vincentian values

Frédéric Ozanam’s Tactical Wisdom For Today’s Consumer Society

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From Thomas McKenna’s perspective, consumerism reduces everything, including religious tradition and altruism, to commodities that are removed from their original contexts and lacking in meaning. Elements of consumerism are identified; their combined effect leads individuals to only value short-term engagements with what appeals to them, makes them feel noble, or makes a statement about their identity. McKenna examines how Frederic Ozanam’s life and work can be used to counteract this. According to Ozanam, Christians should mediate between the rich and the poor to alleviate class conflict and ensure justice for poor persons. His mandate for direct service means that neither suffering nor altruism can be reduced to commodities, and that personal contact is the basis for practical solutions to social problems. It was Ozanam’s insight that service should be done in community and be directly tied to religion, or what would today be termed theological reflection. This strengthens those who serve, encourages further action, and, in McKenna’s view, preserves religion’s imperative force, meaning, and context.

“Frederic Ozanam’s Tactical Wisdom For Today’s Consumer Society” is an article published in 2010 in the Vincentian Heritage Journal, Volume 30, Issue 1, Article 1 available at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/vhj/vol30/iss1/1

Vincentian Character of DePaul

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“Vincentian Character of DePaul” is a chapter in the book The Playful Hand of God: Memoirs of John T. Richardson, C.M. (pp. 71-73) published by DePaul University, Chicago, IL, in 2011.  Fr. Richardson served as President of DePaul University, Chicago, IL, from 1981-1993.  In his own words, these memoirs are given “as a testament to the women and men whose lives helped build the University” and to “the ideas that shaped so much of its history.”  Though much has been written about the University by others, Fr. Richardson chose to focus on the school’s “mission which brings its vision into reality, the ideals which guide its decisions, and the persons struggling collegially to shape the policies and programs that make these ideals practical.”  In this chapter of his memoirs, Fr. Richardson reflects on his efforts to develop a university that ranks among the best in the nation while serving persons from neglected segments of our society who most need access to an excellent education.

Catholic Character of DePaul

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The “Catholic Character of DePaul” is a chapter in the book The Playful Hand of God: Memoir of John T. Richardson, C.M. (pp. 74-79) published in 2011 by DePaul University, Chicago, IL.  Fr. Richardson served as President of DePaul University from 1981-1993.  In this chapter the author recounts the great history of the Catholic Church’s involvement in higher education both in Europe and in the United States over the past several hundred years.  He muses on how DePaul University had implemented some of the liberating spirit of Vatican Council II long before the beginning of that Council in 1962 and how later changes in the Church’s Canon Law in 1983 seemed an attempt to rein in some of the freedoms envisioned in Vatican II documents.  He noted Chicago’s Joseph Cardinal Bernardine’s opposition to those very restrictions and the University’s total agreement with the Cardinal. In addition, he reflects on the “space race” situation in the Cold War years when federal monies became available for research in science, technology and space exploration.  Were such monies to be available to colleges and universities with religious or church affiliations; or would grants to such institutions be considered unconstitutional?  This question was especially important to DePaul as the Music School of the University had been given special recognition by the Vatican years earlier affiliating it with the Pontifical Institute in the Vatican.  In 1966, the Board of Trustees voted to terminate that special arrangement with the Vatican and the issue became moot.

Bottom line is this (in his own words): “The Catholic identity of DePaul has not restricted learning to a sectarian point of view….the University respects the basic religious freedom of belief and practice enjoyed by its students, faculty and staff.  This explains why our undergraduate curriculum includes studies in many religions as well as the study of Catholic theology.  Catholics form the largest single religious group of student, but slightly more than half of the student body consists of other religious or no-religion groups.”

The Heart of Jesus In the Spirituality of Vincent de Paul and Louise de Marillac

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Former superior general Robert Maloney examines what the heart of Jesus meant to Vincent de Paul and Louise de Marillac. Vincent prayed that the Congregation would have the heart of Jesus, or the zeal, to bring God’s love to the poor. The missionaries were also to exercise gentleness and humility, the qualities Jesus attributed to his heart in Matthew 11:29. For Louise, this heart meant “charity that was both affective and effective.” She created many paintings of Jesus’s heart, some of which are described in the article with accompanying images. The historical development of devotion to the heart of Jesus, in which Francis de Sales played a role, is explained. Maloney explores five meanings Jesus’s heart has for us. It “heightens our awareness of the limitless love of God.” It calls us to be gentle and humble, makes us aware of our limitations, and helps us find wisdom and practice discernment. Finally, it encourages us to imitate Jesus’s love, which is “expansive” and “affective and effective.”

