mission

Being Fully Present

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“I would truly like to know how you really are.”

Take a moment to remember how many times you have greeted somebody over the last day. How many times have you asked the question, “How are you?”

In our fast-paced society, it is easy for this question to get lost in the flurry as we respond with a simple “fine.” In their written correspondence, we can see that Louise and Vincent paused to check in on one another. In one letter, as she was inquiring about Vincent’s health, Louise wrote, “I would truly like to know how you really are.”

Showing care and interest in the well-being of one another is at the heart of Vincentian personalism. When we take time to be present to those around us and hear how they are really doing, we honor their dignity and personhood.

How can you take time today to be truly present to those in your life – whether in your workplace, local community or family?

 

Reflection by:
Emily LaHood-Olsen, Ministry Coordinator for Service Immersions, Division of Mission and Ministry

Citation:
Letter 649. Monsieur Vincent. January 4, 1660. Spiritual Writings of Louise de Marillac, page 671.

Two sides of one Vincentian Mission coin: Personalism and Professionalism

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To any member of the Vincentian Family, the question “What must be done?” is a familiar one.  Vincent cautioned us by advising that whatever it is, it must be done well.  Yet, this begs the question: What does doing it well mean?

Here, Ed Udovic, C.M., explores the mutually indispensable aspects of Vincentian Personalism and Vincentian Professionalism that continue to guide us in our mission to increase the measure of charity and justice in our world “well.”

Vinny Prize 2018 – First Place – Inside Out

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1st Place Vinny Prize: Inside Out

Ella Lubienski

This film narrates the writings of incarcerated students from DePaul’s Inside Out “Think Tank” class on their life in a maximum-security prison. Through their words, we experience the social, mental, physical, and emotional impact of incarceration, and ponder its effectiveness.

Vinny Prize 2018 Second Place – The Third Pillar of Islam

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2nd Place Vinny Prize : Akram Shibly

The Third Pillar of Islam: How a Mosque Transformed a Community through Kindness

Six years ago, a vacant Catholic church in a low-income Buffalo, New York neighborhood was purchased by a Muslim community and turned into a mosque. The location was specifically chosen in order to serve surrounding families facing poverty. This film provides an example of how Islam’s third pillar of charity has transformed the area both by decreasing crime and creating a warm and welcoming community center for families.

Christmas Compassion

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Compassion is a year-round virtue, but many of us suffer “compassion fatigue” when faced with the endless stream of stories of the lonely, the sick, the destitute, the abandoned, and the displaced in our world today.  What are we to do?  Jack Melito, C.M., discusses Vincent de Paul’s instruction about living a life of compassion:

First of all, we must remind ourselves that our first experience of compassion was the compassion we were sown by God.  As a result, we must make every effort to be compassionate to ourselves and to others.  We must pray for a spirit of Compassion and Mercy.  A life of compassionate action will result in a heart open to carrying the sufferings of the poor.  Though there may be times when regret creeps in, you must remember that, though you may judge yourself as having neglected opportunities to be merciful and compassionate, you did your best.  Therefore, always pray for a spirit of compassion and mercy.

“Christmas Compassion” is a chapter from the book, Windows on His Vision, (pp. 112-113) available at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/windows/3/

It is also available as an ebook here:  https://via.library.depaul.edu/vincentian_ebooks/8/

 

 

Education With a Heart

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Gregorio Banaga, C.M., explains how Catholic education in the Philippines created and became limited to the elite. He describes the history of Adamson University and what it is doing to increase poor persons’ access to education, raise students’ awareness of poverty, and create motivation for social change. Adamson fosters social responsibility and has made service part of all students’ learning. All of this is part of Banaga’s definition of Vincentian education, which he says is “of the poor, from the poor, with the poor, and for the poor.” In addition to the actions mentioned above, this philosophy requires the university to be attuned to the experience of persons who are poor and to construct curricula that will best use their gifts and promote their growth.

“Education With a Heart” is an article in the journal Vincentian Heritage available at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/vhj/vol28/iss2/7/

 

Vincent de Paul as Mentor

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When leading the Congregation or advising individual members, Vincent de Paul acted from spiritual principles as well as an understanding of psychology. He believed that everyone should follow God’s will by loving others and helping them to imitate Christ’s example of charity. By doing this, each served as a mentor to one another. He guided from both a paternal and fraternal perspective. While discipline and judgment were sometimes necessary, he more often dispensed advice and wisdom. Humility, empathy, gentle persuasion, suggestion, affirmation, and flexibility were the cornerstones of his leadership.

“Vincent de Paul as Mentor” is an article published in the Vincent Heritage Journal, Volume 27, Issue 2, Article 1 (2008) which is available at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/vhj/vol27/iss2/1/

 

The Complex but Necessary Union of Charity and Justice

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Meghan Clark discusses the relationship between charity and justice as set forth in two of Benedict XVI’s encyclicals, Deus Caritas Est and Caritas in Veritate, and then considers what Vincentian tradition contributes toward the understanding of that relationship. Clark writes, “What emerges is a model of cultivating solidarity through justice and charity as integral to the life of Christian discipleship.” Deus Caritas Est calls for direct service to those in need because it is only through charity and loving others that we are fully aware of God’s love for us. As Clark summarizes Caritas in Veritate, “Justice in relations is a precondition for living charity. . . . Both charity and justice are required for healthy relationships with God and neighbor.” Justice and charity require work toward the common good, and charity expands justice to include the marginalized. Clark defines the institutional nature of charity in the Church and explains how Vincent de Paul, Louise de Marillac, and their communities exemplify it. Vincent and Louise recognized that effective charity required organized personal and institutional responses to systemic injustice. Vincentian tradition seeks to foster solidarity through commitment to each person’s dignity and to nurture justice within all levels of society.

“The Complex but Necessary Union of Charity and Justice: Insights from the Vincentian Tradition for Contemporary Catholic Social Teaching” is an article that appears in the Vincentian Heritage Journal, Volume 31, Issue 2, Article 1 (2012) and is available at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/vhj/vol31/iss2/1

 

Saint Vincent de Paul as a Leader of Change

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An examination of noteworthy change efforts enacted by Vincent de Paul underscores the importance of believing in the higher purpose of one’s goals. Empowered “followers” need to believe and find meaning in the “leader’s” vision, in order to buy into and support the change efforts. The empowerment of Louise de Marillac as a Vincentian leader was critical to the accomplishment of many great works. Organizations undergoing change or renewal can look to Vincent de Paul and Louise de Marillac for examples of servant leadership, and the change roles they enacted are integrated with a well-regarded organizational change model for the twenty-first century.

“Saint Vincent de Paul as  Leader of Change: The Key Roles of a Higher Purpose and Empowerment” is an article by Margaret Posig, Ph.D. appearing in the Vincentian Heritage Journal, Volume 26, Issue 1, Article 4 (2008) available at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/vhj/vol26/iss1/4