saint vincent de paul society

How Do We Operationalize Dignity?

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

Some of you reading this may be familiar with the Chicago street named Ozanam Avenue, but how many know who this street is named after? Frédéric Ozanam was a French Catholic literary scholar, lawyer, professor, social advocate, and lay Catholic leader. Of all the Vincentian Family members, Ozanam has always had a special place in my heart. For me, he models something essential about how we can make our Vincentian mission concrete through our actions.

I first learned of Ozanam when I was a teenager at school in the UK. Inspired by the idea of a faith that does justice and eager to engage in community service, I had joined a school-based conference of the St. Vincent de Paul Society. Ozanam, as I soon learned, was the principal founder of the original society. He had founded the organization with a group of friends in 1833 while a university student. They named it after St. Vincent de Paul because he was considered “a national hero of social service” and admired by many in France, even those who were anti-Church. [1] The members’ goal was to help those who were poor, while at the same time developing their own faith. Keen to learn more about him, I happened upon a biography about Ozanam called Apostle in a Top Hat. Today, I might be inclined to be more discerning when choosing a biography. But at that time, the idea of interrogating a text for its authenticity was beyond me. For me, Ozanam represented a social justice icon and a man who was set on fire by a quest for faith and justice. His journey spoke deeply to my idealistic self. I devoured the book and have never forgotten the cover: a Victorian gentleman tipping an impossibly large top hat!

As I think back, our school-based St. Vincent de Paul Society was a modest entity. A motley crew of awkward, if well-meaning teenagers who, while moderately concerned about the state of the world, were primarily driven by the idea of long summer afternoons of not having to be in class. Our mission was to visit people in their homes who were seeking some kind of support, listen to them, and try to alleviate some of their needs with our adolescent vigor, then report back to the group on their well-being. We would also pray for, and sometimes with, those we visited. Our group was supported by a school chaplain, who could provide a higher level of intervention, if it was warranted.

Often, such home visits meant simply sitting with people in the humblest of homes and, in a show of true British hospitality, sharing a cup of tea, biscuits, and a listening ear, while they recounted the trials and tribulations of their days. While hardly backbreaking work or enacting any admirable social change, it was a powerful act of recognizing the dignity of another, and a way of saying, “We see you and we care.” We were grateful for the experience. We even got to feel somewhat proud of our adolescent selves, out serving in the community, no matter our real motivation for such engagement. In his time, Ozanam came to believe that face-to-face contact with poor families provided him with invaluable experiential learning, which in turn caused him to profoundly reshape his perceptions. My own experience of being a member of the St. Vincent de Paul Society also challenged my preconceived (and sometimes ill-informed) notions of poverty and social deprivation and reinforced for me the essentiality of interpersonal connection.

Today, the St. Vincent de Paul Society continues to be active in 155 countries. It has 800,000 members across 48,000 conferences, along with 1.5 million volunteers and collaborators. They serve over 30 million people worldwide every day. Conferences are based in churches, schools, community centers, hospitals, etc. [2] Their mission continues to be to offer support to people in need, particularly those living in poverty. The home visit remains an integral part of the service they provide. In this way, their ministry harkens back to the time of Ozanam when members would take firewood, food, and money to the homes of those who were poor. Yet, even in the days of the original conferences, it was never about the firewood, or the provision of goods, or funds. Rather it was about the compassionate spirit with which the members approached the visits. While certainly home visits were never the most efficient way to deliver assistance, they served as an important way to honor the dignity of the other by providing a moment of true presence and care, in a world that was often too busy to take the time to invest in such relationality. It is the spirit of love, respect, justice, hope, and joy that still defines this work, through which the members strive to shape a more just and compassionate world.

Admittedly, making home visits can be personally inconvenient and can even feel a little awkward. However, this simple act of humanity can transform a transactional service delivery into a meaningful encounter of mutuality, thus inviting a bond of intimacy, which no technological operation could ever provide. As Ozanam recognized, personal visits were a point of mutual exchange where both the visitor and the visited were beneficiaries. [3] This model of the home visit further hearkens back to the legacy of Vincent de Paul and the familiar story of the white tablecloth, a metaphor that calls us to approach all we do with the utmost care for the dignity of others. [4]

So, what wisdom might the humble home visit offer to us at DePaul today? In addressing this, I find myself recalling a question that a faculty member once posed to me after she had read DePaul’s new mission statement: “Dignity is a great concept, but how do we operationalize it?” I believe that the wisdom of the home visit can help us address this complex question, since the same personalism lies at its very heart and is modeled at DePaul each and every day. For, while the provision of concrete resources to help address a need is essential, it is the gift of sincere listening and a compassionate heart that defines us and makes all the difference.