“The Heart of Jesus in the Spirituality of Vincent de Paul and Louise de Marillac” is an article published in the Vincentian Heritage Journal, Volume 32, Issue 1, Article 8 available at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/vhj/vol32/iss1/8

 

Give Me the Simple Life

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“Give Me the Simple Life” is a chapter in the book Saint Vincent de Paul: His Mind and His Manner (pp. 84-86) by Jack Melito, C.M., published in 2010 by the Vincentian Studies Institute at DePaul University in Chicago, IL.  Here Fr. Melito illustrates how Vincent de Paul urges us to live simply.  What does this mean?  How is it done? For Vincent the answers did not involve quantitative measures but qualitative ones which point to living as Jesus lived.  Even the great poet, Henry David Thoreau, though not ‘religious,’ stressed the importance of living simply.  Both the religious guide and the humanistic guru, then, counsel living simply and realizing, ultimately, its liberating openness to the inherent beauty of life itself.  Simple, deliberate living is a personal style.  There is no one-size-fits-all.  For Vincent, it was “the livery of Christ conceived in the Spirit of the poor.”

‘There Is Great Charity, But…’ Vincent de Paul and the Organization of Charity

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Vincent de Paul was able to accomplish great works of charity because he was an extraordinary organizer and manager. His early experience at Chatillon-les-Dombes showed him the importance of organizing charity so that it could have effective, long-term results. Vincent’s methods are analyzed according to modern nonprofit organization theory, with particular emphasis on what he said and did regarding “foundation, mission and structure.” He attached special importance to meetings and staffing issues. The article also addresses how his ways of organizing can be applied to charity in the twenty-first century.

“There is Great Charity, But…Vincent de Paul and the Organization of Charity” is an article by Thomas G. Fuechtmann, Ph.D., appearing in the Vincentian Heritage Journal, Volume 26, Issue 1, Article 5 available at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/vhj/vol26/iss1/5

 

There’s a Man Full of Mercy

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“There’s a Man Full of Mercy” is an article that appeared in the Newsletter of the Midwest Province of the Congregation of the Mission.  Reflecting on the life of Vincent de Paul, the author tells of the necessity of the virtue of mercy for anyone serving the poor.  Citing parallels between God’s mercy toward us and the mercy we should then pass on to those needing mercy, he speaks to Vincent’s stressing the need to be merciful in every situation, every day, throughout one’s life.

Vincent de Paul: A Saint Who Got His Worlds Together

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Thomas McKenna explains how Vincent de Paul “integrat[ed] the life of faith with so-called secular existence” and “examines his way of blending a spiritual vision with the hard-nosed world of finance and business.” For McKenna, this blending is the key to Vincent’s saintliness. He knew that human welfare had to include “spiritual and material aspects.” He used his business acumen, which is described in detail, to support his many ministries. These were intended to align society with the kingdom of heaven. Vincent focused on improving the lives of the poor because Christ was to be found in them, and they were to be first in the kingdom. McKenna discusses the questions that Vincent’s life raises in us, especially in our perceptions of the poor and how business should work. He also looks at the way the lives of the saints can influence modern faith. He says it is important to tell the stories of saints’ lives so that people can imagine themselves participating in the saints’ worlds. They can draw their own lessons from such an exercise.

“Vincent de Paul: A Saint Who Got His Worlds Together” is an article by Fr. Thomas McKenna, C.M., published in 1997 in the Vincentian Heritage Journal and is available at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/vhj/vol18/iss1/1

Vincentian Pragmatism: Toward a Method for Systemic Change

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Scott Kelley creates the term Vincentian Pragmatism and defines it as “Vincent [de Paul]’s way of proceeding . . . [it is] an integrated and holistic way of knowing that is capable of systemic change.” He writes, “Vincentian Pragmatism must also inform the way we engage, identify, explore, interpret, and decide in response to the complex systems that exacerbate poverty. It must unite action and contemplation.” Kelley identifies questions we must ask to pursue Vincentian epistemology and explains how Vincent developed it from his own experience. The process of overcoming our biases and forming a Vincentian worldview is also examined. Vincentian Pragmatism has five components of action: “begin attentively, explore openly, interpret imaginatively, decide responsibly, and act courageously.” These are discussed in detail. Together, they are a way of truly understanding the causes and nature of poverty and strategizing for effective solutions. Different aspects of strategy are described.

“Vincentian Pragmatism: Toward a Method for Systemic Change” is an article by Scott Kelley, Ph.D., published in 2012 in the Vincentian Heritage Journal, Volume 31, Issue 2, Article 2, pp. 41-63, and it is available at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/vhj/vol31/iss2/2