What does 'Vincentian' mean?
You'll hear the word 'Vincentian' in many different contexts around campus. So what does it mean?
Vincentian refers directly to our patron, St. Vincent de Paul, and to the religious order of priests and brothers that he founded in the 17th century, known as the Congregation of the Mission. You will notice that the Vincentian Fathers and Brothers use the designation " C.M." after their name to indicate their order, as our university president, Rev. James J. Maher, C.M.
The order of sisters founded by St. Vincent and his collaborator Louise de Marillac is known as the Company of the Daughters of Charity. They use the designation "D.C."after their name to indicate their order.
More broadly, the term Vincentian can be used to characterize anyone of us who follows in the spirit of St. Vincent in service to the poor and marginalized.
Founded in 1856 in the tradition of St. Vincent de Paul, Niagara University is the oldest of the three Catholic Vincentian universities in the U.S. Like its sister Vincentian schools, De Paul University in Chicago and St. John's University in New York City, Niagara remains strongly committed in the 21st century to the mission St. Vincent began four hundred years ago – service to the poor and marginalized accompanied by compassion and thoughtful action to steward social change.
Learn more about Niagara's Vincentian tradition here: http://mission.niagara.edu/vincentian/vincentian-tradition/