The Paulist Fathers, officially named the Missionary Society of Saint Paul the Apostle ( la, Societas Sacerdotum Missionariorum a Sancto Paulo Apostolo), abbreviated CSP, is a Catholic society of apostolic life of Pontifical Right for men founded in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
in 1858 by
Isaac Hecker
Isaac Thomas Hecker (December 18, 1819 – December 22, 1888) was an American Catholic priest and founder of the Paulist Fathers, a North American religious society of men.
Hecker was originally ordained a Redemptorist priest in 1849. With the b ...
in collaboration with
George Deshon,
Augustine Hewit, and
Francis A. Baker.
The society's mission is to
evangelize
In Christianity, evangelism (or witnessing) is the act of preaching the gospel with the intention of sharing the message and teachings of Jesus Christ.
Christians who specialize in evangelism are often known as evangelists, whether they are in ...
—preach the
gospel
Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words a ...
or give information with the intention of converting people to Catholicism—the people of North America in a manner suited to the continent's culture.
History
Hecker and the early years
Isaac Hecker
Isaac Thomas Hecker (December 18, 1819 – December 22, 1888) was an American Catholic priest and founder of the Paulist Fathers, a North American religious society of men.
Hecker was originally ordained a Redemptorist priest in 1849. With the b ...
was a priest of the
Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer
The Redemptorists officially named the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer ( la, links=no, Congregatio Sanctissimi Redemptoris), abbreviated CSsR,is a Catholic clerical religious congregation of pontifical right for men (priests and brother ...
(
Redemptorists
The Redemptorists officially named the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer ( la, links=no, Congregatio Sanctissimi Redemptoris), abbreviated CSsR,is a Catholic clerical religious congregation of pontifical right for men (priests and brother ...
), as were all the founding members of the Paulists. Following their conversion to Catholicism, they wanted to create an institute of priests that could evangelize the people of North America in ways that would be more effective than previous methods. Hecker advocated using the popular means of his day, primarily preaching, the public lecture circuit, and the printing press.
Meanwhile, a misunderstanding had arisen between the American Redemptorists and their superiors. In order to seek a final and authoritative settlement of the difficulty, Hecker went to Rome as the representative of the American Fathers, to lay their case before the superior general of the order. Upon his arrival, he found the general and his council extremely hostile, and on the third day he was expelled from the order.
[Smith, Michael Paul. "Isaac Thomas Hecker." The Catholic Encyclopedia]
Vol. 7. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910. 11 September 2021
Hecker was supported by Redemptorist Fathers George Deshon, Augustine Hewit, Francis Baker, and Clarence Walworth, who were themselves converts to Catholicism from the
Episcopal Church and were influenced significantly by the
Oxford Movement. Hecker and his companions were soon after dispensed from their Redemptorist vows and were granted permission to found the Paulist Fathers in 1858 as the Missionary Priests of Saint Paul the Apostle, in honor of
Paul of Tarsus
Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...
, by
Pope Pius IX.
Hecker received letters from the
''Propaganda Fide'', strongly recommending him and his associates to the bishops of the United States. The Paulists got their start in the
Archdiocese of New York
The Archdiocese of New York ( la, Archidiœcesis Neo-Eboracensis) is an ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church ( particularly the Roman Catholic or Latin Church) located in the State of New York. It encompasses the boroug ...
, establishing their headquarters in a parish on 59th Street appropriately named
Church of St. Paul the Apostle
The Church of St. Paul the Apostle is a Catholic church on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City.Lafort, Remigius. The Catholic Church in the United States of America: Undertaken to Celebrate the Golden Jubilee of His Holiness, Pope ...
, granted them by
John Hughes.
[Elliott, Walter. "Missionary Society of St. Paul the Apostle." The Catholic Encyclopedia]
Vol. 10. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911. 11 September 2021 Hecker conceived the Paulists to be a small community with a specific missionary focus. From their headquarters in New York City, they began their task of performing
missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Mi ...
work to non-Catholics. With the outbreak of the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
the northern-based Paulists were compelled to cancel their southern missions.
