vincent de paul

Welcome Joyfully the Opportunity to Serve

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

Written by: Euan Hague, PhD, Vincent de Paul Professor of Geography and Director of the School of Public Service and the Student Urban Research Corps. Recipient of the Cortelyou-Lowery Award from the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences in 2024.

Group photo of SURC and community members from the SURC Showcase, September 2024

In a letter to Monsieur Horcholle written in June 1650, Vincent stated, “I will always welcome joyfully any opportunity that comes my way to be of service to you.” [1] Service to others runs through DePaul in all its aspects and operations. But what does it mean to serve, and how should service to others be pursued? In over twenty years as a faculty member, I have put service to the community at the center of my own teaching and scholarship. The challenge is always the relationship between the “opportunities that come my way to be of service,” the manner in which we serve others, and the coordination of that work. Community collaborations are not one-off meetings; they need consistent negotiation and management, both with the organization and with the students working on projects. Such work is itself service, because through it we channel the personalism and Vincentian commitment that “it is not enough to do good. It must be done well.” [2]

In 2021, with support from an external funder, I conceived of the Student Urban Research Corps, which I now lead. It is housed in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. Each year, a group of fifteen to twenty undergraduate and graduate students take on service projects to bring their skills into practice, working on community-defined research projects that assist organizations in their missions. From helping Lucky Jefferson to assess the publishing landscape faced by Black and other ethnic minority authors, to mapping the impactful events delivered by Kids Enjoy Exercise Now (KEEN), in the past three years SURC projects have aided a dozen community organizations. In some instances, a community organization reaches out, not knowing quite what they want or how to achieve it, but knowing that something is needed, and that they would like DePaul’s support to attain it. In those cases, I meet with the organization, listen, learn about their needs and community, and make suggestions about the capacities and skills sets that our students can bring to understanding an issue. In other cases, I return to an organization that I’ve partnered with in the past, or an organization that I have become familiar with through other interactions and ask what projects would help to build capacity. In these conversations, I echo Madame de Gondi’s asking of Vincent, “What must be done?” [3]

Prof. Hague working with students: Lacy Wright, who is seated, and Chris Impellizeri, who is standing. Photo by Keeton Holder/DePaul University

Communities and their members know about themselves. Most do not want academics to impose agendas or questions on them. Rather, we serve by offering help to answer questions, to collaborate on finding solutions, and to enhance the capacity of groups to make decisions about their own futures. Students learn through engaging with organizations and interacting with the community members who have questions to ask and conversations to pursue. “Being able to work with and for community members and organizations through SURC has been a great opportunity to participate in social science research that is truly community-driven,” says Beata Neidhoefer (LAS ’25). “As a sociology major interested in research, I’m wary of the history of social science research as a process often detached from real peoples’ interests and needs. SURC provides a uniquely direct connection between community needs and student researchers’ skills, enabling us to use what we learn in the classroom in an applied, practical way while building technical and transferable skills and building professional relationships with community members.”

Whether DePaul faculty bring the community, through its members, onto DePaul’s campus, or go out, like Vincent, into the community to serve, the common aspect is that it takes work and an investment of time and energy from all parties. It takes time to build trust and collaborations, sometimes months or even years, and it takes time to work on projects that serve both the outcomes of the community and enhance student learning. Yet, this service follows another of Vincent’s calls to action: “Let’s work, let’s work, let’s go to the assistance of the poor country people who are waiting for us.” [4] Although I don’t think underserved and underrepresented communities are necessarily “waiting for us” in 2024, the call to go to assistance still resonates. We cannot only wait for opportunities to serve to come to us. We should seek out places where we can help, where our expertise and resources can make a difference in neighborhoods and communities across Chicago and beyond. Academic institutions are often derided as ivory towers where detached faculty and students talk and write esoterically about subjects. DePaul is different. Our mission, with its commitment to give “special attention to including underserved and underrepresented communities,” is central to the identity of the institution, which means it is central to the work we do as faculty, staff, and students at DePaul. To serve means to collaborate, to learn from residents and community groups, and to share DePaul’s resources, skills and expertise, with both professionalism and personalism.

“You can give me no greater consolation nor render greater service to your neighbor than to place yourself in a condition to serve him for a long time,” Vincent wrote to Jean Martin in May 1648. [5] DePaul has been serving Chicago since 1898. We and our students continue to serve.

Reflection Questions:

  • What does it mean to “welcome joyfully any opportunity that comes [your] way to be of service” in your work at DePaul?
  • How does your commitment to Vincent’s demand to go to the assistance of the poor reflect in your career at DePaul?

Reflection by: Euan Hague, PhD, Vincent de Paul Professor of Geography and Director of the School of Public Service and the Student Urban Research Corps. He received the Cortelyou-Lowery Award from the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences in 2024.

[1] Letter 1230a, “To Monsieur Horcholle, in Neufchâtel,” June 28, 1650, CCD, 4:41. Available online at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/vincentian_ebooks/29/.

[2] This popular quote cited often at DePaul is a rephrasing of Vincent’s words. For the full quote, see: Conference 177, “Repetition of Prayer,” November 25,1657, CCD, 11:389. Available at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/vincentian_ebooks/37/.

[3] This is also a popular rephrasing. For the full quote, see: Conference 1, “The Vocation of a Missioner,” CCD, 11:3.

[4] Conference 177, “Repetition of Prayer,” CCD, 11:391.

