St. Mary’s of the Barrens and the American Catholic Church, 1818-2016

Lecturer: Richard J. Janet

Description: In 1818, a small group of Catholic clerics established a religious community in southeastern Missouri and opened a school, grounded in its European Vincentian roots but influenced by the isolation of its rural location. St. Mary’s of the Barrens became the first American institution of higher learning west of the Mississippi River and only the fourth Catholic seminary in the United States. Over the years, St. Mary’s emerged as a significant institution whose early leaders played an important role in the development of the Catholic Church on the American frontier. The school’s subsequent history reflected the changing status of the growing American Catholic community. In this history of “the Barrens,” Rick Janet demonstrates how its story reflects the broader sweep of the American Catholic experience.

The Many Faces of Vincent de Paul: 19th Century French Romanticism and the Sacred

Guest-curated by Rev. Edward R. Udovic, CM, PhD, as a companion to Four Saints in Three Acts, this special exhibition of 19th century sculptures, holy cards, textiles, decorative arts and prints from the university’s collection will explore how Romanticism impacted the iconographic representations of Saint Vincent de Paul (1581-1660), at the dawn of the modern era.

The Modern Exodus: Walking with Refugees and Migrants in a Time of Crisis

In this Visiting Artist Series the School of Cinematic Arts partners with the Office of Mission and Values to explore the pressing challenges of forced migration. After watching segments from Frontline’s EXODUS that explores the first person accounts of the treacherous journeys that refugees from Syria endure, Kim Lamberty from Catholic Relief Services and Rev. Craig Mousin from DePaul University will share their experience and expertise working directly with people who have largely been forgotten.

To view Exodus follow this link: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/fil…

French Missionaries and the Roman Catholic Priesthood in the United States,1789-1870

Fall Quarter 2017 DRMA Lecture About the Lecturer: Dr. Michael Pasquier is Associate Professor of Religious Studies and Jaak Seynaeve Professor of Christian Studies at Louisiana State University. He specializes in the history of religion in the United States, with areas of concentration in American Catholicism, religion in the U.S. South, and religion and the environment. He is the author of Fathers on the Frontier: French Missionaries and the Roman Catholic Priesthood in the United States, 1789-1870 (Oxford University Press) and Religion in America: The Basics (Routledge), as well as editor of the book Gods of the Mississippi (Indiana University Press) and producer of the documentary film Water Like Stone. His work has been supported by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

The Ecological Spirituality of Elizabeth Ann Seton

We are living in an unprecedented age when ecological concern is rising as the most critical issue for humanity. It is not a lack of scientific knowledge that makes environmental problems so difficult to solve, but rather human arrogance. There are ecologists, however, who draw upon religious traditions to establish models for a healthy and harmonious relationship between nature and humanity. Sr. Sung-Hae Kim interprets the writings of Elizabeth Ann Seton from the perspectives of four contemporary ecological philosophers: Arne Naess, Anthony Western, Murray Bookchin, and Aldo Leopold. Sr. Kim presented the four characteristics that emerge as constitutive elements in Seton’s own ecological spirituality, and which marry contemporary ecological philosophy to Elizabeth Seton’s world-view. Lecture was recorded at Richardson Library at DePaul University on April, 27, 2016.

Louise de Marillac Lecture: Energized by the Fire of Charity

Sr. Peggy O’Neill, is a Sister of Charity and long-time peace activist, who has worked in El Salvador for the past 30 years. Her life is dedicated to the causes of peace, justice and service to others. Known for her energy, determination, sense of humor and unflagging commitment to the community, she currently serves as the founder of El Centro Arte Para la Paz. In this lecture she talks more about her healing work, how it connects to Louise de Marillac, and the roles of Vincentian leaders in our world.

DRMA Fall Quarter Lecutre: Balm of Hope

Sr. Betty Ann McNeil, D.C. gave a lecture about her recently published book Balm of Hope. Sr. Betty Ann a scholar in residence at DePaul University.

Sr. McNeil’s discovery of 500 pages of handwritten memoirs by Daughters of Charity Civil War nurses led her into a multi-year project to transcribe, annotate, index, and publish Balm of Hope: Charity Afire Impels Daughters of Charity Civil War Nurses. This compendium includes: 1. Notes of the Sisters’ Services in Military Hospitals; 2. Civil War Recollections and Accounts; and 3. Correspondence. The texts invite readers to listen to courageous women reminisce in their own words about nursing amid the ravages of war.