St. John's University looks to St. Vincent dePaul (1581-1660),
founder of the Congregation of the Mission, for its vision and
inspiration. From southern France, Vincent pursued the priesthood
as a way to assure a comfortable life. Through a profound
conversion experience in his early ministry, Vincent unraveled the
central paradox of life: it is in giving that one receives. In a
Paris marked by great affluence enjoyed by a few as well as by dire
poverty endured by the masses. Vincent discovered that one finds
God and oneself in service to others. A man of deep faith, keen
intellect, great business acumen and enormous creativity, he was at
home in the hovels of the poor and in the palaces of royalty.
Respected by the powerful and loved by the poor, Vincent bridged
social classes through his works of charity and his advocacy for
the disenfranchised.
In collaboration with St. Louise de Marillac (1591-1660),
Vincent organized hospitals for the sick poor, founded asylums for
the orphaned, opened workshops for the unemployed, championed
literacy for the uneducated, advocated for the incarcerated,
established local charities, and developed relief for the victims
of and reformed the education and formation of the clergy
throughout France where his community of priests and brothers
undertook the spiritual care of the poor, particularly those in
rural areas.
As a Vincentian university, St. John's extends Vincent's vision
and continues his unflagging efforts for the poor and needy. The
university directs its great resources of knowledge, research their
privilege and responsibility to share this mission and to make a
unique contribution to the human community and the development of
the poor. All at St. John's are inheritors of Vincent's legacy and
stewards of his mission to respect each person, serve the needy,
and build human solidarity.