Videos

Vincent the Charismatic

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“Vincent the Charismatic” is a chapter from the book, Saint Vincent de Paul: His Mind and His Manner, by Fr. Jack Melito, C.M., published in 2010 by the Vincentian Studies Institute at DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois.  Reflecting on the tremendous accomplishments of Vincent de Paul’s life, the author labels that body of work as “ministry with impact.”  The “fire” of love for the poor that burned so fiercely in Vincent’s heart was the impetus that drove his life’s action.  However, unlike the flashy “charismatic” one might encounter today, Vincent de Paul’s humility ruled the day and allowed him to see the true nature of his being as merely an instrument of God’s working.

Saint Vincent de Paul: His Mind and His Manner is currently out of print.

 

Elizabeth Seton: Her World and Her Church

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The first part of this article gives the political, social, economic, and religious context of the world in which Elizabeth Seton lived. The second part describes the establishment and work of the Sisters of Charity. Education for all was important to early Americans, largely because everyone was supposed to read the Bible. Women had more agency than their European counterparts, although their influence was still mostly confined to the home. They were charged with instilling morality in children, and through them, in society in general. This was reflected in the curriculum of Elizabeth Seton’s school, Saint Joseph’s Academy. The outlook and influence of John Carroll, the United States’ first bishop whose diocese comprised the entire country, is discussed. He was a friend of Elizabeth’s and was among those who supported the opening of Saint Joseph’s. Enlightenment ideals, especially openness, tolerance, and optimism about human nature, were embodied in the attitudes and work of the Sisters of Charity.

“Elizabeth Seton: Her World and Her Church” is an article published in the Vincentian Heritage Journal, Volume 14, Issue 2, Article 1, (1993) and is available at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/vhj/vol14/iss2/1

 

The Vincentian Question

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As a church historian specializing in the history of the Congregation of the Mission (Vincentians), Fr. Edward R. Udovic, C.M. addresses the historical context for the development of the “Vincentian Question: What Must Be Done?”  In this original essay, he speaks to the conditions of early 17th Century France and the responses of those involved in the Catholic Reformation of that time and how Vincent became the most prominent guide for channeling that spiritual movement into effective, practical action.

A modern-day application and recasting of this talk by Fr. Udovic is available at: youtube.com/watch?v=MK7sMN11p6s

 

Vincent’s Values: A Spiritual Perspective

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In an original essay, Fr. Edward R. Udovic, C.M., reflects on those traditional five virtues that Vincent de Paul identified as requisite for living like Jesus, the Evangelizer of the Poor.  Notifying the need for each era to translate those virtues into meaningful terms that inspire personal conversion, he suggests re-framing them as follows:  humility is lived by being realistic; simplicity by being honest; meekness by being approachable; mortification by being self-disciplined; and zeal by being hard-working.

Frédéric Ozanam: Systemic Thinking, and Systemic Change

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The terms “systemic thinking” and “systemic change” were not used in Frederic Ozanam’s day, but aspects of his perspective and some of his methods for combating poverty fall under those categories. Peter Senge’s framework for systemic thinking is applied to Ozanam’s work. This article also describes how Ozanam’s efforts correspond to strategies identified in the Vincentian publication Seeds of Hope: Stories of Systemic Change. In Ozanam’s view, poor persons should be treated with dignity, and he had a practical understanding of how poverty could be alleviated. The organizational model and processes of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul are explained. It was important to Ozanam to create a flexible worldwide network that could use experience to form sustainable solutions to poverty. There was reciprocity to the Society’s charity. Poor persons were empowered, and the Society’s members were transformed in their attitudes and grew in holiness through service and theological reflection. To bring about a fairer and more charitable world, both individuals and society had to be transformed.

