vincent de paul

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.

During These Anxious Times, What Must Be Done?

Cassy Mission and Ministry, Mission Monday , , , ,

Written by: Tom Judge, Chaplain, Division of Mission and Ministry

A student whom I’ve known for several years (I’ll call them Alex, not their real name) reached out recently to ask if we could chat. They wanted to talk about their future, potential graduate programs, and other things one thinks about when the end of college is near. We set a time to meet and on the appointed day Alex was at my office early, as is typical, and well prepared for our conversation. Thoughtful questions, attentive listening, and a nice rapport followed. We settled in, and I was enjoying the visit, but I noticed that when I asked Alex how they were doing outside of the classroom, they shied away and answered simply “I’m ok…there’ve been some ups and downs”.

I soon learned what was behind those ups and downs. Several weeks before, one of Alex’s parents had been detained by ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) and had then been deported. Prior to this detention and deportation, Alex’s parent had been living, working, and raising a family in the US for over 20 years, without incident. But now, in a matter of days, Alex’s parent had been sent away from their home, job, and family because they were undocumented. Now Alex is terrified for the well-being of their remaining parent, while also struggling to help support their family as their household income has dropped dramatically. Alex has recently taken on a part-time job to help make ends meet, even though they already have a full-time job and are managing a full course load.

I was astonished by what Alex was sharing with me as they described their families’ anguish, and we began to brainstorm how the university might be of help. Since the day that we met, and thanks to their own courage and openness, Alex has been connected to generous members of the DePaul community who have made time and stepped up to provide support in real ways. But even now, as I think about Alex and their situation, I ask myself how many more people at DePaul are like them? How many have had their lives, or the lives of their loved ones, profoundly impacted by these disruptions beyond their control? I also ask, what can the DePaul community do to help them feel supported during these anxious times?

These questions confound me. However, I know that thoughtful people at our university are working to help educate and prepare our community for any eventuality that might arise, and this does reassure me.[i] But I also believe that at DePaul, with our Vincentian, Catholic identity, when difficult circumstances like this present themselves, we are called to look to our mission and heritage for insight, inspiration, and to ask that proverbial question: what must be done? We are also called to discern an answer that is informed, at least in part, by our mission, which originated with Vincent de Paul.

In turning to Vincent, we remember that when problems arose or disaster struck, his heart always went first to the poor, the vulnerable, and the ones in greatest need.[ii] In his time, like our own, it was refugees who were often in most urgent need. These were people compelled to migrate from violent or desperately poor regions to a new place that offered them greater security and hope. This is why Vincent gently urged his community members to take in refugees from war-torn regions outside of France, even if there was some risk to their own community. We see this in an excerpt from a letter he wrote to one of his confreres:

“If you grant asylum to so many refugees, your house may be sacked sooner by the soldiers; I see that clearly. The question is, however, whether, because of this danger, you should refuse to practice such a beautiful virtue as charity.”[iii]

Seeking out those most in need and finding the means to provide them with generous and compassionate support, both materially and spiritually, even at some cost to yourself, was what Vincent was urging his community to do. This example still resonates with Vincentian communities today.

What else from our Vincentian heritage might help to illuminate our response to our present circumstances? How can Vincent de Paul’s example infuse the ways we address burdens and injustices not just at the personal level, as in the case of Alex, but on a larger, more systemic scale? This may be a more difficult answer to discern. Vincent and his contemporaries did not have an understanding of social justice or systemic change like we do today. Put succinctly, more often than not their vision would have been to work within the system to address society’s ills, not to change the system itself.

That said, one thing Vincent was not afraid to do when the common good was at stake was to go to those who held authority, the “powers that be.” He would gently but firmly express to them his heartfelt observations, concerns, and entreaties, always from a place of respect and always after a period of discernment. Vincent spoke “truth to power” in this way to the likes of Queen Anne, the wealthy aristocrats who ran the Confraternities and Ladies of Charity and, most perilously, to the two most powerful men in the kingdom after the king, Cardinal Richelieu and Cardinal Mazarin. Sometimes such confrontations caused fractures in Vincent’s relations with these leaders, but never was the break total or permanent. He always acted in accordance with following the will of Providence, and frequently his fearless interventions contributed to the common good.

