Founder’s Week Celebration Lights Hearts on Fire at St. John’s

St. Vincent de Paul was a practical man of action. He was a master at building teams composed of the most talented people suited to his cause. His passion motivated others; he set hearts on fire.

St. John’s University’s annual Founder’s Week celebration sought to embody that passion and zeal for service embodied by St. Vincent.

Founder’s Week, held from September 22–29, celebrates St. John’s University’s Vincentian heritage, by combining lectures and prayerful reflections with tangible service opportunities, such as University Service Day. The Vincentian Convocation, which recognizes individuals and organizations that walk in St. Vincent’s footsteps, serves as the week’s capstone event.

Rev. Patrick J. Griffin, C.M. ’13HON, Executive Director, Vincentian Center for Church and Society, said the theme emerged from a quote by St. Vincent: “Our vocation is to set people’s hearts on fire, to do what the Son of God did. He came to set the world on fire in order to inflame it with His love.”

Fr. Griffin explained, “With this impetus, the events of Founder’s Week focused our attention on the way in which our hearts can be set ablaze in service, prayer, and reflection. Vincent’s words and example provide tinder for the flame.”

All St. John’s campuses and locations celebrated the 24th annual University Service Day on September 27, a day in which the St. John’s  family joins together to serve our communities locally, nationally, and globally. Service opportunities were offered both on campus and at sites throughout the local area.

Senior Luke Nordstrom, a Marketing major, explained that for him, Service Day was an opportunity to give back. Luke volunteered with Project AIM, a peer-mentoring program that promotes student belonging and success among first- and second-year international undergraduate students.

“[Service day] is a great opportunity to model what St. Vincent de Paul did for the poor and needy. It makes me feel good because we’re doing it and not just talking about it. You’re serving, rather than being served.”

Journalism major Katherine Garlisi, a junior, was making cards on the Queens, NY, campus for hospitalized children. She explained that because Service Day happens so early in the academic year, “It gives out first-year students a good impression of St. John’s and what being a Vincentian school really means, and that we’re focused on doing these acts of service not just today, but throughout the entire year.”

“Service Day reminds us that it’s not just about us. It takes a collective effort to give back and make things better. It’s an important reminder that people helped us to get to where we are. Now, it’s up to us to help others get to where they can be,” stressed History major Lucas Hartley, a junior.

A standing-room-only crowd filled St. Thomas More Church on the Queens campus during a special Mass held on September 26, celebrating the Solemnity of St. Vincent de Paul. During his homily, Rev. Aidan R. Rooney, C.M., M.Div., M.Th. ’78NDC, Executive Vice President for Mission, noted the day’s Gospel reading from the Book of Matthew, introducing the Beatitudes was very meaningful to St. Vincent de Paul.

Fr. Rooney stressed that St. Vincent saw the Beatitudes not as lofty goals, but as calls to action. “It certainly is why when the Congregation of the Mission wanted to celebrate the Feast of St. Vincent, they chose this Gospel,” Fr. Rooney explained. He stressed that St. Vincent lived his life according to those words, and they provided a framework for him to complete the mission he set out for himself.

After Mass, the latest cohort of the Vincentian Mission Certificate (VMC) program were celebrated after their recent graduation. Frances Sarcona, Associate Director of Career Services, and a recent graduate of the VMC cohort, volunteered at Ronald McDonald House New York the week before, preparing meals for the many families housed there while their children were undergoing treatment for their illnesses.

“Volunteering there with my colleagues was an uplifting experience that reminded me how, even during challenging times, giving to others can bring light and motivation to your own day. Providing a hot, nourishing meal to parents facing stress showed me the power of small acts of kindness and connection—and I encourage others to do the same.”

Of her time with VMC, she added, “It allowed me the opportunity to grow in my faith, find peace through daily reflection, and build strong roots within both the St. John’s community and the Vincentian mission.”

Founder’s Week concluded with the Faculty Research Luncheon and the Administrators and Staff Luncheon, both held on September 29 in the D’Angelo Center.

The Faculty Research Luncheon celebrated members of St. John’s faculty whose research efforts advance the University’s mission and values. Keynote speaker Jenny Yang, Ed.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Administrative and Instructional Leadership at The School of Education, discussed her work in establishing a new model for teaching young children the basics of computer programming.

Dr. Yang, recipient of the 2024–25 Richard and Camille Sinatra Endowment Grant at last year’s Faculty Research Luncheon, said her research was essential to promote equity across the programming landscape, beginning with cultivating interest among girls and minorities. She reported on a month-long project that increased student engagement in introductory computer skills.   

“The Vincentian mission seeks to advance access, dignity, and social justice through education,” Dr. Yang said. “Knowledge is meant to be shared.”

During the Administrators and Staff Luncheon, Rachel Pereira, Ed.D., Esq., Vice President of Equity and Inclusion, delivered a heartfelt lecture focusing on the Hearts on Fire theme. Dr. Pereira used the image of the heart’s natural shield, the pericardium, as a metaphor for the role St. John’s plays in protecting and nurturing its community. Just as the pericardium allows the heart to beat freely, she explained, the University must create spaces where students, faculty, administrators, and staff can thrive without fear or limitation.

She recounted how St. John’s was founded in part as a response to the marginalization of newly arrived immigrant groups. In response, the Vincentians established the institution as a bold act of courage and compassion, creating educational opportunities for those on the margins of society.

“They didn’t just see who was inside the halls of academia,” she noted. “They saw who was left outside.”

She encouraged the St. John’s community to continue its legacy by matching words with action, advocating for students and colleagues who might otherwise feel unseen. “We are the pericardium of this place,” she said. “We protect the heart so the fire can burn.”