“Frederic Ozanam: Systemic Thinking, and Systemic Change” is an article published in the Vincentian Heritage Journal, Volume 32, Issue 1, Article 4 (2014) and is available at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/vhj/vol32/iss1/4

 

Reflections on Service to the Poor

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Fr. James Cormack, C.M., reflects on the Vincentian charism from his own experience. Vincentian service is a call from God’s love to return that love. It requires seeing Christ crucified in persons who are poor. It takes faith but also deepens faith. As Cormack sees them, the main qualities of the charism are compassion, courage, weakness, a commitment to smallness, and a change of heart. Weakness is necessary because we must recognize that we, too, need help and that the strength to serve comes from God. A commitment to smallness entails being satisfied with doing ordinary things; if we desire personal fulfillment too much, we risk ignoring the poor’s needs. A change of heart means not only loving but also being open to having love and service reciprocated. The charism requires people who can work without seeing the goals of their service fulfilled and who are consumed by the desire to serve.

“Reflections on Service to the Poor” is an article published in the Vincentian Heritage Journal, Volume 13, Issue 2, Article 5 (1992) and is available at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/vhj/vol13/iss2/5

 

 

St. Vincent and Sustainability

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In this reflection, Scott Kelley, PhD, imagines a conversation with Vincent de Paul in which he explains to Vincent the earth’s current ecological, economic, and technological challenges to sustainability.  As these were not within the imagining of Vincent in his day, Dr. Kelley describes the issues then imagines what Vincent would say in offering guidance.  Reflecting on Vincent’s Christ the Evangelizer, especially as Evangelizer of the poor, Scott offers five ways that we can bring good news to the poor today.

This reflection is unpublished at present.

What about the Poor? Nineteenth-Century Paris and the Revival of Vincentian Charity

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During the Industrial Revolution, poor persons constituted up to half the population of Paris. They were considered to be criminal, and their poverty was seen as a punishment for this. The Church believed the traditional social order was divinely ordained. The rich were to be charitable and the poor were to be resigned to their status; these conditions were necessary for the salvation of both groups. In the Church’s eyes, the rich and the poor each contributed to the gap between them, and they could only be reconciled by returning to Christian values and the traditional social hierarchy. It was the Church’s responsibility to guide this reconciliation. The Congregation, the Daughters of Charity, and the Ladies of Charity, which had been dissolved during the Revolution, were refounded under Jean-Baptiste Etienne in the nineteenth century. They tried to combat poverty worldwide. As the first group of sisters to be supported by the French government after the Revolution, the Daughters of Charity served as the basis for the new Vincentian mission. The Ladies of Charity’s work, which was under the Daughters’ direction, is discussed. The article also describes Etienne’s view of the world and of the Vincentian mission in detail.

“What about the Poor? Nineteenth-Century Paris and the Revival of Vincentian Charity” is an article published in the Vincentian Heritage Journal, Volume 14, Issue 1, Article 5 (1993) and is available at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/vhj/vol14/iss1/5

 

No Small Matter: Leadership for Institutional Culture in Vincentian Higher Education

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The consideration of “Vincentian leadership” exists within the larger context of the loss of religious personnel from Catholic universities across the United States. For the religious mission and identity to remain strong at these institutions, Vincentian leaders must leverage a primarily lay-led, self-sustaining culture.

“No Small Matter: Leadership for Institutional Culture in Vincentian Higher Education” is an article in the Vincentian Heritage Journal, Volume 26, Issue 1, Article 8 (2005) and is available at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/vhj/vol26/iss1/8

 

The Gifts of Saint Louise de Marillac: The Future of the Legacy

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Louise de Marillac was a woman of many gifts. She learned to wait patiently to discover God’s will and then she did it. She had tremendous organizational abilities. She related well to a wide variety of people and imparted that ability to others. Louise helped others cultivate their capacities for service by “collaborating humbly” with them. An independent thinker, she had talent for seeing long-term consequences. Examples from Louise’s life illustrate her gifts. Some of the main aspects of her spirituality, drawn from her testament, are also described.

“The Gifts of Saint Louise de Marillac: The Future of the Legacy” is an article published in the Vincentian Heritage Journal, Volume 12, Issue 2, Article 10 (1991) available at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/vhj/vol12/iss2/10