Looking at this distant mirror of some 400 years, we can begin to see how the challenges we face in our time are not altogether different than the challenges Vincent, Louise, and their communities faced in theirs. It is heartening to believe that perhaps our Vincentian mission has grown stronger in wisdom, resilience, and applicability over these many years and through countless challenges. May it now be put to good use for students like Alex and others, both inside and outside our DePaul community. And, may it lead us safely, as Vincent would wish, where Providence intends for us to go.

Reflection Questions

  • Do you know someone within or outside of DePaul who may be vulnerable because of their immigration status? How are they? Is there anything you can do to provide support?
  • How do you think being a part of a Vincentian community calls you to “care”? Is it in small, personal ways? Or in large, more systemic ways, or both? How can you contribute to making DePaul a more “caring” community?

Reflection by: Tom Judge, Chaplain, Division of Mission and Ministry

[i] To learn about immigration enforcement policies and support at DePaul go to the Office of General Counsel’s website at: https://offices.depaul.edu/general-counsel/services/immigration/Pages/faqs-related-to-immigration-and-customs-enforcement-officers-on-campus.aspx.

[ii] For example, “Now, the Little Company of the Mission strives to devote itself ardently to serve persons who are poor, the well-beloved of God; in this way, we have good reason to hope that, for love of them, God will love us. Come then, my dear confreres, let’s devote ourselves with renewed love to serve persons who are poor, and even to seek out those who are the poorest and most abandoned.…” Conference 164, Love for the Poor, January 1657, CCD, 11:349.

[iii] Letter 1678, To Louis Champion, Superior, In Montmirail, 6 November 1653, CCD, 5:49.

During These Anxious Times, What Must Be Done?

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

During These Anxious Times, What Must Be Done?

How might Vincent have urged us to respond to our current circumstances?

                                   IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

OCTOBER 24 | DePaul Family Luncheon

For faculty/staff with children or dependents who are students at DePaul – and for your students too! Bring the family to this annual luncheon! Meet others sharing your experience during what is always an uplifting event. RSVP

NOVEMBER 5 | DePaul Managers’ Forum: Fall 2025

As we navigate challenging times at DePaul—and in our nation more broadly—this fall’s Vincentian Managers’ Forum will focus on “Staying Grounded and Resilient While Leading Through Change.”  RSVP

NOVEMBER 12 | Lunch with Vincent: Special Guest DePaul University Board of Trustees President Michael ScudderFaculty and staff, please join us for lunch and a conversation with DePaul Board of Trustees Chair Mike Scudder, as we continue to explore the topic of Vincentian Higher Education in 2025.  RSVP

NOVEMBER 20 | Gathering of Remembrance 2025

All members of the DePaul community are invited to join the Division of Mission and Ministry for our annual Gathering of Remembrance, an interfaith memorial service for DePaul community members who have lost loved ones over the past year. RSVP

126 Years of Responding

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

126 Years of Responding

Laudato Si’ calls on us to concretely respond to the cries of the Earth and the poor.

READ MORE

 

UPCOMING EVENTS

Two Ways to Help Save Lives—Right Here at DePaul

Join the NMDP Registry – May 28

Join us on May 28 for an on-campus NMDP registry recruitment event in support of blood cancer patients like DePaul faculty member Doug Long. Stop by the Student Center Atrium between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. to learn how you might be the cure for patients with blood cancers and disorders. The NMDP (formerly Be The Match) registry connects donors with those in need of blood stem cell or marrow transplants—including members of the DePaul community. Anyone between 18–40 is eligible to join.

 

Donate Blood – June 5 or 6

Make an appointment to give blood at the Ray Meyer Fitness and Recreation Center (Room 135):

  • Thursday, June 5 | 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
  • Friday, June 6 | 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
  • Schedule your visit at RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS. RapidPass is available to save you time.
  • As a thank-you, all donors in June will receive a $15 gift card and a chance to win a $7,000 prize!

All are welcome! Your participation helps strengthen our community of care.

 

Baccalaureate Lunch and Mass

Please RSVP HERE.

