October 18, 2017
On a recent visit to St. John’s University’s Rome, Italy, campus, President Conrado “Bobby” Gempesaw, Ph.D., had the opportunity to discuss the University’s enduring Vincentian mission and the unique experiential learning that takes place at St. John’s, known as academic service-learning, with Juliet Linley, Vatican Correspondent for EWTN, the Global Catholic Television Network which broadcasts in 140 countries.
Dr. Gempesaw’s trip was timed to the celebration of the 400th anniversary of the Vincentian charism. The five-day “International Symposium of the Vincentian Family” included an address by Pope Francis and Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica. Rev. Tomaž Mavric, C.M., Superior General of the Congregation of the Mission and the Company of the Daughters of Charity, invited the Vincentian family earlier this year to meet in Rome to focus on the theme “Welcome the Stranger.” Almost 10,000 members of the global Vincentian family from around the world participated in the special gathering held in the unique and historic setting of St. Peter’s Square.
Ms. Linley also featured in her segment a St. John’s student from Brazil who is spending a semester in Rome and living the example set by St. Vincent de Paul by feeding the hungry in the city. The University’s diverse Queens campus was also a focal point, as well as St. John’s University’s global presence, strong liberal arts and sciences curriculum, and commitment to providing educational opportunities to all students, especially those with high economic need.