[5] Letter 1037, “To Jean Martin, in Genoa,” May 22, 1648, CCD, 3:312. Available online at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/vincentian_ebooks/28/.

Navigating These Moments: A Call to Compassion

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

Written by: Victoria Van Kirk Pride, Associate Director of Housing Operations

As we approach the results of a pivotal election, it feels like we’re all holding our breath—like the feeling of waiting for the “L” during rush hour on a crammed platform, surrounded by a vibrant mix of humanity and a soundtrack of varied conversations. Each of us comes from different stops along the transit map, carrying our hopes, convictions, goals, and perhaps a touch of anxiety—all striving to reach our destinations while keeping in step with the pace of the city and one another.

Amid this swirling energy and the heightened stress of the times, we are reminded of Saint Vincent de Paul’s words: “It is not enough to do good. It must be done well.” [1] This quote serves as a powerful call to action, urging us not only to act but to do so with intention. In these uncertain times, responding with compassion and understanding is essential. A little kindness can be one of the most effective antidotes to the emotions of the moment, helping us navigate the challenges we face together.

Our DePaul community thrives on its diversity, weaving together a rich tapestry of voices and experiences. Regardless of the election’s outcome, each of us plays a vital role in picking up the pieces and fostering meaningful conversations—we have to take care of one another. Recognizing and valuing our diverse perspectives is crucial, especially for those who may feel marginalized. Sharing an hour for coffee with a classmate who sees things differently, or supporting those who feel sidelined, can create real change. These small gestures add up and are like the stops on our beloved “L” line—each one helps map out our journey, guiding us through the complexities of our shared experience.

Let’s acknowledge that this election cycle has felt long and dramatic. The constant barrage of news headlines and social media clips makes it hard to sift through the noise for substance. It’s normal to feel a whirlwind of emotions—anxiety, excitement, disbelief—especially when our perspectives differ. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, take a moment to breathe deeply and honor those feelings. Go for a walk in Lincoln Park, journal your thoughts to process any lingering frustration, or strike up a Teams chat or text thread with a DePaul friend or two to lift your mood or make you laugh—surely you can find a hilarious GIF to share apropos to the times we are in.

As we navigate this uncertain terrain, let’s remind ourselves of the Dalai Lama’s wisdom in quoting a favorite West African proverb: “If you think you’re too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.” This somewhat humorous reminder underscores that even the smallest actions or intentions can create impacts or ripples of change, especially during challenging times when every effort to engage, support, and uplift one another matters more than ever. Let’s turn to one another for support and understanding to connect our personal experiences to collective action.

So, regardless of the outcome, let us reflect on our roles here in our Vincentian community. How can you embody the spirit of Vincent in your daily interactions? What steps can you take to foster understanding and rebuild respectful connections within your circles? Share your ideas with friends, join a campus group focused on dialogue, or even write a reflection on your experience this election season. Every voice matters in shaping our community.

Together, we can embrace the challenges ahead, finding strength in our shared values and humor, reminding ourselves that while adversity is inevitable, our response is a choice that shapes our community.

Reflection Questions:

  1. How can I actively contribute to creating a more inclusive community through and after the election?
  2. In what ways can I approach conversations with empathy and a bit of warmth?
  3. What small, intentional actions can I take this week to support those who feel overlooked?

Reflection by: Victoria Van Kirk Pride, Associate Director of Housing Operations

[1]  This popular quote at DePaul is a slight rephrasing of Vincent’s words. For the full quote, see: Conference 177, “Repetition of Prayer,” November 25,1657, CCD, 11:389. Available at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/vincentian_ebooks/37/.

Vincent DePaul Heritage Week 2024

sverma15 Mission and Ministry, Vincentian Heritage ,

Vincent was a trailblazer, a true change agent of his day. He was a man who saw hope and possibility despite the challenges of his time. He felt a keen dissatisfaction in the gap between the way the world should be and the way the world was. Throughout his 79 years, Vincent sought to close that divide, asking “what must be done” and acting on the answers he found. Four hundred years later, DePaul University continues to carry forward his legacy by educating the next generation of trailblazers.

During Vincentian Heritage Week the Division of Mission and Ministry will host the key events below.

 

Sunday Night Mass & BBQ

Sunday, September 22| Mass 5 pm & BBQ at 6 pm | St. Vincent DePaul Parish 

Join Catholic Campus Ministry and St. Vincent de Paul Parish for a (free) BBQ on the Parish Lawn (on Webster Ave.) to celebrate the Feast Day directly following 5pm mass.

Whether you go to Mass weekly, occasionally, or have never been to a Catholic Mass, you are welcome here! Come celebrate! Walk-ins are welcome. You may also RSVP Here.

In To Light

Join us on September 23rd for In To Light, an inspiring evening where you’ll experience the power of art and storytelling to spark transformation. Through dance, music, and poetry, discover new perspectives on light and its role in overcoming challenges. After the performance, engage in meaningful conversations, sharing personal stories and reflecting on how to bring more light into your own life. This is a unique opportunity to connect with fellow students, faculty, and staff, and leave feeling uplifted and empowered. RSVP Here.

Loop Mini Vinny Fest

Tuesday, September 24 | 2 – 4 pm | Loop DePaul Center Concourse

Join Office of Student Involvement and Mission and Ministry for Loop Mini Vinny Fest! Celebrate our namesake’s Feast Day and DePaul University with fun, food, games, photos, free t-shirts and more! This is a DePaul tradition you don’t want to miss!