Archbishop Hughes appealed to
West Point
The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...
graduate George Deshon to serve as a chaplain to a New York Brigade, but given that the Paulists were a newly created community and were so few in number, Deshon declined. During the
New York Draft Riots
The New York City draft riots (July 13–16, 1863), sometimes referred to as the Manhattan draft riots and known at the time as Draft Week, were violent disturbances in Lower Manhattan, widely regarded as the culmination of white working-cl ...
of 1863 the Paulists attempted to dissuade people from violence, but only marginally succeed as efforts were hampered when Father Augustine Hewit was wounded in such an effort.
In 1865 Hecker started the "Catholic World" magazine, then the only Catholic monthly in the country. In 1866, the Catholic Publication Society was created, adding the written word to the Paulist mission. In 1870, a magazine for Catholic youth, ''The Young Catholic'', was also created.
In 1875, the first Paulist missionaries set sail for
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
; other missions quickly followed in Chicago, Illinois; Winchester, Tennessee; and Austin, Texas.
[ and in ]Rhode Island
Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area and the seventh-least populous, with slightly fewer than 1.1 million residents as of 2020, but it ...
, Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...
, Michigan
Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...
, and as far north as Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
. In 1925, they established WLWL
WLWL (770 AM) is a radio station broadcasting an urban oldies music format with an emphasis on beach music that is licensed to Rockingham, North Carolina, United States. While its effective coverage range is the Sandhills area of Central Nort ...
, their own radio station in New York. Around 1935, the Paulists outfitted motor trailers as chapels and began a series of missions to rural areas such in states such as South Carolina
)'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no)
, anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind"
, Former = Province of South Carolina
, seat = Columbia
, LargestCity = Charleston
, LargestMetro = ...
, Tennessee
Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
and Utah
Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...
.
Modern era
The Paulist Fathers work as missionaries in the United States. The society created the Paulist associate program for lay people who wish to associate themselves with the Paulists. The Paulists are a society of apostolic life, meaning they do not make religious vows;[ rather, by means of promises they are supposed to pursue their mission through living in community.
The Paulist Press, based in ]Mahwah, New Jersey
Mahwah is the northernmost and largest municipality by geographic area () in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the population of the township was 25,487, a decline of 403 from the 25,890 counted in the ...
, is a well-established publisher of hardcover and paperback books, audio and visual tapes, DVDs, and educational materials and resources for parishes. It publishes the "Classics of Western Spirituality" series.[ Paulist Press also maintains an online journal, founded by Isaac Hecker, called ''The Catholic World'', which is a collection of articles on faith and culture.
In addition to serving as ]parish
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one o ...
priests, the Paulists continue evangelization by means of the Paulist National Catholic Evangelization Association, National Offices, publishing and film companies as well as Paulist Mission Preachers. the society had 20 priests listed as available for missions. The form the missions take is largely dependent on which Paulist is giving it; the Paulists emphasize individuality, and each Paulist presents his message in his own way. The Paulists have also relatively recently created National Offices to head up some of their more important ministries.
The Paulist Office for Reconciliation is a ministry for Catholics who feel alienated or outside of the community. The office seeks to create processes, resource materials, forums, and leaders to recruit these people into the Church.
The Paulist National Office of Ecumenism and Interfaith Relations has the mission of fostering understanding, respect, and collaboration with members of other religions. The office was initially created as a means of updating and educating Paulists in these two fields as to how to go about integrating initiatives locally, but later adopted the additional role of offering consultative visits at campuses, parishes, retreats, and conferences. The office also maintains a newsletter and provides articles and resources for online ministries.
The Paulist Office for Young Adult Ministries is intended to connect young adults to faith communities. The office seeks to promote youth integration and leadership amongst Christian communities, and to see issues and concerns of youth addressed by Church leaders and organizations. This Paulist ministry has many forms such as Busted Halo which is an online spiritual magazine for peoples in their 20s and 30s; the Busted Halo Show, with Father Dave Dwyer, was picked up by the Catholic Channel on Sirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio was a satellite radio (SDARS) and online radio service operating in North America, owned by Sirius XM Holdings.
Headquartered in New York City, with smaller studios in Los Angeles and Memphis, Sirius was officially lau ...
. The office also hosts young adult retreats and, on occasion, hosts forums and gives presentations. Paulists also have a number of Newman Centers and campus ministries at several major universities throughout the United States; they consider this one of their highest priorities.
