Mission Statement


	Search paulist.org

	Home Who We Are Who Are the Paulists? Paulist Associates Overview Newsletter Our Past Is Hecker a Saint? The Passion of Paul Paulist Profiles Find a Paulist What We Do Mission Statement Ecumenism/Interfaith Reconciliation Young Adult Ministry Paulist Mission Preachers Landings Paulist National Catholic Evangelization Association Paulist Today Newsletter Hecker Guild Openings Busted Halo Catholic World Online Paulist Press Paulist Productions Paulist Northwest Center for Evangelization and Reconciliation Paulist New England Outreach Where We Are United States California Berkeley - Newman Hall-Holy Spirit Parish, Univ. of Calif. Los Angeles - St. Paul the Apostle Los Angeles - UCLA University Catholic Center San Francisco - Holy Family Chinese Mission San Francisco - Old St. Mary's San Francisco - St. Mary's Chinese School & Center District of Columbia Washington, D.C. - North American Paulist Center Washington, D.C. - St. Paul's College Washington, D.C. - Hecker Center for Ministry Florida Vero Beach - Paulist Fathers Illinois Chicago - Old St. Mary's Church Massachusetts Boston - Paulist Center Paulist New England Outreach Michigan Allendale - St. Luke University Parish Grand Rapids - Catholic Information Center Minnesota St. Lawrence Church & Newman Center New Jersey Oak Ridge - Mount Paul New York Lake George - Paulist Fathers New York - Church of St. Paul the Apostle New York - General Office New York - Paulist Fathers Ohio Columbus - Ohio State University Thomas More Newman Center Oregon Portland - Paulist Northwest Center for Evangelization and Reconciliation Portland - St. Philip Neri Church Tennessee Knoxville - Immaculate Conception Church Knoxville - John XXIII University Parish, University of Tennessee Memphis - St. Augustine Church Memphis - St. Patrick's Church Texas Austin - St. Austin Catholic Parish Austin - University Catholic Center, University of Texas Canada Toronto - Paulist Centre for Catholic Evangelization Toronto - St. Peter's Parish Israel Jerusalem - Tantur Ecumenical Institute Italy Rome - Church of Santa Susanna Donate Now e-Store News Room Vocations Capital Campaign Development 150th Anniversary Media Relations

Paulist Mission Direction Statement

In the new millennium, the Paulist Fathers and their lay colleagues continue to draw upon the legacy of our founder, Isaac Thomas Hecker. Attentive to the movement of the Holy Spirit in our midst, and faithful to the example of St. Paul, we recommit ourselves to evangelization in all its forms as our central mission. This apostolic vision must recognize the multicultural reality of our society, the diversity of North American religious experience, and the value of Paulists and laity working together as partners in the transformative work of Spirit-driven ministry.

Evangelization extends to the whole human experience, transforms cultures by Gospel values, promotes justice, originates and culminates in the preaching of the Good News.

Within our Paulist history and tradition, our charism lies in awakening seekers to the love of Jesus Christ. In service to the wider church and in a spirit of collaboration, we call and form disciplines in mission who invite others through proclamation and witness to share in the rich Catholic tradition.

Living the Gospel calls us to work for Christian unity, the goal of giving a more visible expression to our deep communion in the one Body of Christ. Ecumenism opens us to the spiritual riches and Gospel traditions of other Christian churches and communities. The one Spirit of Christ, poured into all hearts, urges us to work with our brothers and sisters for union in faith, life, worship and mission towards the unity God wills for the one church of Christ.

Promoting justice and healing, reconciliation makes tangible the compassionate, forgiving embrace that is the church. Paulists enter into God's action of seeking out the lost, the alienated, the hurt, and the broken. We minister especially in welcoming people back to the church. In broader terms, the Spirit impels us to find common ground, working for cross-cultural understanding, peace, justice and human liberation. We recognize that action on behalf of justice is constitutive of the preaching of the Gospel.

Attuned to the whole human experience, interreligious relations open us to our unique spiritual kinship with the Jewish people and to the movement of the Holy Spirit in Islam and in other world religions. This work engages us in a dialogue of life, action, spiritual experience and theological exchange. These forms of dialogue, good in and of themselves, deepen our understanding of one another and cultivate respect for diverse religious heritages as we journey together in and toward truth.

The Paulist community affirms the central mission of evangelization and its related ministries of Christian unity, reconciliation and interreligious relations. Therefore, we dedicate ourselves with our lay and religious associates to advance these missionary endeavors.