Essentially, it is the spirit of love, respect, care, and empathy, and the commitment to right relationship that must inform how we support our students—and each other—at DePaul. Personalism must never be overshadowed by a mentality of just getting the job done in the most efficient way possible if it crowds out the personhood of those standing in front of us. Indeed, personalism must continue to define any institution that calls itself Vincentian. While efficiency and effectiveness are certainly important, personalism must continue to shape who we are and inform who we are called to be, just as it did in the time of Ozanam, and certainly in the days of Vincent and Louise before him. We come from a rich tradition, and it is up to us to live out its rich legacy.

Reflection questions:

  1. When was the last time you encountered personalism at DePaul?
  2. What might it look like for efficiency and personalism to exist seamlessly at DePaul?

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

[1] Thomas McKenna, C.M. “Frédéric Ozanam’s Tactical Wisdom for Today’s Consumer Society,” Vincentian Heritage 30:1 (2010): 11. Available at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/vhj/vol30/iss1/1.

[2] “Where Are We?” International Confederation of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, accessed January 29, 2025, https://www.ssvpglobal.org/where-we-are/.

[3] McKenna, “Frédéric Ozanam’s Tactical Wisdom,” 16.

[4] See “The Story of the White Tablecloth,” posted August 15, 2011 by Mission and Ministry DePaul University, YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CgJVAC7Na8.

A Vincentian Example For this Election Season

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Written by: Tom Judge, Assistant Director and Chaplain, Faculty and Staff Engagement, Division of Mission and Ministry

Recently, it occurred to me that I have been spending much of my time during autumn 2024 in one of three ways. The first is the most typical: trying to keep up with the rapid pace of fall quarter at DePaul, with programs, Zoom meetings, deadlines, and emails following one after the other in a familiar cycle. The second is the most sublime: relishing the sunshine, mild temperatures, and beautiful colors we’ve experienced during this past month. Has there ever been, in recent memory at least, such an uninterrupted string of easy autumn days in Chicago? The third way I’ve been spending my time this fall is the way I like the least. It is unwelcome and worrisome. Lately, like many, I’ve been spending a lot of my bandwidth feeling anxious about the upcoming election. While reading the news and talking with friends, but mostly when I’m alone, I am distressed over our current circumstances. I ruminate over questions like, what are the latest headlines and poll numbers? What will happen if my candidates lose? Is there more I should be doing? And how did we, as a society, even get to this place?

Sometimes, after sitting with these thoughts and feelings for too long, I try to open my heart to God and ask for a little relief and guidance. I may even seek out a wisdom figure, someone who is likely to have a helpful insight or has made it through similar challenges before. That is what led me, several evenings ago, to Frédéric Ozanam (1813–1853). Ozanam is a member of the Vincentian Family, less well-known than Vincent de Paul and Louise de Marillac, but his legacy as a brilliant scholar and prophetic voice of charity and justice during a time of unrest makes him relevant to this moment.

In a short but eventful life, Ozanam was a lawyer, professor, and journalist as well as a devoted son, husband, and father. Formed by the Catholic faith, at a young age he and some friends founded a charitable organization based on Christian principles that engaged with the poor of Paris. The group became known as the Society of St. Vincent de Paul after they adopted the patron saint of charity as their model and inspiration. Now, over 170 years since it began, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul has almost one million members who provide service to those most in need throughout the world. [1]

In a time of rising class struggles and agitation for reform, Ozanam did not advocate for charity alone. He also called out for justice. He declared that “the order of society is based on two virtues: justice and charity,” and he linked these imperatives with his faith through the use of a familiar Gospel parable. Ozanam wrote, “Charity is the Samaritan who pours oil on the wounds of the traveler who has been attacked. It is justice’s role to prevent the attacks.” [2] Ozanam believed in a society based on the common good; advocating for the sacrifice of each for the advantage of all. During the Industrial Revolution, when urban poverty and harsh working conditions became more widespread and visible, he began to develop arguments in favor of basic rights like a natural (or living) wage, labor unions, and social security. In making these arguments, and grounding them in the teachings of Christ, Ozanam helped nourish the ideas that grew into the corpus of Catholic Social Teaching. Ozanam believed in a society whose end is love. And, he saw democracy, infused with the ideals of liberty, inclusion, equality, and human dignity, as the best form of government to achieve this end.

