Vincentian Studies Institute
Encyclopedia
The Vincentian Studies Institute of the United States (VSI), at DePaul University
, Chicago
, is a Roman Catholic organization with a mission to promote the Vincentian Family
.
The Institute, founded in 1979, is sponsored by the ten provinces of the Congregation of the Mission (the Lazarists
or Vincentians) and the Company of the Daughters of Charity
in the United States. The Institute's mission is to promote a living interest in the historical, spiritual and charitable heritage of the Vincentian family in following Jesus Christ, the Evangelizer of the Poor and the source and model of all charity, under the patronage of Saint Vincent de Paul, (1581–1660) and Saint Louise de Marillac, (1591–1660). The Institute is now sponsored by DePaul University
and is part of the university’s Office of Mission and Values.
The Institute publishes a bi-annual academic journal
entitled Vincentian Heritage, a scholarly monograph
series, and a wide variety of translations and original works in the Vincentian tradition.
The organization periodically offers continuing education opportunities and symposia
, and also collaborates with a variety of other programs intended to promote a greater understanding of the Vincentian history and tradition.
Barnes & Noble
, in collaboration with the Institute, sponsors a Vincentian Heritage department as part of their bookstore service to DePaul University. This site offers a wide selection of Vincentian Heritage books, cards, and artwork.
The Institute seeks opportunities to collaborate with all branches of the Vincentian family in the United States, to build upon shared values and traditions.
mandate that religious communities renew themselves in light of the "signs of the times." The council suggested that this renewal take place within the context of a careful self-reflection on the charism
by each community.
A more remote origin of the Institute can be found in the work done by a variety of French
Vincentian historians beginning in the mid-nineteenth century after the Congregation of the Mission's post-revolutionary restoration. The fourteenth superior general, Jean-Baptiste Étienne (1801–1874), had a lively concern for the preservation of the "primitive spirit" of the Vincentians and Daughters of Charity. He and his successors commissioned a variety of materials including the Annales de la Congrégation de la Mission, editions of selected letters of Vincent de Paul, editions of community documents, and a multi-volume history of the Congregation of the Mission. Confreres such as Gabriel Perboyre, Jean-Baptiste Pémartin, Félix Contassot, Jean Parrang, Fernand Combaluzier, Pierre Coste, and André Dodin are representatives of this French school of Vincentian historiography
. Their labors established the foundation for all contemporary work in Vincentian studies.
In the early 1970s there was an attempt to found an organization similar to what would become the Vincentian Studies Institute. The inspiration for this idea was the Jesuit Historical Institute in Rome
and the Academy of American Franciscan
History then located in Bethesda, Maryland
. The idea was that the American Vincentians should have a similar organization. The Provincial and Vice-Provincials of the western region of the United States initially accepted this proposal but, for reasons that are not entirely clear, nothing came of it at that time.
In 1973, the Very Reverend James Richardson
, C.M., the superior general of the Congregation of the Mission and the Company of the Daughters of Charity, met with the Visitors (provincial superiors) of the United States provinces. He requested that they undertake a new translation into modern American English of the correspondence, conferences and documents of Saint Vincent de Paul. This meant of course the translation of Pierre Coste's monumental fourteen volume French edition originally published from 1920-1926. This new edition would also include those materials discovered since the Coste translation.
After the 1974 General Assembly of the Congregation of the Mission Reverend Richardson established the Group International d'Etudes Vincentiennes (G.I.E.V.). Two American confreres, including John Carven, C.M. (USA East) and Stafford Poole
, C.M. (USA West), were involved in this effort. The objectives of this organization were: (1) to promote scientific Vincentian studies and assure their dissemination; (2) to make known Vincentian thought and spirituality; and (3) to help the members of the Vincentian Community learn more about their heritage.
The organization proved unsatisfactory, in part because of a lack of clarity about its purpose and functioning and the infrequency of its meetings. Because of displeasure with it, a revised organization was proposed and approved by the General Assembly of the Congregation of the Mission in 1980. It was known as the Secrétariat International d'Etudes Vincentiennes (S.I.E.V.), and is still in existence.
A preliminary proposal was drawn up and submitted to the Vincentian Conference (composd of the five United States Visitors) in October 1978. The response was favorable, and the organizers were authorized to have two meetings in which to draft a constitution, bylaws, and prepare a preliminary budget. The two organizational meetings were held at Kenrick Seminary in Saint Louis, Missouri (November 1978), and Mater Dei Provincial House, Evansville, Indiana
(March 1979). Out of these meetings came the Constitution and By-laws approved by the Vincentian Conference in October 1979. The following March the organization began its work with a meeting held at Saint John's Seminary College, Camarillo, California
.