126 Years of Responding

Pradnya Mission and Ministry, Mission Monday , , , , ,

Written By: Rubén Álvarez Silva, Director, Just DePaul, Division of Mission and Ministry

People’s Climate March, Washington, DC, March 2017. Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0

May 24th marked the 10 year anniversary of Pope Francis signing Laudato Si’, his seminal encyclical on climate change and our common home. This document served as a call-to-action to urgently and concretely respond to the cries of the Earth and the poor by addressing climate change and the social and environmental challenges which threaten all life on the planet. In Laudato Si’, Pope Francis emphasized the interconnectedness of all living things and the environment through the concept of a “sacramental universe,” suggesting that all parts of creation are linked and dependent on one another. Moreover, Pope Francis highlighted the importance of an “integral ecology,” inviting us to shift our perspective from seeing humanity as owners of nature, separate and above it, to being responsible stewards “…called to care for all that exists.”

Since DePaul’s founding in 1898, “[t]hrough education and research, the university addresses the great questions of our day, promoting peaceful, just, and equitable solutions to social and environmental challenges.” [1] Just last week, I had the privilege of attending the 17th Annual Service Speaks Conference where I heard how a DePaul education impacted Madeline “Maddy” Robertson, Director of Sustainability at Greystar, on her personal and professional journey. In her remarks, Maddy invited us to put on our “sustainability sunglasses” to see the infinite challenges and opportunities before us, as individuals and a community, to address climate change both on and off our campus. [2]

And indeed, every day across campus our community is addressing these challenges in exciting and creative ways. We’re developing our first institution-wide Climate Action Plan (CAP); to learn more and share your feedback you should visit sustainability.depaul.edu. There is also a burgeoning DePaul Food Recovery and Food Justice network combining efforts to reduce food waste and insecurity in our community. The Theatre School just celebrated its first Climate Action Festival. Chemistry faculty, staff, and students are diligently working to innovate “green chemistry” into teaching, research, and scholarship. Study abroad launched a Sustainability Advisory Committee this year to explore and expand sustainability into program design and host country experiences. The President’s Sustainability Committee (PSC) is gearing up to address zero-waste. This list goes on and, with your response to the cry of the Earth and the poor, we can create more possibilities towards realizing integral ecology in this sacramental universe.

As you respond to the Vincentian question “What must be done?”, put on your sustainability sunglasses and ask yourself:

  • Who am I?
    Pause and think about your identities and values.
  • Who are we? Pause and think about what our mission and principles represent to you.
  • How can we design and build a more socially and environmentally just future collectively? Pause and imagine another world is possible.

The challenges of sustainability can feel overwhelming at times, so take heart in the words of St. Louise de Marillac and “[e]ncourage one another and may your mutual good example speak louder than any words can.” [3]

Reflection by: Rubén Álvarez Silva, Director, Just DePaul, Division of Mission and Ministry

[1] University Mission Statement, March 4, 2021, at: https://offices.depaul.edu/mission-ministry/about/Pages/mission.aspx.

[2] For an off campus example, see: Laudato Si’ Movement, 2025: A year of adventure, November 8, 2024, at: https://laudatosimovement.org/news/2025-a-year-of-adventure/.

[3] L.402, (To the Sisters of Angers), (September 1654), Spiritual Writings of Louise de Marillac, 450.

From Seeds to STEM

Pradnya Mission and Ministry, Mission Monday , , , , ,

Written By: Gabriella Bucci, Associate Professor of Economics

Image by Marija Zaric.

Sustainability was core to the work of Saints Vincent de Paul and Louise de Marillac. Saint Vincent understood that charitable donations of food and clothing, while providing temporary relief, are not long-term solutions for the deprived, war-torn, and impoverished. He wanted to provide seeds for farmers and “to enable all the other poor people who have no land—men as well as women—to earn their own living by giving the men some tools for working and the girls and women spinning wheels and flax or linen for spinning.” [1] He worked with villagers and taught them to create self-sustaining food banks. He created partnerships with the wealthy to fund and sustain orphanages and hospitals. [2] All this he did during times in which the wealthy avoided contact with the poor and in which bishops felt threatened about losing power in their villages and missions. [3] We continue to face societal challenges today and are called to meet these challenges sustainably, as Saint Vincent did.

