gardens in locations around the city where fresh food is not readily available, and the gardens fill in this gap for people. As one community partner noted to students a few years ago: “This is not hobby gardening; this garden feeds the community.” [1]

I hope you will consider participating in this DePaul tradition. Our Vincentian mission calls us to see beyond ourselves, and Vincentian Service Day is one of those opportunities where we, alongside our DePaul and Chicago community members, can go out and serve the needs of others. VSD is a day of connection. As Saint Louise de Marillac said, “Encourage one another and may your mutual good example speak louder than any words can.” [2]

Registration for Vincentian Service Day 2025 closes on Monday, April 28, at 11:59 PM. For more information about participating in VSD, visit the VSD website; or email: serviceday@depaul.edu. If you don’t register by then and still want to participate, you can join us on Saturday, May 3, at 8:30 AM at Sullivan Athletic Center, and we will place you where we most need help that morning.

Reflection by: Katie Sullivan, Assistant Director, Vincentian Service and Formation Office, Division of Mission and Ministry

[1] Cordia Pugh, Hermitage Community Garden.

[2] Letter 402, “To the Sisters of Angers,” September 1654, Spiritual Writings, 450. Available online at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/ldm/11/.

The Unimportance of Being Innocent

Pradnya Mission and Ministry, Mission Weekly , ,

Updates, resources, and events highlighting the integration of DePaul’s Vincentian mission into the daily life and work of the university community.

 

MISSION MONDAY

The Unimportance of Being Innocent

We welcome you to attend an upcoming panel discussion featuring Sr. Helen Prejean.

READ MORE

 

UPCOMING EVENTS

Please Join…


Celebrate the Vincentian Founding – Mass & Lunch
Wednesday, April 16 at 12:00 p.m. | St. Louise de Marillac Chapel

The DePaul community is invited to a special Mass and lunch in honor of the 400th Anniversary of the Congregation of the Mission—the Vincentian religious order that founded DePaul. Mass will be held in the St. Louise de Marillac Chapel (LPSC 1st floor), followed by lunch in LPSC 325.

Please RSVP HERE to let us know you will be attending the lunch. All are welcome as we gather in prayer and fellowship.

 

Faculty and Staff are Invited…

DePaul faculty and staff, you are invited to Lunch with Vincent where our distinguished presenters will be Professor Ken Butigan, from the Peace, Justice, and Conflict Resolution Program and Fr Stan Chu IIo from the Catholic Studies Department.  Together they will share stories of peace and justice from around the world inspired by their faith and enriched by our Vincentian spirit.  Please join us for meaningful conversation, warm community and a tasty meal!

Please RSVP HERE

Spring MEAL with DePaul: Hospitality in Action

DePaul faculty and staff, please help make Vincentian personalism real by hosting international students for a meal in your home through Global Engagement’s Spring MEAL with DePaul program!  You don’t have to be a top chef or have a large home to be a host, you simply need to have the spirit of hospitality and community modeled for us by Sts Vincent de Paul and Louise de Marillac!  We hope you will join us!

To learn more click here: https://shorturl.at/cdZkO