Perboyre Mission House Opens Its Doors in Chicago

Left: Fr. James Murphy, CM (Irish Province), and Fr. Patrick McDevitt, CM, proudly welcome all to the Perboyre Mission House in Chicago.

Right: Fr. Tony Dosen, CM, prepares a meal in the House's kitchen.

Article contributed by Rev. Patrick J. McDevitt, CM, Director of Formation, Perboyre Mission House

The last nine months have included much excitement and activity among the Vincentians living in Chicago. Last Fall, Provincial Rev. James Swift, CM, and his Council decided to move the Vincentians’ formation program from St. Louis to Chicago and build a new community residence to house the program. It was commissioned that the new formation program be solidly based upon the principles and values already provided by the Church and the Congregation of the Mission (Vincentians), insuring that seminarians will receive the education and skills they need to be effective in their future ministries. (A formation handbook is being developed to outline the many different components of the formation program, give clear direction to the program and further the Vincentian efforts in promoting vocations.)

Rev. Patrick McDevitt, CM, was appointed Director of Formation and first superior of Perboyre Mission House with Rev. Anthony Dosen, CM, as the Associate Director of Formation. Over the last six months, Frs. McDevitt and Dosen have worked closely with a Task Force composed of Vincentian priests, Daughters of Charity, Diocesan priests, and laity to formulate an operational plan, academic curriculum, and formation program. The seminarians will attend DePaul University (a Vincentian university) for their undergraduate pre-theology studies and Catholic Theological Union for their graduate theology work. The formation program will teach a Vincentian lifestyle of prayer, community, and apostolic service. The Archdiocese of Chicago and the Chicago area offer many opportunities to collaborate with other clergy, religious, laity, and partners in service. The new program officially began on September 5, 2003, with the celebration of the Eucharist in the new chapel and a house blessing led by Fr. Swift.

The name ‘Perboyre Mission House’ was chosen based on the missionary witness of Vincentian Saint John Gabriel Perboyre, CM, who was martyred in China in 1840. "The spirit of the new formation program will be founded on John Gabriel Perboyre’s Missioner Prayer to be transformed into the likeness of Christ," shared Fr. Pat. "The word ‘Mission’ was added to the house’s name to reflect the Vincentian charism of being sent as missionaries — sent to evangelize — sent to the most abandoned poor," he added.

The goal was to find a house that would provide enough space for personal study and prayer, common rooms for living the Vincentian community life, and an area for community and sacramental prayer. By the grace of God’s providence, the group secured two rental properties (a house and apartment) in close proximity to one another and near DePaul University that meet the program needs and can house up to eight people. Along with Frs. McDevitt and Dosen, Rev. James Murphy, CM, has taken up residence at Perboyre Mission House. (Fr. Murphy is from the Vincentian Irish Province and is currently a full-time professor of English at DePaul University in Chicago.)

Three seminarians are assigned to the house this fall: Lennoxie Lusabe, CM, Steve Wiederkehr, and John Roarick. Lennoxie is a seminarian from Kenya coming to Perboyre Mission House from the Vincentian formation program at DePaul Centre in Nairobi. Lennoxie will be participating in a year-long training program in formation at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, returning to Kenya next spring for his ordination and future ministry. Steve Wiederkehr has been associated with the Vincentians for several years as a Gateway Vincentian Volunteer and an employee of St. Vincent’s Parish in St. Louis. Steve is entering his second year of formation and will begin his first year of theology at Catholic Theological Union in the fall. John Roarick was also a Gateway Vincentian Volunteer before entering the Vincentian formation program. In his second year of formation, he will begin his sophomore year of college at DePaul University.

"On behalf of everyone involved in Perboyre Mission House, thank you for your support and prayers for our priestly formation programs in the past, and thank you in advance for your support of our new formation program," Fr. Pat states. "Please remember our seminarians and Vincentians at Perboyre Mission House in your prayers…we assure you of our prayers and God bless you!" he concludes. CM

Missioner Prayer of St. John Gabriel Perboyre

O my Divine Saviour,
Transform me into Yourself.
May my hands be the hands of Jesus.
Grant that every faculty of my body
May serve only to glorify You.
Above all,
Transform my soul and all its powers
So that my memory, will and affection
May be the memory, will and affections
Of Jesus.
I pray You
To destroy in me
All that is not of You.
Grant that I may live
But in You, by You and for You,
So that I may truly say,
With St. Paul,
"I live - now not I -
But Christ lives in me."


Left: Fr. Tony Dosen, CM, shows off the House’s second floor Reading Room. Right: Fr. Patrick McDevitt, CM, poses in the Home’s kitchen.

Vincentian is published bimonthly by the Midwest and Southern Provinces of the Congregation of the Mission, the Vincentian Priests and Brothers, to promote the apostolic works of its members and those of the larger Vincentian Family.

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