No formal registration is required, but you may RSVP Here.

Sustainability Network Weaving: Climate Action Plan

Tuesday, September 24 | 4 – 6:30 pm | 1 E. Jackson Boulevard, Loop DePaul Center 8005
Monday, September 30| 4 – 6:30 pm | LPSC Room 314B

What is a Climate Action Plan (CAP)? How can it help DePaul address equitable sustainability and help us understand where to improve? What can we learn from local and national CAP exemplars? Join the conversation and network weave with sustainability stewards from DePaul and beyond—hosted in the Loop (hybrid) and Lincoln Park campuses.

RSVP:
LPC
Loop

St. Vincent DePaul Heritage Week Luncheon

Wednesday, September 25 | 12 – 1:30 pm |DePaul Club 11018

Join the DePaul community at our annual St. Vincent de Paul Heritage Luncheon! The event (with a hybrid option) will take place in the DePaul Club Room 11018 of  The DePaul Center beginning at noon.  We hope you can join us!  We will also be hosting the conversation via Zoom, for those who cannot join us in person.

Please RSVP for either in-person or remote attendance. Specify location.

St. Vincent DePaul Prayer Breakfast

Friday, September 27 | 9 – 10:30 am | Student Center 120 A & B

Come celebrate our shared Vincentian heritage with delicious food and great community at our annual St. Vincent de Paul Prayer Breakfast! This year, we will welcome as our keynote speaker, Dr. Valerie Johnson, Associate Provost, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, who will share how she integrates the mission into her professional and personal life.

This will be a great chance to hear Dr. Johnson and join together in community, gathered together for the sake of a mission. All are welcome!

RSVP Here

Loop Feast Day Mass & Lunch

Friday, September 27 | 12 pm
Mass | Miraculous Medal Chapel (Lewis Center)
Lunch to follow

For those wishing to attend mass celebrating St. Vincent de Paul’s Feast Day, mass will be held in the Miraculous Medal Chapel (Lewis Center – First Floor) for lunch after mass. All are welcome!

An RSVP is required to attend the luncheon. Please RSVP Here.

Lincoln Park Feast Day Mass & Refreshments

Friday, September 27 | Lincoln Park Campus
Mass |12 pm | St. Louise de Marillac Chapel
Refreshments | 12:45pm | (CCM Student Center 104)

Celebrate our namesake’s Feast Day with a celebratory mass at 12:00pm in the St. Louise de Marillac Chapel. Everyone is welcome! Join us afterwards for refreshments across the hall in Catholic Campus Ministry (Student Center – Suite 104).

Walk-ins are welcome, however you may reserve your spot here.

Vinny Fest

Friday, September 27 | 2 pm – 4 pm | Lincoln Park Quad & St. Vincent’s Circle

Join us for Vinny Fest 2024, a DePaul tradition to honor and celebrate St. Vincent de Paul’s legacy with fun, games, photos with Vincent, free food, and more! Vinny Fest features student organizations, offices, and departments as they host engaging activities to celebrate our mission in action as a DePaul community. Follow @depaulvia to stay up to date.

RSVP Here

For more information contact: sodonogh@depaul.edu

A Saint’s Fight with His Pillow and Other Challenges of Daily Life

afraser5 Mission Monday , , , ,

I hate the daylight saving time change. I feel groggy and sleep-deprived for days after it happens. Around this change in the spring of 2016, I came across this exhortation from Vincent de Paul: “Don’t fight with your pillow … to see if you ought to get up.”[1] It’s difficult advice for me to follow in March, but the image struck me as so funny that I have remembered it all these years later. As I was looking for his exact quotation for this reflection, I found that he used it more than once, even with variations; “Believe me,” Vincent said as if he tried it, “there’s no use haggling with your pillow, for you won’t get the better of it.”[2] He noted that he often had trouble sleeping.[3] He and his followers were supposed to arise no later than 5:00 a.m., and Vincent told them to be “courageous in forming this habit.”[4] His choice of words suggests that this was not always an easy thing to do. (If it were, courage wouldn’t be required.) Here at DePaul University, where many of us teach or attend early morning classes, where staff may need to arrive early too, and where students may have late-night study sessions, we may particularly relate to difficulties with sleep.

Modern science tells us that it’s especially important to set a routine for sleep, going to bed and waking up at the same times. It also tells us that we should set a time for winding down at night, turning off our devices to read a book or meditate before sleep. Minus the part about devices, Vincent offered this same advice to his communities.[5] It, too, is easier said than done. I find unwinding hard. Whenever I try to meditate, I quickly lose my focus. Vincent acknowledged this challenge: “Perhaps you’ll tell me that you have so many things to think about that even when you’re praying you can’t spend a quarter of an hour without being distracted. Don’t be surprised at that; the greatest servants of God occasionally have these same difficulties.”[6]

If I were to offer a one-sentence summary of my thesis for this reflection, it might be something like “Saints—they’re just like us!” We often think of saints as serious people preoccupied with the big questions of life, people who were above our quotidian troubles. Certainly, Vincent did wrestle with big issues. But he was human. Knowing that he used humor and practical advice to address problems with sleep and mental focus makes it easier to relate to him. Relatability, in turn, leads to hope. If Vincent could rise above these things and accomplish so much, then maybe we can too.