The first election for a presiding officer resulted in a tie. Since the newly-adopted constitution did not provide for this eventuality, the choice was decided by a flip of the coin. The late Reverend Frederick Easterly, C.M. (USA East) thus became the first presiding officer of the Vincentian Studies Institute. During the mid-1980s and early 1990s, Reverend John Rybolt, C.M. (USA Midwest) served three terms as Presiding Officer. In 1993, Reverend Edward Udovic, C.M., succeeded him as Presiding Officer.
At the beginning of the Institute each of the five Vincentian provinces appointed members and provided annual funding. In 1982, the Visitatrixes of the United States provinces of the Daughters of Charity agreed to appoint sisters representing their provinces to the group without, however, accepting a formal role in sponsorship or funding. This arrangement would last for the next ten years. The organization has since met twice annually, in fall and spring, in various locations across the country. Until 1995, the headquarters of the Vincentian Studies Institute was located at Saint Mary's of the Barrens in Perryville, Missouri
.
A major change in the Institute's governance took place in 1992 when the five United States provinces of the Daughters of Charity agreed to join the five Vincentian provinces as the organization's corporate sponsors. Corporately becoming the Institute's "Governing Body" the ten provincial superiors approved a new set of constitutions and bylaws in 1994. The Governing Body meets annually to review the work of the Institute, its performance, strategic plan, and to approve its budget.
At the same time the organization created a category of at-large membership to allow for members in addition to those appointed by the respective provincial superiors as representatives of the ten provinces. The terms for all members are five years and are renewable. In the fall of 2000 the Institute welcomed its first at-large member from outside the Congregation of the Mission and the Daughters of Charity: Sister Regina Bechtle, S.C., of the Sisters of Charity
of New York. In 2002, Dr. Simone Zurawski of the Department of Art and Art History at DePaul University joined the Institute as its first lay at-large member.
Over the years the Institute's work has been made possible by a succession of members representing the various provinces. Several of these former members have died including, Reverends Frederick Easterly, C.M. (USA East), William Eigel, C.M. (USA Midwest), James King, C.M. (USA East), Warren Dicharry, C.M. (USA South), Frederic Braakhuis, C.M. (USA Midwest); Sisters Mary Basil Roarke, D.C. (USA Northeast), Hilda McGinnis, D.C. (USA West), Jacqueline Kilar, D.C. (USA Southeast), and Virginia Kingsbury, D.C. (USA East Central).
For its part DePaul University has the institutional goal of becoming the premier international site for Vincentian Studies. The mission synergies afforded both to the university and the Institute by its presence at DePaul are wide ranging. The library's Special Collections division has established a collection of rare and out-of-print Vincentian volumes to complement the V.S.I. Library. As a part of this collection is a section called "Vincent's reading list." These works are those specifically mentioned by Vincent in his extant correspondence or conferences. There is also a Vincentiana Collection dedicated to material items that reflect Vincentian culture and experience over the centuries as experienced on a day-to-day basis. Also in 2001, the Midwest Province of the Congregation of the Mission relocated its DeAndreis-Rosati Memorial Archives to the university as part of this Vincentian research center.
Over the last twenty-five years 42 issues of Vincentian Heritage have appeared, representing the work of 133 authors, and totaling 5,574 pages. The journal has published two commemorative issues, dedicated to the Very Reverends William Slattery, C.M. (the 19th superior general from 1947–1968) and James Richardson, C.M. (the 20th superior general 1968-1981) at the time of their deaths. Three issues have been dedicated to the papers given at various national symposia, and one featured the papers of a Vincentian Heritage symposium held at DePaul University, Chicago, in 1992. In collaboration with the Sisters of Charity Federation in the Vincentian-Setonian tradition the Vincentian Heritage has published two issues dedicated to papers delivered at national Seton symposia.
The journal developed from a somewhat homespun effort to one that can now proudly stand next to any of its peers. Approximately every five years, the Institute undertakes a survey designed to gauge readers' reactions. The results of these surveys have indicated high levels of interest and approval from subscribers.
These works have in subsequent years been followed by the publication of other translations, reprints, magazines and original research in Vincentian history and spirituality. This latter group included the 1995 Paulist Press publication of Vincent de Paul and Louise de Marillac: Rules, Conferences, Writings. This volume was co-edited by Reverend John Rybolt, C.M. (USA Midwest) and Sister Frances Ryan, D.C. (USA East Central).
