To any member of the Vincentian Family, the question “What must be done?” is a familiar one. Vincent cautioned us by advising that whatever it is, it must be done well. Yet, this begs the question: What does doing it well mean?
Here, Ed Udovic, C.M., explores the mutually indispensable aspects of Vincentian Personalism and Vincentian Professionalism that continue to guide us in our mission to increase the measure of charity and justice in our world “well.”
1st Place Vinny Prize: Inside Out
Ella Lubienski
This film narrates the writings of incarcerated students from DePaul’s Inside Out “Think Tank” class on their life in a maximum-security prison. Through their words, we experience the social, mental, physical, and emotional impact of incarceration, and ponder its effectiveness.
2nd Place Vinny Prize : Akram Shibly
The Third Pillar of Islam: How a Mosque Transformed a Community through Kindness
Six years ago, a vacant Catholic church in a low-income Buffalo, New York neighborhood was purchased by a Muslim community and turned into a mosque. The location was specifically chosen in order to serve surrounding families facing poverty. This film provides an example of how Islam’s third pillar of charity has transformed the area both by decreasing crime and creating a warm and welcoming community center for families.
3rd Place Vinny Prize:
Edwin R. Ruiz
Las Puertas del Paseo
13 latino artists painted 16 doors in Humboldt Park to celebrate their culture, reflect on obstacles they’ve overcome, express the current political challenges, and encourage unity and integration of their mixed cultures.
Compassion is a year-round virtue, but many of us suffer “compassion fatigue” when faced with the endless stream of stories of the lonely, the sick, the destitute, the abandoned, and the displaced in our world today. What are we to do? Jack Melito, C.M., discusses Vincent de Paul’s instruction about living a life of compassion:
First of all, we must remind ourselves that our first experience of compassion was the compassion we were sown by God. As a result, we must make every effort to be compassionate to ourselves and to others. We must pray for a spirit of Compassion and Mercy. A life of compassionate action will result in a heart open to carrying the sufferings of the poor. Though there may be times when regret creeps in, you must remember that, though you may judge yourself as having neglected opportunities to be merciful and compassionate, you did your best. Therefore, always pray for a spirit of compassion and mercy.
“Christmas Compassion” is a chapter from the book, Windows on His Vision, (pp. 112-113) available at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/windows/3/
It is also available as an ebook here: https://via.library.depaul.edu/vincentian_ebooks/8/
Gregorio Banaga, C.M., explains how Catholic education in the Philippines created and became limited to the elite. He describes the history of Adamson University and what it is doing to increase poor persons’ access to education, raise students’ awareness of poverty, and create motivation for social change. Adamson fosters social responsibility and has made service part of all students’ learning. All of this is part of Banaga’s definition of Vincentian education, which he says is “of the poor, from the poor, with the poor, and for the poor.” In addition to the actions mentioned above, this philosophy requires the university to be attuned to the experience of persons who are poor and to construct curricula that will best use their gifts and promote their growth.
“Education With a Heart” is an article in the journal Vincentian Heritage available at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/vhj/vol28/iss2/7/
A 1656 royal decree outlawed begging and private almsgiving in Paris and forcibly confined persons who were poor in various institutions of the General Hospital. These measures were later mandated throughout France until 1715. The poor were treated as enemies of the state because of their numbers and the violence, crime, and social unrest that accompanied poverty. This was a radical shift in society’s perspective. During the Age of Faith, poverty was a sign of election since Christ chose to be poor. The poor had a right to seek charity and the rich were obligated to give it. In the Age of Reason, poverty was evidence of moral failure that was to be “corrected” in institutions. Though slow to respond at first, the Church revived its Christocentric theology of charity and became a powerful ally to poor persons. The efforts of Vincent de Paul and Louise de Marillac led this response. The Vincentian charism developed to serve the most abandoned and marginalized of the poor. The Vincentian discernment process is discussed, as is the legacy of charity. The diverse forms and causes of poverty in France are explained in detail.
“‘Caritas Christi Urget Nos’: The Urgent Challenges of Charity in Seventeenth Century France” is an article published in the journal Vincentian Heritage available at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/vhj/vol12/iss2/1/
In this reading, Robert Maloney, C.M., “focuses on: 1) the cross in the New Testament; 2) the cross in the Vincentian tradition; 3) some problems in reflecting about the cross; 4) some reflections on the cross today.”
“The Cross in Vincentian Spirituality” is a chapter in the book He Hears the Cry of the Poor: On the Spirituality of Vincent de Paul (pp. 30-51) available at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/vincentian_ebooks/2/
From the book cover: “In He Hears the Cry of the Poor Robert Maloney addresses vital questions of religious communities today. His vision is filled with hope and promise as he discusses the renewal of community and prayer life, the apostolate, and the growing international character of communities. Throughout the book, Father Maloney puts into active and creative dialogue voices from the past and the present. Vincent and his spiritual friends come alive, not only as a force in seventeenth century France, but as partners in conversation with men and women of today. This book is an excellent resource and guide for those who follow a Vincentian spiritual life, as well as anyone who takes an active role in their Christian community.”
“The Cross in Vincentian Spirituality” appears also as an article in the Vincentian Heritage Journal, Volume 16, Issue 1, Article 1 (1995) available at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/vhj/vol16/iss1/1
When leading the Congregation or advising individual members, Vincent de Paul acted from spiritual principles as well as an understanding of psychology. He believed that everyone should follow God’s will by loving others and helping them to imitate Christ’s example of charity. By doing this, each served as a mentor to one another. He guided from both a paternal and fraternal perspective. While discipline and judgment were sometimes necessary, he more often dispensed advice and wisdom. Humility, empathy, gentle persuasion, suggestion, affirmation, and flexibility were the cornerstones of his leadership.
“Vincent de Paul as Mentor” is an article published in the Vincent Heritage Journal, Volume 27, Issue 2, Article 1 (2008) which is available at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/vhj/vol27/iss2/1/
Meghan Clark discusses the relationship between charity and justice as set forth in two of Benedict XVI’s encyclicals, Deus Caritas Est and Caritas in Veritate, and then considers what Vincentian tradition contributes toward the understanding of that relationship. Clark writes, “What emerges is a model of cultivating solidarity through justice and charity as integral to the life of Christian discipleship.” Deus Caritas Est calls for direct service to those in need because it is only through charity and loving others that we are fully aware of God’s love for us. As Clark summarizes Caritas in Veritate, “Justice in relations is a precondition for living charity. . . . Both charity and justice are required for healthy relationships with God and neighbor.” Justice and charity require work toward the common good, and charity expands justice to include the marginalized. Clark defines the institutional nature of charity in the Church and explains how Vincent de Paul, Louise de Marillac, and their communities exemplify it. Vincent and Louise recognized that effective charity required organized personal and institutional responses to systemic injustice. Vincentian tradition seeks to foster solidarity through commitment to each person’s dignity and to nurture justice within all levels of society.
“The Complex but Necessary Union of Charity and Justice: Insights from the Vincentian Tradition for Contemporary Catholic Social Teaching” is an article that appears in the Vincentian Heritage Journal, Volume 31, Issue 2, Article 1 (2012) and is available at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/vhj/vol31/iss2/1