Questions for reflection:

Regardless of the time change, millions of Americans have trouble with sleep deprivation. Are you one of them? Are there any lifestyle adjustments you could make that would help make your sleep better?

What do you know about Vincent that makes him relatable to you? Do these aspects inspire you to follow his example in larger ways?

Reflection by: Miranda Lukatch, Editor, Vincentian Studies Institute

[1] Conference 102, “Order of Day (Arts. 1 and 2),” October 6, 1658, CCD, 10:455.

[2] See conference 23, “Holy Communion,” January 22, 1646, ibid., 9:188; and conference 35, “The Good Use of Admonitions,” March 15, 1648, ibid., 9:303.

[3] Conference 4, “Fidelity to Rising and Mental Prayer,” August 2, 1640, ibid., 9:24.

[4] Ibid.

[5] See conference 4, “Fidelity to Rising,” 9:24; and conference 15, “Explanation of the Regulations,” [June 14, 1643], ibid., 9:95.

[6] Conference 1, “Observance of the Rule,” January 22, 1645, ibid., 9:172.

Accepting Who We Are

afraser5 Lent, Mission Monday, Vincent de Paul, Vincentian stories ,

Nothing causes me to examine myself, and my relationship with God, more closely than the Christian season of Lent, when the earthly and divine aspects of our human existence come together in their fullest, most challenging expressions. In my imagination, I see myself standing alone on a mountaintop for the 40 days of Lent, with one hand holding a mirror to my face, reflecting my authentic humanity with all of its fear and vulnerability. The other hand is stretched out, grasping for something that I cannot see, but that I hope is there. It is something that will help strengthen me, sustain me, and keep me safe. The divine presence in the midst of the human struggle.

Lent has taken on an even more personal and intimate significance for me over the last few years. For it was on Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, in 2018 that my father died. He went peacefully, surrounded by his family, with remnants of the ashes symbolizing his faith and his humanity still faintly visible on his forehead. It was a poignant embodiment of the traditional Ash Wednesday blessing “remember, from dust you came and unto dust you shall return.”

Recently, I came across a story from Vincent de Paul about his own father that, although centuries old, mirrors my own experience and serves to illustrate our ongoing need for what Vincent called simplicity. Today we might call it authenticity or integrity.

The story goes that once, when Vincent de Paul was a young seminarian, his father came to visit him. Vincent was self-conscious about his humble background and had not shared with his classmates that his family were poor farmers. When the porter announced that a plainly dressed man was asking for him, Vincent looked out the window and saw that it was his father, wearing shabby work clothes, standing outside waiting at the door. Vincent was so embarrassed at the sight of his father that he pretended he did not know him; he said there must be a mistake and told the porter to send the man away.[1]

I feel a guilty connection with Vincent around our fathers as  once, when I was a young attorney working at a large law firm, my father came to visit me at my office. As was the case with Vincent’s father, my dad had been a farmer. Years of working in the sun had taken their toll and, on this particular day, my dad was wearing a big bandage on the side of his nose where he had just had a benign skin cancer removed. Just as my dad and I entered the elevator to head up to my office, one of the partners from the law firm got on with us. The older attorney smiled and nodded hello to us and my dad followed suit. But I, embarrassed by my dad’s appearance and insecure around my superior, could only mumble something like “you’ll have to forgive my dad … he’s just been to the doctor.” The rest of the elevator ride was painfully awkward. Years later, I still cringe at that memory.

Vincent told the story of his own embarrassing behavior towards his father multiple times in his later life. In part, I suspect he did so to pay belated homage to the simple, loving man who had gone out of his way just to see his son at seminary. But Vincent also used the story for instruction. He was teaching his community an important lesson, one that is as relevant today as it was then: challenging as it may be, we must be willing to know and accept our lives and ourselves. This means not just the good and pleasing parts, but also the tough and embarrassing parts, and the times we may have made mistakes or even failed at something important. Without this self-awareness and acceptance, we will find it next to impossible to accept those around us. We will also not be able to bring the integrity, honesty, authenticity, and in Vincent’s words, the simplicity that is necessary to win hearts, build relationships, and impact lives.

This quality of integrity or authenticity that Vincent prized so greatly was clearly not on display the day his father paid him a visit at the seminary (nor, for that matter, when my dad visited me). But it is gratifying to remember that with time and practice it can develop as it so clearly did for Vincent. With intentional effort to accept our entire selves, flaws and all, we will find it easier to offer our lives to the service of others.

Reflection Questions:

  • Are there aspects of yourself, and your life, that you find difficult to accept? Why do you think this, and is there anything you can do to change it?
  • Here at DePaul, do you find that you are usually able to be your authentic self? Are there ways that you might be able to contribute to helping make our community a place where all members can be their full and authentic selves?

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

[1] Quoted in Pierre Coste, The Life and Works of Saint Vincent de Paul, trans. Joseph Leonard, C.M. (New York: New City Press, 1987), 1:14. Available online at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/coste_engbio/3/.

Inspiration for Sincere Dialogue in Difficult Times

afraser5 Dialogue, Martin Luther King, Mission Monday, Relationships, Vincent de Paul , , , ,
Martin Luther King, Jr., meets with President Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson Library, Public Domain

“We live at a time when the world is full of violence, oppression and conflict.” “We live in a time of deep division in our own country.” Perhaps both these statements are true of many times, maybe even all times, but they are certainly true of this one. The communication technologies of our period also can serve to make these realities seem closer to us or harder for many of us to escape, even if we’d like to.

One of the reasons we honor and celebrate certain special individuals is because we hope that in their lives, we can find wisdom and inspiration for our own times. In the span of a few weeks at the beginning of the year, we mark the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., the celebration of Foundation Day (the commemoration of the start of the Vincentian Mission), and the birthday of Abraham Lincoln. So much could be said about each of these days and the men and the movements they commemorate. Today, let’s consider what they might suggest to us about relationship and dialogue in difficult times.

In reading the highly acclaimed new biography of Dr. King by Jonathan Eig (who happens to live near DePaul’s Lincoln Park campus), I was struck by King’s relationship with President Lyndon B. Johnson. Johnson reached out to King three days after the assassination of President Kennedy seeking his assistance.[1] Johnson was a highly skilled political operator and said he was committed to civil rights but he knew he needed the help of King, who was then at the height of his mainstream popularity and success. They remained in close contact although neither publicized their dialogue, and both were wary of the other. (In fact, both knew that elements of the federal government were spying on King and seeking to destroy him.) King wept after watching Johnson’s powerful address to Congress after the civil rights movement was met with violence in Selma (and after Johnson had met in the White House with Alabama’s segregationist governor George Wallace).[2] The address called Congress and the nation to pass the Voting Rights Act. Despite what they were able to accomplish in this arena, as Johnson continued to escalate the Vietnam War, King would not remain silent, despite the advice of many who considered themselves his allies in the movement.[3]

In his famous “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” King stressed the importance of dialogue and negotiations (along with research to identify injustices and to engage in self-purification). Yet King rejected the idea that direct action was in opposition to dialogue and negotiations. King argued that while destructive violence must always be opposed, the constructive tension created by nonviolent direct action was often necessary to force those in power to engage in dialogue and negotiations with the marginalized. King said that while he initially disliked being the label of extremist, he now embraced the need for “creative extremists” for love, truth, and justice.[4]

While the time and place of Vincent was not one of direct action or of democracy, I would argue that Vincent and the organizations he founded relied not only on service, but also on creative calls through words and actions for those in power to accept their responsibility for those on the margins. The call for the powerful in France to live up to the Christian example and not ignore those in poverty stood in stark contrast to the injustices of French society. When Vincent was transformed from a smart young man who was motivated to make a better life for himself to one utterly committed to serving God and those living in poverty, he did not cut off relationships with the elite and powerful in society. Instead, he continued to cultivate them with the aim of using those relationships to fulfill his mission.

I have also been reading a compelling recent book on Abraham Lincoln by NPR’s Steve Inskeep.[5] While Lincoln, like King, is remembered for his powerful oratory, this book focuses on Lincoln’s relationships and dialogues. Each chapter focuses on a different account of encounters between Lincoln and another person who came from a different background than him and with whom he had a significant disagreement. What stands out in each encounter is Lincoln’s willingness to engage with those with whom he disagreed. The results of the dialogue were rarely about one convincing the other, but Lincoln used the dialogues to understand others better. He was a quintessential politician and believer in democracy, and he could use his understanding of the others’ interests to define priorities and create coalitions to accomplish his most important goals. Although as a politician Lincoln would often choose to remain strategically silent as part of this process, Inskeep’s book takes its title from something Lincoln wrote in a letter to his close friend Joshua Speed. Speed came from a slaveholding family and Lincoln “chided [him] for admitting the “abstract wrong” of slavery but failing to act accordingly.”[6] Still, Lincoln remained in relationship with Speed, signing off the letter with “your friend forever.”[7]

We all have different roles to play in life and in the university. Just as the roles and perspectives of a prophetic preacher leading a movement for social change, a politician in an era of civil war, and a saintly founder of a religious order in an absolute monarchy may differ greatly, we may see our own roles differently based on our positions, personalities, or other commitments. I see in each of these examples a call to remain in dialogue and relationship with others, even those with whom I may have profound differences or disagreements. I have seen a call to sincerity in that dialogue which means a willingness to express difficult truths and to listen to them. Finally, I appreciate the role that constructive, creative tension can play in individual and communal transformation when we are willing to channel that tension into dialogue and negotiation.

I am inspired by the people and spaces in the university that help form students to engage in these types of difficult, sincere ongoing dialogues. Among those with which I am most familiar are the Interfaith Scholars program and the Grace School of Applied Diplomacy, but I know there are many others. What are the ways in which you think DePaul engages these questions best and what are ways in which we might be able to do better?

REFLECTION BY: Abdul-Malik Ryan, Muslim Chaplain and Assistant Director, Office of Religious Diversity, Division of Mission and Ministry.

[1] Jonathan Eig, King: A Life (New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2023), 351.

[2] Ibid., 435.

[3] Ibid., 514–30.

[4] See Martin Luther King, Jr., “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” August 1963, https://www.csuchico.edu/iege/_assets/documents/susi-letter-from-birmingham-jail.pdf.

[5] Steve Inskeep, Differ We Must: How Lincoln Succeeded in a Divided America (New York: Penguin Press, 2023).

[6] Ibid., xiv-xv.

[7] Ibid., xv.

St. Vincent’s Extraordinary Pragmatism

afraser5 DePaul University, Mission Monday, Pragmatism, Vincent de Paul, Vincentian Heritage , , ,

Today we celebrate the feast day of St. Vincent de Paul from whom we derive our name, vision, mission, and identity.

St. Vincent was a visionary. He understood the realities of his time and saw new possibilities for his world within the massive socio-economic and religious chaos of 17th century French society. As he searched for meaning and direction in his own life, he found purpose and direction that always guided his vision and extraordinary pragmatism.

The practical ways of St. Vincent de Paul focused entirely on societal and church transformation by establishing communities dedicated to serving and healing those most in need. The work of St. Vincent de Paul, of some 400 years ago, focused on a new, transformed society, and this should resonate with us today, as we try to respond to our current and chaotic times.

Designing DePaul, our opportunity to shape our own society, allows us to be in touch with the inner soul of DePaul University. During this time of institutional conversation, we acknowledge the values in which we are founded and our collective dreams. We commit to being an educational institution that contributes to social mobility, breaking the cycle of poverty, designing for equity, responding to the challenges of artificial intelligence and technological development, caring for and protecting our planet, and educating leaders capable of generating a societal model where hate and violence have no place.

As you carry out your work, research, and studies this year, please consider the following four elements, which summarize the essence of St. Vincent de Paul as we embrace his heritage today:

  • Focus on a mission-centered horizon. This necessitates understanding your unique contributions to DePaul, firmly grasping the realities of the current situation and institutional needs, and yet also dreaming of what could be and leveraging ethical imagination to move beyond the world we know to what it could become.
  • Create people-centered approaches to all you do as we drive forward the initiatives within Designing DePaul. The wellbeing, the joy, and the fulfillment of individuals in a healthy environment will organically lead to a vibrant organization and better outcomes for those we serve.
  • Amplify a sense of co-responsibility, solidarity, and collaboration at all levels as the goals of St. Vincent de Paul. Our individual work and studies are all a part of an institutional fabric. They are interconnected in explicit and implicit ways because we all serve the same purpose, the same common good, and the same mission.
  • Develop strategies that are implementation-oriented, that respond effectively to real issues based on lived experience, and that systemically address solutions following the model of St. Vincent and the very spirit of our students. At DePaul our students demand that we not only ask the Vincentian question of “what must be done?” but that we also develop our response by understanding the current situation and data-based needs, by adopting a willingness to innovate and break out of old ways of thinking, and by changing our assumptions as we get new information.

And as we say, “Happy Feast Day,” let us also embrace the spirit of St. Vincent in everything we do, and also say to each other, “DePaul – be pragmatic, in a Vincentian way.”

Robert L. Manuel
President

Fr. Guillermo (Memo) Campuzano, C.M.
Vice President for Mission and Ministry

Vincent de Paul Heritage Week 2023

afraser5 Mission and Ministry, Vincentian Heritage , , , ,

Vincent was a trailblazer, a true change agent of his day. He was a man who saw hope and possibility despite the challenges of his time. He felt a keen dissatisfaction in the gap between the way the world should be and the way the world was. Throughout his 79 years, Vincent sought to close that divide, asking “what must be done” and acting on the answers he found. Four hundred years later, DePaul University continues to carry forward his legacy by educating the next generation of trailblazers. 

During Vincentian Heritage Week the Division of Mission and Ministry will host the key events below.

 

Sunday Night Mass & BBQ

Sunday, September 24
Mass | 5:00pm | St. Vincent DePaul Parish
BBQ | 6:00pm | St. Vincent DePaul Parish Lawn

Join Catholic Campus Ministry and St. Vincent de Paul Parish for a (free) BBQ on the Parish Lawn (on Webster Ave.) to celebrate the Feast Day, directly following 5pm mass. Whether you go to Mass weekly, occasionally, or have never been to a Catholic Mass, you are welcome here! Come celebrate!

Walk ins are welcome, you may RSVP if you would like here.

 

Loop Mini Vinny Fest

Tuesday, September 26 | 2:00-4:00pm | DePaul Center Concourse

Join Office of Student Involvement and Mission and Ministry for Loop Mini Vinny Fest! Celebrate our namesake’s Feast Day and DePaul University with fun, games, photos, caricatures and more!  This is a DePaul tradition you don’t want to miss!

RSVP here

 

Loop Feast Day Mass & Morning Refreshments

Wednesday, September 27
Mass | 8:30am | Miraculous Medal Chapel (Lewis Center)
Refreshments | 9:30am | 1001 Lewis Center

For those wishing to attend mass celebrating St. Vincent de Paul’s Feast Day, mass will be held in the Miraculous Medal Chapel (Lewis Center – First Floor) with light refreshments after mass. All are welcome!

 

Lincoln Park Feast Day Mass & Lunch

Wednesday, September 27
Mass |12:00pm | St. Louise de Marillac Chapel
Lunch | 12:45pm | CCM Student Center Suite 104

Celebrate our namesake’s Feast Day with a celebratory mass at 12:00pm in the St. Louise de Marillac Chapel. Join us afterwards for lunch across the hall in Catholic Campus Ministry (Student Center – Suite 104). Everyone is welcome!

Walk ins are welcome, you may RSVP if you would like here.

