The Berrigans and DePaul
Teaching and Speaking
Due to a shared commitment to social justice and Christian peace activism, the Berrigans developed a long-standing relationship with DePaul University. Robert Ludwig, the first layperson to serve as Director of University Ministry in 1989, was instrumental in fostering and developing the connection with the Berrigan family.
During the 1990s, Daniel and Philip Berrigan visited the University and hosted various lectures. Dan Berrigan even served as a visiting professor at the University, offering courses in civil disobedience, poetry, and prose.
The Berrigan Papers
DePaul University Special Collections and Archives is one of two major repositories that house personal papers that once belonged to members of the Berrigan family and other individuals involved with Christian peace activism. The other repository is Cornell University.
As stewards of these materials, Special Collections and Archives staff preserve the archival papers for the purposes of research, education, and interpretation. The photographs, documents, and other materials featured in this exhibit are drawn from those collections.
The Berrigan Library
To complement the archival collections, DePaul University purchased books that once belonged to the Berrigan family from Loome Theological Booksellers in 1999 and 2004. These titles now comprise the Berrigan Library.
Gifting books to celebrate holidays and other occasions was a Berrigan family tradition. As a result, many of the title pages include a handwritten note of thanks or congratulations from friends and family.