The V.S.I. has also undertaken two archival microfilming projects producing microfilm editions of the Annales de la Congrégation de la Mission, as well as materials in the archives of the General Curia of the Congregation of the Mission in Rome concerning the United States provinces.
In 2006-07 the Institute published A Vincentian Guide to France, a comprehensive look at important Vincentian Family sites in the country of Vincent’s birth, by Rev. John Rybolt, C.M.
The second monograph published in 2001 was Rev. Edward Udovic, C.M.'s, Jean-Baptiste Étienne and the Vincentian Revival. The third monograph, authored by Rev. John Rybolt, C.M., was entitled Frontier Missionary: Felix de Andreis, C.M. 1778-1820 Correspondence and Historical Writings, and was released in 2005. In 2007 the Institute published a biographical study by Sister Louise Sullivan, D.C. (USA Northeast), titled Sister Rosalie Rendu: A Daughter of Charity On Fire with Love for the Poor. Projected future volumes include, among others, Rev. Udovic's translation and annotated edition of Henri de Maupas du Tour's November 1660 funeral oration for Saint Vincent de Paul.
The next continuing education effort sponsored by the Institute began in June 1997. After extensive consultation, the membership determined that a pressing issue in contemporary Vincentian experience was mission-based leadership development. This led to the choice of the theme for the resulting national symposium: Vincentian National Leadership Symposium: Unfolding the Legacy of Our Mission. The effort proved so successful that the Institute repeated the symposium three times in November 1997, September 1998, and November 1999. This offering drew a wide representation from all branches of the Vincentian family. The organization is presently discerning a future direction for these Vincentian leadership development efforts especially in collaboration with the Hay Vincentian Leadership Institute at DePaul University in Chicago.
Evaluations of these programs have been uniformly high. A total of 459 members of the Vincentian Family have attended the six national symposia.
Recently, the Institute held a national symposium in Chicago for Vincentian archivists in conjunction with the celebration of its 25th anniversary in April 2004. The theme of the conference was Vincentian Archives for the 21st century: The Records of Our Past Look to Our Future.
In the summer of 2003 the Institute sponsored its first Vincentian Family Heritage Tour to sites associated with Vincent de Paul and Louise de Marillac in Paris and throughout France. The thirty-five participants represented many branches of the Vincentian family in the United States. The success of this first effort has led to successive tour offerings.
Within the last several years the Institute made a commitment to foster collaborative ties with the Ladies of Charity, the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul
, and the Sisters of Charity Federation in the Vincentian-Setonian tradition. Sister Sheila O'Friel, D.C. (USA Northeast), has concentrated on the Ladies of Charity and the Saint Vincent de Paul Society, while Sister Betty Ann McNeil, D.C. (USA Emmitsburg Province), has worked with the Sisters of Charity Federation in the Vincentian-Setonian tradition. The Presiding Officer also attends the annual meeting of the heads of the Vincentian Family in the United States.
to support Vincentian research projects. A number of confreres, sisters, and lay scholars took advantage of this grant opportunity to support their Vincentian research, writing and publication. Since 2002 the Institute has expanded this program, offering up to $15,000 in grants annually. Two typical grants awarded in the recent past include: Sister Betty Ann McNeil's demographic study of the entrants into the Sisters of Charity of Saint Joseph in Emmitsburg, Maryland
, from 1809 to 1850, and the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul, United States Province (1850–1909); and Dr. Richard J. Janet of Rockhurst University
in Kansas City, Missouri
, who is researching for a book tentatively titled: In Missouri's Wilds: A History of Saint Mary's of the Barrens Seminary and College 1818-2000.
Given the long association of the Institute with DePaul, and given DePaul’s own Vincentian mission and institutional commitment to the Vincentian Heritage all sides readily agreed as to the desirability of this move. DePaul, for its part, pledged the financial resources to support the Institute as part of the university’s Office of Mission and Values, and also pledged to continue its traditional mission and forms of outreach to the wider Vincentian family in the United States. Both an editorial board and an advisory board have been established to help guide the Institute as it becomes part of the university on 1 July 2007.
DePaul University
DePaul University is a private institution of higher education and research in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by the Vincentians in 1898, the university takes its name from the 17th century French priest Saint Vincent de Paul...
, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, is a Roman Catholic organization with a mission to promote the Vincentian Family
Vincentian Family
Vincentian Family refers to organizations that are inspired by the life and work of St. Vincent de Paul, a 17th century priest who "transformed the face of France."...
.
The Institute, founded in 1979, is sponsored by the ten provinces of the Congregation of the Mission (the Lazarists
Lazarists
Congregation of the Mission is a vowed order of priests and brothers associated with the Vincentian Family, a loose federation of organizations who claim St. Vincent de Paul as their founder or Patron...
or Vincentians) and the Company of the Daughters of Charity
Daughters of Charity
The Company of the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul, sometimes simply referred to as Daughters of Charity, is a Society of Apostolic Life for women within the Catholic Church. Its members take simple, private, annual vows...
in the United States. The Institute's mission is to promote a living interest in the historical, spiritual and charitable heritage of the Vincentian family in following Jesus Christ, the Evangelizer of the Poor and the source and model of all charity, under the patronage of Saint Vincent de Paul, (1581–1660) and Saint Louise de Marillac, (1591–1660). The Institute is now sponsored by DePaul University
DePaul University
DePaul University is a private institution of higher education and research in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by the Vincentians in 1898, the university takes its name from the 17th century French priest Saint Vincent de Paul...
and is part of the university’s Office of Mission and Values.
The Institute publishes a bi-annual academic journal
Academic journal
An academic journal is a peer-reviewed periodical in which scholarship relating to a particular academic discipline is published. Academic journals serve as forums for the introduction and presentation for scrutiny of new research, and the critique of existing research...
entitled Vincentian Heritage, a scholarly monograph
Monograph
A monograph is a work of writing upon a single subject, usually by a single author.It is often a scholarly essay or learned treatise, and may be released in the manner of a book or journal article. It is by definition a single document that forms a complete text in itself...
series, and a wide variety of translations and original works in the Vincentian tradition.
The organization periodically offers continuing education opportunities and symposia
Academic conference
An academic conference or symposium is a conference for researchers to present and discuss their work. Together with academic or scientific journals, conferences provide an important channel for exchange of information between researchers.-Overview:Conferences are usually composed of various...
, and also collaborates with a variety of other programs intended to promote a greater understanding of the Vincentian history and tradition.
Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble, Inc. is the largest book retailer in the United States, operating mainly through its Barnes & Noble Booksellers chain of bookstores headquartered at 122 Fifth Avenue in the Flatiron District in Manhattan in New York City. Barnes & Noble also operated the chain of small B. Dalton...
, in collaboration with the Institute, sponsors a Vincentian Heritage department as part of their bookstore service to DePaul University. This site offers a wide selection of Vincentian Heritage books, cards, and artwork.
The Institute seeks opportunities to collaborate with all branches of the Vincentian family in the United States, to build upon shared values and traditions.
Origins
The origin of the Vincentian Studies Institute can be found in the Second Vatican Council'sSecond Vatican Council
The Second Vatican Council addressed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church and the second to be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed...
mandate that religious communities renew themselves in light of the "signs of the times." The council suggested that this renewal take place within the context of a careful self-reflection on the charism
Charism
In Christian theology, a charism in general denotes any good gift that flows from God's love to man. The word can also mean any of the spiritual graces and qualifications granted to every Christian to perform his or her task in the Church...
by each community.
A more remote origin of the Institute can be found in the work done by a variety of French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Vincentian historians beginning in the mid-nineteenth century after the Congregation of the Mission's post-revolutionary restoration. The fourteenth superior general, Jean-Baptiste Étienne (1801–1874), had a lively concern for the preservation of the "primitive spirit" of the Vincentians and Daughters of Charity. He and his successors commissioned a variety of materials including the Annales de la Congrégation de la Mission, editions of selected letters of Vincent de Paul, editions of community documents, and a multi-volume history of the Congregation of the Mission. Confreres such as Gabriel Perboyre, Jean-Baptiste Pémartin, Félix Contassot, Jean Parrang, Fernand Combaluzier, Pierre Coste, and André Dodin are representatives of this French school of Vincentian historiography
Historiography
Historiography refers either to the study of the history and methodology of history as a discipline, or to a body of historical work on a specialized topic...
. Their labors established the foundation for all contemporary work in Vincentian studies.
In the early 1970s there was an attempt to found an organization similar to what would become the Vincentian Studies Institute. The inspiration for this idea was the Jesuit Historical Institute in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
and the Academy of American Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
History then located in Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda is a census designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House , which in turn took its name from Jerusalem's Pool of Bethesda...
. The idea was that the American Vincentians should have a similar organization. The Provincial and Vice-Provincials of the western region of the United States initially accepted this proposal but, for reasons that are not entirely clear, nothing came of it at that time.
In 1973, the Very Reverend James Richardson
James Richardson
James Richardson may refer to:*James Richardson , Canadian businessman, Chief Marketing Officer of Cisco Systems*James Richardson , British...
, C.M., the superior general of the Congregation of the Mission and the Company of the Daughters of Charity, met with the Visitors (provincial superiors) of the United States provinces. He requested that they undertake a new translation into modern American English of the correspondence, conferences and documents of Saint Vincent de Paul. This meant of course the translation of Pierre Coste's monumental fourteen volume French edition originally published from 1920-1926. This new edition would also include those materials discovered since the Coste translation.
After the 1974 General Assembly of the Congregation of the Mission Reverend Richardson established the Group International d'Etudes Vincentiennes (G.I.E.V.). Two American confreres, including John Carven, C.M. (USA East) and Stafford Poole
Stafford Poole
The Reverend Stafford Poole, C.M., is a priest, full-time research historian, formerly a history professor and president of St. John's Seminary College in Camarillo, California. He is known for his extensive writings about the Virgin of Guadalupe.Poole was born in Oxnard, California, the son of...
, C.M. (USA West), were involved in this effort. The objectives of this organization were: (1) to promote scientific Vincentian studies and assure their dissemination; (2) to make known Vincentian thought and spirituality; and (3) to help the members of the Vincentian Community learn more about their heritage.
The organization proved unsatisfactory, in part because of a lack of clarity about its purpose and functioning and the infrequency of its meetings. Because of displeasure with it, a revised organization was proposed and approved by the General Assembly of the Congregation of the Mission in 1980. It was known as the Secrétariat International d'Etudes Vincentiennes (S.I.E.V.), and is still in existence.
Foundation, Growth and Membership
In 1978, at an annual G.I.E.V. meeting held at Niagara University, New York, a number of representatives of the North American Provinces attended, including Reverends John Carven, C.M. (USA East), Stafford Poole, C.M. (USA West), James King, C.M. (USA East), Frederick Easterly, C.M. (USA East), William Eigel, C.M. (USA Midwest), John Rybolt, C.M. (USA Midwest) and Douglas Slawson, C.M. (USA West). These confreres had the idea of forming a national organization for the study of Vincentian history and spirituality. They felt that a national version of the international organization would be better able to serve the needs of the United States provinces. There was also discussion of a possible role in the organization for the Daughters of Charity.A preliminary proposal was drawn up and submitted to the Vincentian Conference (composd of the five United States Visitors) in October 1978. The response was favorable, and the organizers were authorized to have two meetings in which to draft a constitution, bylaws, and prepare a preliminary budget. The two organizational meetings were held at Kenrick Seminary in Saint Louis, Missouri (November 1978), and Mater Dei Provincial House, Evansville, Indiana
Evansville, Indiana
Evansville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Indiana and the largest city in Southern Indiana. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 117,429. It is the county seat of Vanderburgh County and the regional hub for both Southwestern Indiana and the...
(March 1979). Out of these meetings came the Constitution and By-laws approved by the Vincentian Conference in October 1979. The following March the organization began its work with a meeting held at Saint John's Seminary College, Camarillo, California
Camarillo, California
Camarillo is a city in Ventura County, California, United States. The population was 65,201 at the 2010 census, up from 57,084 at the 2000 census. The Ventura Freeway Camarillo is a city in Ventura County, California, United States. The population was 65,201 at the 2010 census, up from 57,084 at...
.
The first election for a presiding officer resulted in a tie. Since the newly-adopted constitution did not provide for this eventuality, the choice was decided by a flip of the coin. The late Reverend Frederick Easterly, C.M. (USA East) thus became the first presiding officer of the Vincentian Studies Institute. During the mid-1980s and early 1990s, Reverend John Rybolt, C.M. (USA Midwest) served three terms as Presiding Officer. In 1993, Reverend Edward Udovic, C.M., succeeded him as Presiding Officer.
At the beginning of the Institute each of the five Vincentian provinces appointed members and provided annual funding. In 1982, the Visitatrixes of the United States provinces of the Daughters of Charity agreed to appoint sisters representing their provinces to the group without, however, accepting a formal role in sponsorship or funding. This arrangement would last for the next ten years. The organization has since met twice annually, in fall and spring, in various locations across the country. Until 1995, the headquarters of the Vincentian Studies Institute was located at Saint Mary's of the Barrens in Perryville, Missouri
Perryville, Missouri
Perryville is a city in Perry County, Missouri, United States. The population was 7,667 at the 2000 census. The 2008 estimated population is 8,172. It is the county seat of Perry County.-Governance:...
.
A major change in the Institute's governance took place in 1992 when the five United States provinces of the Daughters of Charity agreed to join the five Vincentian provinces as the organization's corporate sponsors. Corporately becoming the Institute's "Governing Body" the ten provincial superiors approved a new set of constitutions and bylaws in 1994. The Governing Body meets annually to review the work of the Institute, its performance, strategic plan, and to approve its budget.
At the same time the organization created a category of at-large membership to allow for members in addition to those appointed by the respective provincial superiors as representatives of the ten provinces. The terms for all members are five years and are renewable. In the fall of 2000 the Institute welcomed its first at-large member from outside the Congregation of the Mission and the Daughters of Charity: Sister Regina Bechtle, S.C., of the Sisters of Charity
Sisters of Charity
Many religious communities have the term Sisters of Charity as part of their name. The rule of Saint Vincent for the Daughters of Charity has been adopted and adapted by at least sixty founders of religious orders around the world in the subsequent centuries....
of New York. In 2002, Dr. Simone Zurawski of the Department of Art and Art History at DePaul University joined the Institute as its first lay at-large member.
Over the years the Institute's work has been made possible by a succession of members representing the various provinces. Several of these former members have died including, Reverends Frederick Easterly, C.M. (USA East), William Eigel, C.M. (USA Midwest), James King, C.M. (USA East), Warren Dicharry, C.M. (USA South), Frederic Braakhuis, C.M. (USA Midwest); Sisters Mary Basil Roarke, D.C. (USA Northeast), Hilda McGinnis, D.C. (USA West), Jacqueline Kilar, D.C. (USA Southeast), and Virginia Kingsbury, D.C. (USA East Central).
Move to Chicago
In 1995, the headquarters of the Vincentian Studies Institute relocated to the John Richardson Library of DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois. The university donates office, storage and inventory space, and provides support and technology services. The V.S.I. organizational archives are now also housed at the university's archives. In 1997, with the retirement of the Executive Secretary Gerry Hartel and the editor Reverend Stafford Poole, C.M., the Institute hired Mr. Nathaniel Michaud to serve as Publications Editor and Executive Director.Collaboration with DePaul University
Also in 1995, with the closing of the Midwest Province's Saint Thomas Theological Seminary in Denver, Colorado, the Vincentian history and spirituality sections of the seminary library were donated to the Vincentian Studies Institute. In 2001, the remaining Vincentian volumes from the seminary library collection at Saint Mary's of the Barrens in Perryville, Missouri, were transferred to the V.S.I. library at DePaul. The Richardson Library at the university maintains this non-circulating research collection. The Institute continues to add newly published Vincentian titles.For its part DePaul University has the institutional goal of becoming the premier international site for Vincentian Studies. The mission synergies afforded both to the university and the Institute by its presence at DePaul are wide ranging. The library's Special Collections division has established a collection of rare and out-of-print Vincentian volumes to complement the V.S.I. Library. As a part of this collection is a section called "Vincent's reading list." These works are those specifically mentioned by Vincent in his extant correspondence or conferences. There is also a Vincentiana Collection dedicated to material items that reflect Vincentian culture and experience over the centuries as experienced on a day-to-day basis. Also in 2001, the Midwest Province of the Congregation of the Mission relocated its DeAndreis-Rosati Memorial Archives to the university as part of this Vincentian research center.
The Vincentian Heritage Journal
The mission adopted by the Vincentian Studies Institute was to "promote a living interest in the Vincentian Heritage." The organization began its work with the publication of a journal entitled Vincentian Heritage. From 1979-1982 the Institute published one issue per year. Beginning in 1983 it began appearing bi-annually. The first editor was Reverend John Carven, C.M. (USA East). Reverend Stafford Poole, C.M. (USA West) succeeded him in 1986. In 1997, the Institute hired its first lay editor, Mr. Michaud.Over the last twenty-five years 42 issues of Vincentian Heritage have appeared, representing the work of 133 authors, and totaling 5,574 pages. The journal has published two commemorative issues, dedicated to the Very Reverends William Slattery, C.M. (the 19th superior general from 1947–1968) and James Richardson, C.M. (the 20th superior general 1968-1981) at the time of their deaths. Three issues have been dedicated to the papers given at various national symposia, and one featured the papers of a Vincentian Heritage symposium held at DePaul University, Chicago, in 1992. In collaboration with the Sisters of Charity Federation in the Vincentian-Setonian tradition the Vincentian Heritage has published two issues dedicated to papers delivered at national Seton symposia.
The journal developed from a somewhat homespun effort to one that can now proudly stand next to any of its peers. Approximately every five years, the Institute undertakes a survey designed to gauge readers' reactions. The results of these surveys have indicated high levels of interest and approval from subscribers.
Other publications
After several years concentrating on the journal's development, the Institute undertook a new phase of its research and publishing mission in 1987 by sponsoring the reprint of Joseph Leonard's English translation of Coste's three-volume biography of Saint Vincent. In 1989, the Institute published two popular histories of the Congregation of the Mission and the Daughters of Charity in the United States. These were followed in 1993 by the first English annotated translation of Louis Abelly's 1664 biography of Saint Vincent de Paul.These works have in subsequent years been followed by the publication of other translations, reprints, magazines and original research in Vincentian history and spirituality. This latter group included the 1995 Paulist Press publication of Vincent de Paul and Louise de Marillac: Rules, Conferences, Writings. This volume was co-edited by Reverend John Rybolt, C.M. (USA Midwest) and Sister Frances Ryan, D.C. (USA East Central).
The V.S.I. has also undertaken two archival microfilming projects producing microfilm editions of the Annales de la Congrégation de la Mission, as well as materials in the archives of the General Curia of the Congregation of the Mission in Rome concerning the United States provinces.
In 2006-07 the Institute published A Vincentian Guide to France, a comprehensive look at important Vincentian Family sites in the country of Vincent’s birth, by Rev. John Rybolt, C.M.
Monograph Series
In 1996, the Institute published Sister Betty Ann McNeil, D.C.'s (USA Emmitsburg Province) monograph, The Vincentian Family Tree. This first ever "genealogical" study of "Institutes of Consecrated Life, Societies of Apostolic Life, Lay Associations and Non-Catholic Religious institutes in the Vincentian Tradition" was a significant contribution to the development of national and international Vincentian family relationships. This work represented the first of a planned series of scholarly monographs to be published periodically by the Institute.The second monograph published in 2001 was Rev. Edward Udovic, C.M.'s, Jean-Baptiste Étienne and the Vincentian Revival. The third monograph, authored by Rev. John Rybolt, C.M., was entitled Frontier Missionary: Felix de Andreis, C.M. 1778-1820 Correspondence and Historical Writings, and was released in 2005. In 2007 the Institute published a biographical study by Sister Louise Sullivan, D.C. (USA Northeast), titled Sister Rosalie Rendu: A Daughter of Charity On Fire with Love for the Poor. Projected future volumes include, among others, Rev. Udovic's translation and annotated edition of Henri de Maupas du Tour's November 1660 funeral oration for Saint Vincent de Paul.
Continuing Education
As the 1980s drew to a close the Institute explored new avenues of fulfilling its mission: particularly in the area of continuing education. In June 1989, the organization sponsored a national symposium entitled: The Age of Gold: The Roots of Our Tradition. This event, which examined the French spiritual roots of the Vincentian tradition, took place at Saint Mary's of the Barrens in Perryville, Missouri. Two years later, in 1991, to mark the 400th anniversary of the birth of Saint Louise de Marillac, the Institute sponsored a second national symposium at Marillac Provincial House, Saint Louis, Missouri.The next continuing education effort sponsored by the Institute began in June 1997. After extensive consultation, the membership determined that a pressing issue in contemporary Vincentian experience was mission-based leadership development. This led to the choice of the theme for the resulting national symposium: Vincentian National Leadership Symposium: Unfolding the Legacy of Our Mission. The effort proved so successful that the Institute repeated the symposium three times in November 1997, September 1998, and November 1999. This offering drew a wide representation from all branches of the Vincentian family. The organization is presently discerning a future direction for these Vincentian leadership development efforts especially in collaboration with the Hay Vincentian Leadership Institute at DePaul University in Chicago.
Evaluations of these programs have been uniformly high. A total of 459 members of the Vincentian Family have attended the six national symposia.
Recently, the Institute held a national symposium in Chicago for Vincentian archivists in conjunction with the celebration of its 25th anniversary in April 2004. The theme of the conference was Vincentian Archives for the 21st century: The Records of Our Past Look to Our Future.
"Double Family" to the "Vincentian Family"
From the time of its first continuing education efforts, the Institute noticed a growing awareness of a network of relationships within the charism in the United States that Vincentians, Daughters of Charity and others have now come to very familiarly call the "Vincentian Family." For the last ten years the Vincentian Studies Institute has sought to expand its mission from the narrower concept of serving the "Double Family," to the much broader national and international reality encompassed by the concept of serving the "Vincentian Family." It would not be inappropriate to say that the Institute has been a leader in this movement.In the summer of 2003 the Institute sponsored its first Vincentian Family Heritage Tour to sites associated with Vincent de Paul and Louise de Marillac in Paris and throughout France. The thirty-five participants represented many branches of the Vincentian family in the United States. The success of this first effort has led to successive tour offerings.