 

St. Vincent DePaul Heritage Week Luncheon

Wednesday, September 27 | 12 – 1:30 pm | Loop DePaul Center, The DePaul Club

Join the DePaul community at our annual St. Vincent de Paul Heritage Luncheon as we look at the timely issue of migration. How is migration presenting urgent needs in our city, how is and can DePaul University respond to these needs and what does our Vincentian mission call us to do? Presenting will be leaders from the DePaul community including Fr. Memo Campuzano, CM, Vice President of Mission and Ministry as well as Sioban Albiol and Shailja Sharma, directors of the DePaul Migration Collaborative. We will also hear from those working directly with new arrivals and from someone who has recently migrated to Chicago to learn about their firsthand experience.

This luncheon will take place at The DePaul Club on the 11th floor of The DePaul Center at the Loop Campus beginning at Noon. We will also be hosting the conversation via Zoom, for those who cannot be with us in person. We hope you will join us!

RSVP here

 

St. Vincent DePaul Prayer Breakfast

Friday, September 29 | 9:00am – 11:00 am | Student Center 120 A & B

Come celebrate our shared Vincentian heritage with delicious food and great community at our annual St. Vincent de Paul Prayer Breakfast! This year, we will welcome as our keynote speaker, Dr. Sulin Ba, the Dean of the Driehaus College of Business who will share how she integrates the mission into her professional and personal life. This will be a great chance to meet Dr. Ba and join together in community, gathered together for the sake of a mission. All are welcome! 

RSVP here

 

Vinny Fest

Friday, September 29 | 2:00pm – 4:00pm | Lincoln Park Quad & St. Vincent’s Circle

Join us for Vinny Fest 2023, a DePaul tradition to honor and celebrate St. Vincent de Paul’s legacy with fun, games, photos with Vincent, free food, and more! Vinny Fest features student organizations, offices, and departments as they host engaging activities to celebrate our mission in action as a DePaul community. Follow @mmatmdepaul to stay up to date.

Our Mission Needs a Community

bcicirel Community, Mission, Mission Monday, Relationships, Vincent de Paul , , ,

What a blessing to be a member of a Community because each individual shares in the good that is done by all!”[1]

I have been thinking a lot lately about community—what it means, what it looks like, and why it is so essential to us as human beings and as a university, especially in our current context. Looking back on past Mission Monday reflections, it is clearly not the first time I have felt this to be important to identify as an essential focus for an organization like ours that seeks to embody the Vincentian name.

Yet, there are many reasons for the need to re-emphasize the importance of community at this time:

  • the ongoing changes we are moving through as a university community, including the loss of many longtime friends and colleagues;
  • the marked increase in colleagues working from home since the pandemic;
  • the concurrent loss of regular face-to-face interactions in common spaces;
  • the larger cultural divisions and inequities in our society that only linger if not addressed directly;
  • the growing tendency among many to connect with each other and to learn only or primarily via computer or smartphone; and
  • recent public reporting on the rise and deleterious impact of loneliness in U.S. society.

Each of these changes—and there are clearly others—has recently had drastic effects on workplace norms and workplace culture within the patterns of our lives and relationships at DePaul.

Perhaps this draw to focus again on the importance of community also simply reflects my own experience and ongoing hunger for human connection, to feel a sense of belonging, and to participate in something more beyond the daily tasks of my individual work.

Regardless of the source of my musings, I am certain I am not alone. The experience of being part of a community is important for the well-being of humanity and for the flourishing of our workplaces, including and especially our university. Furthermore, here at DePaul, many rightly appreciate the experience of community as being “very Vincentian.”

In fact, how we sustain and continue to build a vibrant communal life is one of the vital, open questions facing us today. Over my eighteen years at DePaul, I believe the intentional work and effort of building community, and the need for it, has never been more important and more at risk. As we look ahead to the summer and the coming academic year, it is essential that we continue to weave and re-weave with great intention and care the fabric of our communal life if our Vincentian mission is to be effective and sustained over time.

I am fond of imagining Vincent de Paul in Folleville, France, in 1617 and what must have been going through his mind at that time. Based on his own retrospective reflections, that particular year and place seemed to represent an important moment in his life, a moment when, with the help of Madame de Gondi, Vincent arrived at a clearer vision of his own calling and the mission that God had entrusted to him.

The year 1617 was the final feather falling on the scales that tipped the orientation of Vincent’s life in a markedly different way. The upwardly mobile and aspirational priest, often rubbing elbows with the rich and powerful, began to focus his energies more and more toward a mission of service to and with society’s poor and marginalized for the remainder of his life. What he realized at that same time is that the mission God had entrusted to him was much bigger than he alone could fulfill. He needed others. In fact, Vincent’s effectiveness grew largely through the work of inspiring and organizing others to work in common to fulfill a shared mission. From the beginning, the Vincentian mission has been a collaborative and communal enterprise.

Simple in its genius, Vincent’s efforts anticipated current day organizational management insights by 400 years. The contemporary organizational and business writer and consultant Christine Porath, for example, has written extensively on how community is the key to companies moving from merely surviving to thriving together.[2] Simply put, her research suggests that when people experience a strong sense of community and belonging at work, they are more engaged, effective, healthy, and creative. This, in turn, leads to positive business outcomes. Many other organizational and business leaders have come to similar conclusions. It turns out that how we relate to each other as a community in the workplace, in fact, matters a great deal.

At DePaul, we speak often of being “a community gathered together for the sake of the mission.” We recognize and must remember that we need each other to thrive. Faculty, staff, administration, students, board members, alumni and donors work together effectively for a shared mission. Furthermore, as Vincent de Paul suggests, we each benefit from the good done by all. At our best, when we are flourishing as a community, we help, encourage, care for, collaborate with, and inspire one another. There is an energizing and vibrant unity that comes in our diversity—the unity of a shared mission to which each person contributes a part. This occurs only through ongoing intentionality and thoughtful daily interactions and efforts to build and sustain healthy and vibrant relationships with one another.

As we move into the summer months, through the many changes we are facing together, and into the new academic year this fall—this is your charge: How will you contribute to sustaining and building a vibrant and healthy sense of community together with your DePaul colleagues?

Submit your own recommendations as a response to this blog post or follow our Mission and Ministry LinkedIn group, which we will begin to use more often in the future as a place to share reflections on the workplace in light of anticipated changes with DePaul Newsline in the summer and the coming year. Perhaps by the time a new academic year begins, we can initiate some new efforts to weave or re-weave the fabric of our communal life and work intentionally toward thriving as “a community gathered together for the sake of the mission,” just as Vincent de Paul first envisioned.

Reflection by: Mark Laboe, Associate VP, Mission and Ministry

[1] Conference 1, “Explanation of the Regulations,” July 31, 1634, CCD, 9:2. Available at https://‌via.‌library.‌depaul.‌edu/‌‌‌vincentian_ebooks/34/.

[2] See: Christine Porath, Mastering Community: The Surprising Ways Coming Together Moves us from Surviving to Thriving (New York: Balance Books, 2022); and C.M. Pearson and C.L. Porath, The Cost of Bad Behavior: How Incivility Is Damaging Your Business and What to Do About It (New York: Portfolio, 2009).

Gratitude, Self-Acceptance, and the Unapologetic Cringe of Tumblr

bcicirel Gratitude, Mission Monday , , , , ,

“Every day of life more and more increases my gratitude to Him for having made me what I am.”[1]
– Elizabeth Ann Seton

What do cringe, gratitude, and Vincentian service have to do with one another? And how can we apply it to our own vibrant community here at DePaul? Let’s find out.

First, let’s dive into this first quote from Elizabeth Ann Seton, founder of the American Sisters of Charity, modeled after the Daughters of Charity: “Every day of life more and more increases my gratitude to Him for having made me what I am.” We can read this statement in any number of ways: gratitude for simply being alive, appreciation for her privilege and station, thankfulness for gifting her with certain talents and capabilities, or even endowing her with a particular personality and passion. Perhaps the most Vincentian thing to do would be to take an “all of the above” approach: an appreciation of the whole person, of all that she is, and can be. This might sound a little conceited (thanks for making me so incredible!), but I think it points more towards an inspiring model of self-acceptance. Seton, who is pointedly aware of her own shortcomings, still accepts herself as she is—oddities, weaknesses, talents, and all—and is grateful to be herself.

Which brings us to the concept of cringe and unapologetic self-acceptance. As bit of backstory, the social media landscape has been … going through a bit of transformational collapse. We need not go into every sordid detail, but the memes have been hilarious even as the demise of Twitter has been bittersweet (with a heavy dose of Schadenfreude). Many are looking for a new social media home with no real viable candidates. It’s into this gulf that Tumblr, which never really went away, has emerged its cringy head.

The blog site, home to niche fandoms and a quirky sensibility, has found a resurgence. If Twitter is (was?) the land of hot political takes by ‘professional’ journalists and pseudo-intellectuals, Tumblr is currently where users are, en masse, deciding to make up a fake 1970’s Martin Scorsese movie that they have all pretended to see (which again, doesn’t exist), and then arguing about it. They’ve even created a fake trailer. It’s a weird place. But at its best it’s a place where people are unapologetically themselves and embody a kind of self-acceptance modeled in that Seton quote. There’s power in that: a community that not only recognizes but celebrates each other’s delightful individuality and quirks. It’s also very Vincentian: a recognition and celebration of each person’s sacred dignity.

But why bring up Tumblr, cringe, and unapologetic weirdness in a post about gratitude? How does this have any bearing on our own DePaul community and mission? There are many different things that might make us cringe, but usually they say more about ourselves (and our lack of self-acceptance) than the object of our embarrassment. By accepting ourselves—most especially the cringiest aspects of ourselves—and being grateful for the way we are and can be as whole people, we can accept others and flourish as a community. Vincent de Paul was no stranger to this: his lifelong partner in service, Louise de Marillac, found him utterly repugnant upon first meeting him! But they were able to work their way through these differences and we are still living out their mission today, four hundred years later.

This brings us to a final quote from Louise de Marillac herself: “I hope that your gratitude will place you in the disposition necessary to receive the graces you need to serve your sick poor in a spirit of gentleness and great compassion.”[2] Ultimately, our gratitude and self-acceptance should be directed outwards, in compassion, and in pursuit of the mission. Let’s celebrate our community’s own idiosyncrasies and be grateful for the wonderful diversity of personalities and passions.

Reflection by: Alex Perry, Division of Mission & Ministry

[1] 7.98, Draft to Mrs. William Raborg, [June 1817], Elizabeth Bayley Seton: Collected Writings, 2:488, at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/vincentian_ebooks/11/.

[2] L.383, To My Very Dear Sister Anne Hardemont, November 13 (1653), Spiritual Writings of Louise de Marillac, 434, at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/ldm/.