At DePaul we build sustainability into our actions, courses, and programs throughout the university. Interested students can get involved in environmentally conscious student organizations such as ECO Depaul, DePaul Urban Gardeners, the Student Sustainability Committee and Net Impact. In our classrooms, we teach best practices in sustainability in environmental science, the arts, the humanities, geography, urban development, public policy, and many other corners of the university. Students and faculty have been involved, and continue to be active, in Life Cycle Assessments of products such as sports equipment, textiles, jewelry, and toys to determine the products’ impacts on the environment through their life cycle. Students, faculty, and staff are part of the Sustainable Urban Food Systems Initiative through the Steans Center. The President’s Sustainability Committee strives to make lasting environmental changes at DePaul and in the community. Those who care about climate change and environmental activism have an array of opportunities to find meaning and involvement throughout the university.

Students may be surprised to learn that environmental sustainability also has a home in DePaul’s Driehaus College of Business. We tend to think of climate advocacy as something that is the purview of individuals, nonprofits, and governments. However, students can also learn about the role of corporations in advancing environmental sustainability and even pursue careers that focus on corporate sustainability. In fact, in 2024, 82% of C-suite leaders say they believe the significance of environmental, social, and governance factors (ESG) in corporate performance will continue to grow. [4] Businesses impact sustainability through decisions they make about sourcing, logistics, and care for the environment.

We are preparing a new generation of business leaders who advocate for businesses to interact responsibly with the environment. Any undergraduate DePaul student can take the course Business 103: Business for Social Good where students learn about the ways businesses reduce their environmental impact and advocate for change. The new Business for Social Good student organization, B4SG, already has hundreds of student members!

And there’s more to come. In fall 2025, we are launching the Master of Science in Sustainability in Business degree. This STEM-designated degree prepares students to take on roles as corporate sustainability leaders. The program combines sustainability frameworks with data analysis and strategy for business decision-making and management. We seek to develop business leaders who carefully consider the full impacts of business practices on people and the environment.

By creating new business programs in sustainability, we recognize that business practices are a key to the future of environmental sustainability. We have more to do, more to learn, more to teach, more partnerships to build, more business relationships to foster, more service to complete. Let’s learn and work together.

Reflection Questions:

  1. Saint Vincent de Paul focused on long-term solutions over short-term aid. How can you apply this mindset to environmental sustainability on campus, at home, and in your communities?
  2. Sustainability challenges require input from many fields, including science, business, and the arts. How can we foster interdisciplinary work to develop innovative solutions for a more sustainable world?

Reflection by: Gabriella Bucci, Associate Professor of Economics

[1] Letter 2936, “TO JEAN PARRE, IN SAINT-QUENTIN,” August 9, 1659, CCD, 8:82–3. Available online at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/vincentian_ebooks/33/.

[2] “Vincentian Leadership Model: People,” Vincent on Leadership: The Hay Project, DePaul University, 2025, https://resources.depaul.edu/vincent-on-leadership/training/model/people/Pages/default.aspx.

[3] Bernard Koch, C.M., “St. Vincent and the Bishops,” Vincentiana 45:6 (2001). Available online at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/vincentiana/vol45/iss6/14.

[4] “2024 State of Corporate ESG: Navigating new frontiers of regulation and AI,” Thomson Reuters Institute, November 4, 2024, https://www.thomsonreuters.com/en-us/posts/esg/corporate-esg-report-2024/.

Accepting Our Limitations When Striving for Excellence

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

Accepting Our Limitations When Striving for Excellence

Vincentian wisdom encourages us to strive but also to be content with our efforts.

READ MORE

 

UPCOMING EVENTS

 

Faculty and Staff are Invited…

Join the Global Engagement Conversation! DePaul faculty and staff, connect with our award-winning Global Engagement team to explore how Vincentian values shape multicultural experiences on campus and abroad. Learn how they support international students and discover ways to get involved in Global DePaul. Enjoy engaging conversation, community building, and a delicious lunch!

Please RSVP HERE!

 

Please Join…

With the intent of nurturing our DePaul Catholic community spiritually (mass), and corporally (lunch and good community after!) we would love to have faculty and staff join us at this Catholic faculty and staff mass. 

Please RSVP HERE to let us know you will be attending. 

On the third Wednesday of each month, rotating between both campuses, DMM will now host a mass/lunch, especially for faculty and staff. 

