Paulist Fathers

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The Missionary Society of Saint Paul the Apostle, or the Paulists Fathers, is a Roman Catholic religious order for men, that was founded in 1858 by Fr. Isaac Thomas Hecker. They use the initials C.S.P. after their names. Their mission is to evangelize to the people of North America in a manner that is suited to the culture of North America. They were the first religious order of priests created in North America.

1 Hecker and the Early Years
2 The Paulists Today
3 Becoming a Paulist
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Hecker and the Early Years

Issac Hecker, a convert to Catholicism, wanted to create an order of priests that could evangelize to the people of North America in ways that would be more effective than the previous methods. With the help of several other American priests, Hecker founded the Paulists Fathers in 1858 as the Missionary Priests of Saint Paul the Apostle, in honor of Paul of Tarsus. They got their start in the Archdiocese of New York, establishing their headquarters in a parish on 59th Street. From there, they began their mission of performing missionary work to non-Catholics. In 1866, under Hecker's guidance, the Paulist Press was created, thus adding the use of the written word to the Paulist mission. In 1870, a magazine for Catholic youth, the the Young Catholic, was also created. In 1875, the first Paulist missionaries set sail for California; other missions around the country quickly followed. In 1925, they created their own radio staãtion in New York, WLWL.

[edit] The Paulists Today

The Paulist Fathers continue to devote themselves to missionary work in the United States. They believe, as Hecker did, that they are led by the Holy Spirit in this mission. Modern Paulists prize freedom, prefer to be welcoming and inclusive, are optimistic, humorous, and they also enjoy working with laypersons. They are an apostolic society, meaning they do not take the traditional vows of consercrated life; rather, they are supposed to pursue their mission through living in community and developing holiness in their lives.

[edit] Becoming a Paulist

Training to become a Paulist priest is similar to other religious orders. The order is open to single Catholic men. Training consists of three phases. 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. This is followed by theological studies, lasting several years and ending with the awarding of a Master of Divinity degree. The last phase is a year long pastoral internship, at the end of which the individual is ordained a priest in the Missionary Society of Saint Paul the Apostle.