Our Mission

The Missionary Society of St. Paul the Apostle (“The Paulist Fathers”) is a community of Catholic priests that seeks to introduce the Good News of Jesus Christ to people beyond the Church walls, and to accompany Catholics who feel apart from the Church.

Rooted in hopefulness, the Paulist Fathers trust that the Holy Spirit is not only present in the world but is actively breathing life into all things.

The Paulist Fathers’ mission priorities include appreciating and using the gifts of people of color in the Church; welcoming those who feel excluded; inviting more women into leadership and ministry; and engaging young adults in their 20s and 30s.

To accomplish our mission goals, the Paulist Fathers realize the importance of addressing the toxic polarization plaguing our Church and society.

To learn more about the Paulist Fathers’ mission, please read the resolutions that were passed by  our 2022 General Assembly.

One of the General Assembly resolutions was “Toward a More Perfect Union: Mission in an Age of Polarization.” Read about that below.

Paulist Fathers Aim to Address Polarization

Addressing toxic polarization will be a priority of the Paulist Fathers for at least the next four years.

That was determined in June at the Paulists’ quadrennial General Assembly in Washington, D.C., in a resolution called “Toward a More Perfect Union: Mission in an Age of Polarization.”

The resolution uses this definition: “Polarization occurs when two diametrically opposed positions emerge and is sustained through the espousing and reinforcement of sharply contrasting worldviews, cultural values and social practices.”

It continues: “Over the past 50-plus years, this form of social polarization has been escalating and creating a destructive trajectory, leading to the current landscape marked by: the feuding divisions among family members, friends, colleagues, parishes and communities; the growth and spread of anxiety, addiction, depression, fear, trauma, suicide, and increasing acts of violence; the perpetuation of an illusion that this crisis is intractable, coupled with a loss of hope.”

The resolution poses these questions:

  • How do we respond to the civic and moral issues of our time (such as abortion, climate change, immigration, gender and sexuality, gun control, racism, and secularization) when toxic polarization impairs constructive dialogue?

  • How do we build community life within our own Paulist houses when toxic polarization creates barriers for respecting our differences?

  • How can we foster a culture of vocations if toxic polarization negatively attaches ideological labels to our Paulist charism and social image?

  • How do we feel safe? How do we care for ourselves and each other spiritually, emotionally, physically, and intellectually?

To address toxic polarization, the General Assembly recommended that:

  • A Paulist National Reconciliation Initiative be established. “This initiative may create, promote, and maintain a hub for pastoral guidelines, preaching aids, resources, media, bibliography, best practices and proven models available,” the resolution indicated.

  • A gathering be held within two years to bring together Paulist Fathers, Paulist Associates, affiliates and partners in mission to explore the issues and dynamics of polarization “and to share and deepen ways we can help each other navigate and carry this heavy cross.”

  • The Paulist General Council “facilitate a continual conversation within the Paulist Fathers on diversity, equity, and inclusion, particularly with respect to racism within the Paulists and the Catholic Church.”

  • “Toxic polarization be addressed in Paulist preaching whenever possible and prudent, and that resources be made available for this purpose.”

The resolution also states, “there is actually hope and light glowing within this darkness. At the core of our Christian tradition is faith in the resurrection of Christ who conquered sin and death upon the cross. This single act of love remains the prism through which we are to view our missionary endeavors. It is also where we find our hope.”

'The word of God in a language that people can understand'

At our 2018 Ordinations Mass, Cardinal Joseph Tobin, C.Ss.R., spoke beautifully about the Paulist Fathers’ mission:

“From its very origin, your congregation has sought to speak the word of God in a language that people can understand. Servant of God Isaac Hecker and his companions suffered much for this passion. Yet their perseverance has enriched the Church in incredible ways. Like Pope Francis, you combine words and images so that your hearts may speak to the hearts of others. And Paulists are not simply salt for the salt shaker, that is gifted men who minister exclusively in the comfort of nice Catholic enclaves. You are salt for the earth. You are light for the world. And you speak the word of life beyond the household of faith.

Watch here:

 

Andrea Sirek, Director of Religious Education at St. John XXIII University Parish in Knoxville, TN, on the Paulists:

“One of the things that I like about the Paulists is their inclusivity. You are loved and welcomed for who you are, where you are in your life. There is no need to change you into something that they feel is the more ideal version of who you should be. You are allowed to be who you are. And I think that’s just exactly how Christ was as well.”