Of course, Ozanam’s call for reform attracted fierce resistance from the elite throughout France as well as within the Church. He knew this. However, true to his faith, Ozanam gently encouraged those who agreed with him to learn to defend their convictions without hating their adversaries. “All my life,” he wrote, “I have followed the poetry of love in preference to the poetry of anger. I will not change now.” [3]

I take heart from the life and wisdom of Frédéric Ozanam. I believe in his vision of a society where charity, justice, and human dignity are valued above all else, and democracy as a form of government is honored and upheld. I am mindful that he was active during a time of great human progress but also tremendous change, conflict, and social pressure. As this election season draws towards its culmination, I hold Ozanam’s example close. Undoubtedly, he experienced personal struggles and lived through widespread unrest. Yet he persevered. In fact, his faith and his commitment to charity and justice seemed only to grow stronger as his eventful, impactful, yet all-too-brief, life unfolded. In its wake is a legacy that informs and inspires even to this day.

Invitation for Reflection:

How is your spirit as we draw closer to Election Day? Can you draw any inspiration or insight from our Vincentian mission and heritage?

Consider Ozanam’s twin imperatives: charity and justice. How do these resonate with you? How are you devoting your time, energy, or resources toward them?

Reflection by: Tom Judge, Assistant Director and Chaplain, Faculty and Staff Engagement, Division of Mission and Ministry

[1] “About Us,” International Confederation of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, https://‌www.‌ssvpglobal.‌org/‌about-us/.

[2] “Frédéric Ozanam Quotes,” The Vincentian Formation Network, accessed October 23, 2024, https://‌vincentians.com/‌en/quotes-collection/frederic-ozanam-quotes/.

[3] Ibid.

Celebrating the Vincentian Legacy of Frédéric Ozanam

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Each year on September 9th, the worldwide Vincentian family celebrates the Feast Day of Blessed Frédéric Ozanam (1813-1853), the nineteenth-century French, lay Catholic leader, widely considered the founder of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. The Society is now an international confederation present in 150 countries with over 800,000 members in 47,000 Conferences and 1.5 million volunteers and collaborators. It serves the needs of over 30 million people all over the world.

Ozanam was a French literary scholar, lawyer, journalist, and equal rights advocate in Paris. He was recognized as a skilled writer, orator, thinker, social activist, and model of faith oriented toward outward action. Following the practices of Saint Vincent de Paul and inspired by his faith, Ozanam served the poor and destitute of Paris. He especially saw the power of bringing students together to study Vincentian principles and engage with those who were marginalized and poor.

While a student of law and literature in Paris, he founded the Society in 1833 with a group of friends who gathered regularly to grow in their faith and visit the poor. With the help of the older Emmanuel Bailly, who brought his own experience of socially engaged Catholicism, they provided vouchers for bread and wood to those in need. Inspired by the gospel message of love, they provided instruction and gave of their time and presence to serve the disadvantaged.

Later, as a professor at the prestigious Sorbonne, Ozanam became a renowned scholar and intellectual. He dedicated his life to understanding what Catholicism offered civilization. Committed to the principles of democracy and social justice, he became a journalist at L’Ère Nouvelle (The New Era), advocating for social reform and a governmental regime of liberty, equality, and fraternity that included the less fortunate. Frédéric was also devoted to his wife, Amélie, and their daughter Marie, whom he loved dearly. His integration of his professional life with his personal and spiritual life, along with his simple yet open style of engagement offers us a model of servant leadership today. Frédéric Ozanam was beatified by Pope John Paul II during World Youth Day in 1997.

 

In the summer of 2020, DePaul University renamed one of its residence halls in his honor.

To learn more about Frédéric’s legacy and his contributions to understanding our shared Vincentian mission, explore some of the following Vincentian Heritage resources:

Blog Reflections:

Podcasts:

Articles featured in the Vincentian Heritage Journal: