August 1, 2024
The year 2025 marks a significant milestone in the life of the Congregation of the Mission (the Vincentians) as the global religious community celebrates 400 years since its formal founding. In anticipation of this celebration, the worldwide Vincentian family and St. John’s University are focusing on prayer, reflection, discernment, and programming to increase awareness of the impactful and enduring Vincentian charism.
“Put on His Spirit. Embrace His Heart!” is the motto chosen for all the celebratory activities of the fourth centenary of the Foundation of the Congregation of the Mission of St. Vincent de Paul.
“His spirit, his charism, is our charism, too. His heart, his love for the poor, is ours as well,” said Rev. Aidan R. Rooney, C.M., M.Div., M.Th. ’78NDC, Executive Vice President for Mission. “We will feature the variety of ways the charism can be lived: through charity, social analysis and action, some new community partnerships and research opportunities, and, of course, through education that stays accessible to those who dream of a brighter future.”
As pastor at a parish in a small village near Paris, France, Vincent de Paul became a tutor to the household of the wealthy and influential de Gondi family. He began giving missions on the estates of Madame de Gondi.
On April 17, 2025, Vincentians worldwide will celebrate the 400th anniversary of the date in which the de Gondis established a contract in which they donated to Vincent de Paul and his first collaborators a financial pension to found and support a society, called the Congregation of the Mission, to take care of the evangelization of the rural poor permanently.
Working closely with St. Louise de Marillac (1591–1660), St. Vincent organized hospitals for the poor, founded asylums for the orphaned, opened workshops for the unemployed, championed literacy for the uneducated, and advocated for the incarcerated. He also advanced the education and formation of clergy throughout France, where his community of priests and brothers attended to the material and spiritual needs of the poor.
In 1870, the Right Rev. John Loughlin, Bishop of Brooklyn, asked the Vincentian Community to establish an institution of higher education to serve a growing immigrant population. The result was St. John’s College, on Lewis Avenue in Brooklyn, NY. The college grew into today’s University, with campuses and locations in New York and worldwide. St. Vincent’s legacy continues to inform the St. John’s experience, which combines academic excellence with abundant opportunities to cultivate faith and engage in service.
The “Put on His Spirit. Embrace His Heart!” motto aims to invite all Vincentians to return to their founding roots. By looking at ourselves and the history of the Congregation, all members of the Vincentian family will stand resolute and renewed and take sure steps toward the future. In this way the University will join with the worldwide Congregation leading up to its culminating celebration on May 1, 2025, in Paris.
As St. John’s begins this time of celebration, we are all encouraged to make an intense examination of conscience. According to the Vincentian tradition, examining your conscience is always the best way to prepare yourself for prayer, meditation, discernment, and executing God’s will.
St. Vincent considered examination one of the “golden keys” to growth in spiritual life. Today, the practice might be referred to as mindfulness. He recommended that everyone do it several times daily as he regularly practiced. St. Vincent envisioned a holistic conversion that leads to a personal and community commitment in favor of charity that trends toward transforming society with the poor in mind.
As the University moves toward this global observance, events, liturgies, service opportunities, and programming will help guide and inform the campus community on how to join in the spiritual journey and celebration. Visit Congregation of the Mission to learn more.
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