Paulist Productions
Paulist Productions is a Catholic film production company founded in 1960 by the Paulist priest Father Ellwood "Bud" Kieser. The Paulists describe the company as a "creator of films and television programs that uncover God’s presence in the ...
was founded by Ellwood Kieser in California around 1960. It today creates films and television programs on a variety of subjects with spiritual concerns and matters at the heart of the production. Paulist Productions has received a number of awards and continues to develop and produce an assortment of films and series. It has produced ''Romero
The name Romero is a nickname type of surname for a Roman or an Italian. The name was originally derived from the Latin word Romaeus and the Greek word Romaios, which mean Roman.
#A person on a religious journey or pilgrimage from Rome (possibly t ...
'', '' Entertaining Angels: The Dorothy Day Story'', and ''The Twelve Apostles''.
In the early 1870s, the Paulist Fathers became the owners of a large portion of lakefront property at the southern end of Lake George in the Adirondacks in upstate New York. St. Mary’s of the Lake serves as a summer retreat and site of the summer component of Paulist student formation. The facilities are available for groups, retreats, meetings, and other gatherings.
Mission
The Paulist Fathers were the first religious community
Tango Monastery, Bhutan">thumb
A religious community is a community (group of people) who practice the same religion. The term is used to refer to members of a religion who live within a community, but not segregated from others and not dedicate ...
of priests (as distinct from other religious
Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatur ...
communities) foundeded in North America. The Paulists additionally have ministries of ecumenism, interfaith
Interfaith dialogue refers to cooperative, constructive, and positive interaction between people of different religious traditions (i.e. "faiths") and/or spiritual or humanistic beliefs, at both the individual and institutional levels. It is ...
relations, and reconciliation
Reconciliation or reconcile may refer to:
Accounting
* Reconciliation (accounting)
Arts, entertainment, and media Sculpture
* ''Reconciliation'' (Josefina de Vasconcellos sculpture), a sculpture by Josefina de Vasconcellos in Coventry Cathedra ...
. The Paulists seek to be a bridge between contemporary culture and Catholicism, using media to accomplish this, beginning with the founding of '' Catholic World'' magazine in 1865, and continuing with the Paulist Press and its ministries in radio, film, and on the Internet.
Because the Paulist Fathers' primary mission has been the conversion of the American people and society, almost all of its foundations (as Paulist centers of ministry are called) and priests are located in the US. There are Paulist Foundations in 11 US states and Washington, DC. They also serve the American Catholic community in Rome at San Patrizio
San Patrizio a Villa Ludovisi is a Roman Catholic parish, titular church, and national church of the United States in Rome.
History
It was the national churches of Ireland until 2017 when it became the national church of the United States of Amer ...
(which replaced a former foundation at Santa Susanna
The Church of Saint Susanna at the Baths of Diocletian ( it, Chiesa di Santa Susanna alle Terme di Diocleziano) is a Roman Catholic parish church located on the Quirinal Hill in Rome, Italy. There has been a titular church associated to its site ...
in August 2017), and, until June 2015, maintained foundations in Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
.
Leadership
The President, Vice-President, and Council of the Paulist Fathers are elected to four-year terms; in addition, a First Consultor is appointed by the President. Eric Andrews succeeded Michael McGarry as president in May 2014.
Formation
Training to become a Paulist priest is similar to religious institutes. The society is open to single Catholic men with an undergraduate degree that are in good standing with the Church. Training consists of three phases that takes usually 6 years to complete. The first phase is a year-long novitiate, designed to introduce the individual to Paulist life and to help them decide if the Paulist life is for them. The next phase consists of two years of philosophical and theological studies, followed by a one-year apostolate at a Paulist Foundation. On return from his apostolate, he returns to school for two more years and, if successful, will be awarded a Master of Divinity degree. The Paulist Seminary and Novitiate is located at St. Paul's College in Washington, DC, and in recent years Paulist students had a choice of attending either the Catholic University of America or the Washington Theological Union
Washington Theological Union (WTU) was a Catholic graduate school of theology and seminary in Washington, D.C. in the United States, founded in 1968. It stopped accepting students in 2011, and suspended operations at the end of June 2015.
WTU wa ...
(now closed). Near the end of his studies, the society then decides whether he will proceed to ordination to the diaconate
A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Chur ...
. Once a Deacon, the last phase of formation is a year-long pastoral internship, at the end of which the individual is ordained a priest.
