October 15, 2010
Graduates of the Vincentian Mission Certificate Program and
members of the current cohort deepened their understanding of St.
John’s Vincentian heritage during a special trip to Paris. There
they literally followed in the footsteps of Vincent de Paul, Louise
de Marillac, Frederic Ozanam and other major figures in the
Vincentian family. It was especially significant in this 350th
anniversary year of the deaths of Vincent and Louise.
Held last August, the tour gave VMC participants the opportunity to
experience the heart of the Vincentian charism by visiting sacred
sites where Vincent, Louise and others conducted their ministry and
from where the Congregation of the Mission and Daughters of Charity
sprang.
Photo Gallery
The group stayed at St. John’s University’s Paris
location, on the Maison Mère in the St. Germain district of
Paris, and enjoyed all the amenities available to students in our
popular
Global Studies program.
Reverend Patrick Griffin, C.M., Executive Vice President for
Mission and Vincentian Chair of Social Justice observed,
“This heritage trip to Paris offered more than a cultural and
historical enrichment. It also offered a spiritual deepening in the
Vincentian charism. The experience of our colleagues benefits
the entire University community as they return to us with greater
commitment and understanding of our mission. My great hope would be
for all the members of our University to have this
opportunity.”
Tracing the Path of Vincent
Suzanne Scacalossi, Program Coordinator for University
Ministry, noted that the trip was designed to allow VMC
participants to experience the Vincentian charism in a special way
by visiting these holy sites. “It was a chance for them to see
places they learned about and experience the charism in a deeper
way.”
The sites included the Shrine of the Miraculous Medal, St. Nicholas
de Chardonnet (the first house of the Daughters of Charity), the
Chapel of St. Vincent de Paul and churches where Vincent served as
a parish priest, among many others.
Reverend John Kettelberger, C.M., University Chaplain and
Campus Minister, traveled with the VMC participants and was
principal celebrant at many of the Masses held at the sites. “It
was a real thrill because as you’re celebrating you’re conscious of
where you are and what happened in those places.”
One of the churches where Fr. Kettelberger celebrated Mass
possessed a relic of Vincent de Paul and he observed that for him
that was a powerful reminder of why they undertook this journey of
faith together. “In a sense all of us are relics of Vincent. We’re
supposed to be living reminders of him, and the trip just fired you
up to make you want to do that and do it better.”
Lucy Pesce, who is Director of Leadership Development for
Student-Athletes, stressed that while they had previously learned
about these places during their studies, experiencing the sites in
person made all the difference. “By the time you’re celebrating
Mass there you really get it,” she stressed.
Service in the City of Lights
Ms.
Pesce observed, “Everything we did is accessible to our students.
You can just hop on the train and travel to all these great places
or find them right next door. I’m still overwhelmed we were there
and that our students have the opportunity to experience
that.”
Kathleen Meehan, Associate Vice President for Athletics, said the
location of the campus was perfect. “It’s very easy to get around,”
she said. In the evenings people were free to see the sights of
Paris. “At breakfast it was fun to hear where people went (the
night before),” Fr. Kettelberger commented.
Mark Andrews, Associate Director of Alumni Relations in the Office
of Institutional Advancement, said traveling to Paris is “a great
opportunity to get students out of their comfort zone. It’s
something they definitely should take advantage of.”
In addition to visiting the Vincentian sites and touring Paris in
their free time, the group performed two nights of service at an
outdoor mobile soup kitchen run by the Salvation Army. Despite the
language barrier the participants found that the experience of
serving others is a universal one. “It’s the same work, the same
service and you have that same desire to connect with people that
helps them and helps you,” said Ms. Pesce.
According to Mr. Andrews, a wonderful bond formed among the
participants. “It really speaks to the character of the people that
work here and who are part of the St. John’s community.” Ms. Meehan
added, “It was a very diverse group but it was clear how well we
blended.”
Participants all agreed that the experience gave them a much deeper
understanding of Vincent and now they were emboldened to share the
experience with their colleagues at the University. “We’re
ambassadors for the program,” Mr. Andrews stressed. “I will
continue to inform people about the Vincentian mission. I can’t say
enough about what a wonderful opportunity it was. It exceeded my
expectations.”
Ms. Meehan added that her colleagues were eager to hear about the
trip, “and this opens the door for you to explain more about the
Vincentian mission.”