Within the last several years the Institute made a commitment to foster collaborative ties with the Ladies of Charity, the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul
Society of Saint Vincent de Paul
The St Vincent de Paul Society is an international Roman Catholic voluntary organization dedicated to tackling poverty and disadvantage by providing direct practical assistance to anyone in need. Active in England & Wales since 1844, today it continues to address social and material need in all...
, and the Sisters of Charity Federation in the Vincentian-Setonian tradition. Sister Sheila O'Friel, D.C. (USA Northeast), has concentrated on the Ladies of Charity and the Saint Vincent de Paul Society, while Sister Betty Ann McNeil, D.C. (USA Emmitsburg Province), has worked with the Sisters of Charity Federation in the Vincentian-Setonian tradition. The Presiding Officer also attends the annual meeting of the heads of the Vincentian Family in the United States.
Research Grants
Beginning in the late 1980s the V.S.I. provided occasional grantsGrant (money)
Grants are funds disbursed by one party , often a Government Department, Corporation, Foundation or Trust, to a recipient, often a nonprofit entity, educational institution, business or an individual. In order to receive a grant, some form of "Grant Writing" often referred to as either a proposal...
to support Vincentian research projects. A number of confreres, sisters, and lay scholars took advantage of this grant opportunity to support their Vincentian research, writing and publication. Since 2002 the Institute has expanded this program, offering up to $15,000 in grants annually. Two typical grants awarded in the recent past include: Sister Betty Ann McNeil's demographic study of the entrants into the Sisters of Charity of Saint Joseph in Emmitsburg, Maryland
Emmitsburg, Maryland
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 2,290 people, 811 households, and 553 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,992.9 people per square mile . There were 862 housing units at an average density of 750.2 per square mile...
, from 1809 to 1850, and the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul, United States Province (1850–1909); and Dr. Richard J. Janet of Rockhurst University
Rockhurst University
Rockhurst University is a private, coeducational Jesuit university located in Kansas City, Missouri, founded in 1910 as Rockhurst College. The school adheres to the motto etched into the stone of the campus bell tower: "Learning, Leadership, and Service in the Jesuit Tradition." It is one of 28...
in Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, who is researching for a book tentatively titled: In Missouri's Wilds: A History of Saint Mary's of the Barrens Seminary and College 1818-2000.
On the Web
In 1998 the Institute's web site first made its appearance, and it has grown exponentially in scope and depth over the years. DePaul University hosts the site. Regularly updated, the site provides in-depth information about the V.S.I.'s mission and its activities. Beginning in the late 1980s the Institute received increasing numbers of inquiries concerning the availability of back issues of our publications, Vincentian titles released by other publishers, and Vincentian Heritage art, post cards, medals, posters and other devotional items. After its 1995 move to Chicago, the Institute experimented with a variety of outsourcing options for the bookstore operations. Since 2007 the Barnes & Noble has managed this e-commerce enterprise.Transition: The V.S.I. at DePaul University
Through a prayerful discernment with the V.S.I. membership, the institute’s Governing Body concluded in 2006 that the time for a transition in sponsorship had arrived. An institutional candidate to take over sponsorship was immediately apparent: DePaul University.Given the long association of the Institute with DePaul, and given DePaul’s own Vincentian mission and institutional commitment to the Vincentian Heritage all sides readily agreed as to the desirability of this move. DePaul, for its part, pledged the financial resources to support the Institute as part of the university’s Office of Mission and Values, and also pledged to continue its traditional mission and forms of outreach to the wider Vincentian family in the United States. Both an editorial board and an advisory board have been established to help guide the Institute as it becomes part of the university on 1 July 2007.
Further reading
- Edward R. Udovic, C.M., "The First Twenty-Five Years of the Vincentian Studies Institute of the United States (1979-2004)," Vincentian Heritage 23-25:1 (2005), 127-137.
External links
- Vincentian Studies Institute Official Site of the V.S.I.
- Office of Mission and Values at DePaul University
- DePaul University
- DeAndreis-Rosati Memorial Archives
- DePaul University Special Collections & Archives
- Congregation of the Mission
- Daughters of Charity
- Sisters of Charity
- Vincentian Encyclopedia