 

Accepting Our Limitations When Striving for Excellence

Pradnya Mission and Ministry, Mission Monday ,

Written By: Miranda Lukatch, Editor, Vincentian Studies Institute

Photo by Chaewul Kim

When you are always striving for something, it’s easy to think that what you are doing is not enough and to internalize things that reinforce that view. Although I am not Catholic, I attended 8 years of Catholic school, which required me to take several theology classes and reflect on the Bible. One of the verses that stuck with me was Matthew 5:48, which is one that perfectionists of all faiths or beliefs may find affecting or even disturbing. It reads, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” [1] As Vincent de Paul himself very relatably said, “That’s aiming high; who can reach it? To be perfect as the Eternal Father is perfect!” [2] This seems like an impossible standard, and it has troubled me for a long time. So, I began to research the verse.

It turns out that this is one of the most mistranslated and misinterpreted verses of the Bible. The Greek word that has been translated as “perfect” is teleios, which means “complete” or “mature.” Scholar Bonnie Bowman Thurston notes that the verse, which occurs within the context of loving one’s enemies, indicates a “perfection in love” that “contemplates all persons alike from the standpoint of God.” It is a call for “observable dedication to certain qualities of conduct. Perfection . . . does ‘not imply complete sinlessness and full virtue as matters of fact.’” [3] She adds that “perfection is not a completed state of being; it is not an abstraction. It is the person of Jesus whom we grow toward and follow after in order to complete or mature ourselves. Our perfection is, in modern parlance, ‘in process.’” [4]

Vincent had a similar insight. He observed, “Whom can we call perfect? No one on this earth. . . . Anyone who strives to know himself well will see many weaknesses and failings in himself, and will even acknowledge that he can’t help having them.” [5] He defined perfection as growing in holiness, which meant aligning a person’s will to God’s and imitating Christ’s behavior as much as possible. [6] Under this definition, we are always supposed to be striving, but we gain righteousness through God’s love, not through our own effort. In earthly life, the striving, the effort itself, is perfection because it’s as close as we can get to being like God.

You don’t have to be Christian or even believe in God to take comfort in the advice that Vincent gave his followers about pursuing perfection. He said, “True, solid holiness consists in this: doing well what you do.” [7] In a later conference he qualified it, adding the phrase “as far as our human weakness . . . allows.” [8] That is liberating for perfectionists. It is enough that we try our best while recognizing and accepting that we have limitations.

Reflection Questions:

What does it mean to “do well what you do” within the context of your work at DePaul?

How does your work contribute to your overall efforts to pursue goodness? If you’re a perfectionist, what are some ways in which taking stock of these efforts allows you to be gentler to yourself in self-assessments?

Reflection by: Miranda Lukatch, Editor, Vincentian Studies Institute

[1] New Revised Standard Version.

[2] Conference 195, “Purpose of the Congregation of the Mission (Common Rules, Chap. 1, Art. 1),” December 6, 1658, CCD, 12:68–69. Available online at: https://‌‌via.library.depaul.edu/vincentian_ebooks/36/.

[3] Bonnie Bowman Thurston, “Matthew 5:43-48: ‘You, Therefore, Must Be Perfect,’” Interpretation 41:2 (April 1987): 171, Atla Religion Database.

[4] Ibid., 172.

[5] Conference 207, “Charity (Common Rules, Chap. 2, Art. 12)” May 30, 1659, CCD, 12:219.

[6] For more on these ideas, see conference 180, “Observance of the Rules,” May 17, 1658, ibid., 12:2n5; conference 143, “Repetition of Prayer,” October 17, 1655, ibid., 11:286. Available online at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/vincentian_ebooks/37/; and conference 196, “Members of the Congregation and their Ministries (Common Rules, Chap. 1, Art. 2 and 3),” December 13, 1658, ibid., 12:93.

[7] Conference 116, “Uniformity (Common Rules, Art. 17),” November 15, 1657, ibid., 10:284. Available online at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/vincentian_ebooks/35/.

[8] Conference 195, “Purpose of the Congregation of the Mission (Common Rules, Chap. 1, Art. 1),” December 6, 1658, ibid., 12:69. Available online at: https://‌via.library.depaul.edu/vincentian_ebooks/36/.