Videos

Praying with Louise de Marillac – Introduction

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Louise de Marillac was a wife, mother, widow, teacher, nurse, director of the Confraternities and Ladies of Charity, and cofounder with Vincent de Paul of the Daughters of Charity.  Patron of Social Workers, Louise knew personal suffering, and she also knew the suffering of God’s poor people.  She was an organizer, a radical thinker who lived life intensely and whose quest was to do the will of God with a deep faith in divine providence.

Praying with Louise de Marillac is a book in the Companions for the Journey series of meditation guides on Christian spirituality.  Authored by Audrey Gibson, DC, and Kieran Kneaves, DC, it was published by Saint Mary’s Press,  Christian Brothers Publications, Winona, Minnesota, in 1995.  ISBN O-88489-329-4  Copies may be obtained directly from the publisher or on-line at www.amazon.com

 

!t is More than Just the Dreamers

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In “It is More Than Just the Dreamers,” Rev. Craig Mousin, J.D., discusses the disruptive impacts that changes to the enforcement priority policies established by the Obama Administration are having in communities across the board.  Our country was founded on the promise of Equality that is a necessary component of democracy. That promise is compromised by the fractures created in our communities by the fears created among immigrant populations, whether citizen or unauthorized, that ultimately impact public health, safety, and economics.  The impact, then, is felt in more than the immigrant population.  It is evidenced in work communities, academic communities, worshiping communities, and neighborhoods. The broken immigration system in the United States leaves courts unable to provide legal redress in a timely manner and the chaos that ensues leaves a trail of broken families and broken dreams. What must be done?

French Missionaries and the Roman Catholic Priesthood in the United States,1789-1870

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Fall Quarter 2017 DRMA Lecture About the Lecturer: Dr. Michael Pasquier is Associate Professor of Religious Studies and Jaak Seynaeve Professor of Christian Studies at Louisiana State University. He specializes in the history of religion in the United States, with areas of concentration in American Catholicism, religion in the U.S. South, and religion and the environment. He is the author of Fathers on the Frontier: French Missionaries and the Roman Catholic Priesthood in the United States, 1789-1870 (Oxford University Press) and Religion in America: The Basics (Routledge), as well as editor of the book Gods of the Mississippi (Indiana University Press) and producer of the documentary film Water Like Stone. His work has been supported by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

The Woman Elizabeth Ann Seton: 1804–1812

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Mary Donovan examines Elizabeth Seton’s experience as a widow and as a mother of a teen daughter and explores the impact of two of Elizabeth’s closest relationships. In these years, the most important relationships in Elizabeth’s life were with her husband’s friend Antonio Filicchi, who played a great role in her conversion, and her daughter Anna. After her husband’s death, Elizabeth had to construct a new identity for herself, and the process is best documented in her correspondence with Filicchi. The two struggled with affection for each other, but ultimately she looked on him as a spiritual friend and he acted as her benefactor. Elizabeth found it difficult to believe she could love her children deeply without losing God’s love but eventually reconciled the two. With time, she learned to put Anna’s needs ahead of her own and respected Anna’s initial reluctance to join the Sisters of Charity. Anna’s death led Elizabeth to greater trust in God.

“The Woman Elizabeth Ann Seton: 1804-1812” is an article in the Vincentian Heritage Journal, Volume 14, Issue 2, Article 4 available at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/vhj/vol14/iss2/4

 

Our Entire Lives Are But a Moment Soon Gone

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“Our Entire Lives are but a Moment Soon Gone” is a chapter in the book Saint Vincent de Paul: His Mind and His Manner by Jack Melito, C.M. which was published in 2010 by the Vincentian Studies Institute, DePaul University, Chicago, IL.  The book is currently out of print.

Saint Vincent de Paul lived a long life and accomplished an extraordinary body of works of charity, not only in Paris, but throughout France and beyond.  How did he have such an impact?  This reading suggests that it was Vincent’s focused sense of urgency in his appreciation of time.  Long life itself was not as important as using our time fulfilling that mission to which God has called us.

Toward the end of his life, Saint Vincent de Paul reflected on his use of the time given him: had he used it to the best of his ability?  Was each precious moment lived in service of the poor?  It was his appreciation of the economy of time and his prudent use of his time that drove him to accomplish such a great opus omnia of charitable works.

The Journey of and to the Poor

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An explication is presented of a carving hanging in Ravasi Hall of the DePaul Centre in Nairobi, Kenya. The panel is entitled “Saint Vincent on the road of the Poor in Africa,” and the artist’s vision is presented first. Following the road in the carving, Vincent de Paul meets and cares for the many types of poor persons in Kenya; the viewer goes on a similar journey. W. Barry Moriarty believes the carving can also represent the trajectory of Vincent’s life, ending in service to the poor. In Moriarty’s interpretation, Vincent’s life is presented within the context of an epic journey.

“The Journey of and to the Poor” is an article in the Vincentian Heritage Journal, Volume 31, Issue 1, Article 6 (2012) available at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/vhj/vol31/iss1/6

We Want the Best

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J. Patrick Murphy argues that for Vincentian educational institutions to fulfill their mission, their leadership must model Vincentian values. It is also essential to hire faculty who will put those values and mission into practice. It is better to employ people whose personal principles match those of the Vincentians than it is to hire candidates who look the best qualified on paper, but who do not connect with the mission. The greatest results come from asking people to do their best and providing a work environment in which they can do that. Once hiring is done, leaders must continually educate faculty in Vincentian values. This fosters their own initiative to engage with the mission.

“We Want the Best” is an article published in 2005 in the Vincentian Heritage Journal, Volume 26, Issue 1, Article 3 and is available at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/vhj/vol26/iss1/3

 

The Formative Years of a Saint: Vincent de Paul: 1595–1617

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This investigation of Vincent de Paul’s formative years reveals his humanity and shows his sanctity was achieved slowly, not as the result of dramatic events as tradition holds. The first part of this work covers the period between his schooling in Dax and his 1605 disappearance. The second explores the Tunisian captivity. The third consists of the time between his arrival in Paris and the mission at Folleville. The main assertions follow. Vincent probably was ordained earlier than the prescribed age of twenty-four. Such irregular ordinations were common at the time. Contrary to tradition, he did contest the possession of the parish of Tilh. The Tunisian captivity probably never occurred. The letters Vincent wrote describing it are genuine, but have many inconsistencies. Moreover, he never spoke about this time. He was distressed when the letters were rediscovered and attempted to get them back and have them destroyed. The embellishments, inaccuracies, and controversy surrounding this tradition are explained in detail. Finally, modern scholarship holds that Vincent had a gradual conversion. The stories about the false accusation of theft and the temptation against faith are untrue. The rebuttal to the first is given at length, while the one for the second is a summary.

“The Formative Years of a Saint: Vincent de Paul: 1595-1617” is an article published in the Vincentian Heritage Journal, Volume 13, Issue 2, Article 1 (1992) available at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/vhj/vol13/iss2/1

 

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