Patrons
Patron saints of the Paulist Fathers include the Virgin Mary
Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...
, Paul the Apostle, Saint Joseph, Alphonsus Liguori
Alphonsus Liguori, CSsR (27 September 1696 – 1 August 1787), sometimes called Alphonsus Maria de Liguori or Saint Alphonsus Liguori, was an Italian Catholic bishop, spiritual writer, composer, musician, artist, poet, lawyer, scholastic philoso ...
, Francis de Sales
Francis de Sales (french: François de Sales; it, Francesco di Sales; 21 August 156728 December 1622) was a Bishop of Geneva and is revered as a saint in the Catholic Church. He became noted for his deep faith and his gentle approach to ...
, Thomas Aquinas
Thomas Aquinas, OP (; it, Tommaso d'Aquino, lit=Thomas of Aquino; 1225 – 7 March 1274) was an Italian Dominican friar and priest who was an influential philosopher, theologian and jurist in the tradition of scholasticism; he is known wit ...
, Saint Patrick, Philip Neri
Philip Romolo Neri ( ; it, italics=no, Filippo Romolo Neri, ; 22 July 151526 May 1595), known as the "Second Apostle of Rome", after Saint Peter, was an Italian priest noted for founding a society of secular clergy called the Congregation of ...
, Teresa of Avila
Teresa (also Theresa, Therese; french: Thérèse) is a feminine given name.
It originates in the Iberian Peninsula in late antiquity. Its derivation is uncertain, it may be derived from Greek θερίζω (''therízō'') "to harvest or rea ...
, John of the Cross
John of the Cross, OCD ( es, link=no, Juan de la Cruz; la, Ioannes a Cruce; born Juan de Yepes y Álvarez; 24 June 1542 – 14 December 1591) was a Spanish Catholic priest, mystic, and a Carmelite friar of converso origin. He is a major figu ...
, Mary Magdalene, and Elizabeth Seton.
Paulist ministries
See also
*'' Catholic World''
*Institute of consecrated life
An institute of consecrated life is an association of faithful in the Catholic Church erected by canon law whose members profess the evangelical counsels of chastity, poverty, and obedience by vows or other sacred bonds. They are defined in the ...
* Orestes Brownson
*Religious institute (Catholic)
A religious institute is a type of institute of consecrated life in the Catholic Church whose members take religious vows and lead a life in community with fellow members. Religious institutes are one of the two types of institutes of consecrate ...
*Secular institute
In the Catholic Church, a secular institute is a type of institute of consecrated life in which consecrated persons profess the Evangelical counsels of celibate-chastity, poverty and obedience while living in the world, unlike members of a relig ...
*Vocational Discernment in the Catholic Church Vocational discernment is the process in which men or women in the Catholic Church discern, or recognize, their vocation in the church. The vocations are the life as layman in the world, either married or single, the ordained life and the consecrat ...
*Order of Saint Paul the First Hermit
The Order of Saint Paul the First Hermit ( lat, Ordo Fratrum Sancti Pauli Primi Eremitæ; abbreviated OSPPE), commonly called the Pauline Fathers, is a monastic order of the Roman Catholic Church founded in Hungary during the 13th century.
Thi ...
References
Footnotes
Bibliography
*''Hecker: A Missionary to North America''. The Paulist Fathers, 997 Macarthur Boulevard, Mahwah, N.J. 07430
*''What Makes the Paulists Different?'' Vocations Office, the Paulist Fathers, 415 West 59th Street, New York, New York, 10019
*'' Paulists and the Civil War'', Paulist Office for History and Archives, North American Paulist Center, 3015 4th NE, Washington, DC, 20017
*''On the Road: The History of Paulist Missions'', Father John E. Lynch, C.S.P., Paulist Office for History and Archives, North American Paulist Center, 3015 4th NE, Washington, DC, 20017
*''Isaac Hecker: An American Catholic''. By David J. O'Brien. New York: Paulist Press, 1992.
*''Isaac Hecker and his Friends''. By Joseph McSorley. New York: Paulist Press, 1972.
External links
*
Paulist Productions
Paulist Press
Paulist National Catholic Evangelization Association
Bustedhalo
{{Authority control
1858 establishments in New York (state)
1858 in North America
Catholic orders and societies
Societies of apostolic life