Towards Unity: Celebrating the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul

January 25, 2017

Dear friends,

Fr. Eric Andrews, president of the Paulist Fathers
Fr. Eric Andrews, president of the Paulist Fathers

Greetings on this Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle!

On this patronal feast day of the Paulist Fathers, we give thanks to God for the gifts He has bestowed upon us, enabling us, through the grace of the Holy Spirit, to preach the Gospel and care for God’s people.

This is also a day to ask: “Now what?”

Each generation of Paulist Fathers has sought to discern the signs of the times and address the needs of society with zeal and effectiveness. In this first month of 2017, the challenge is obvious: division, anger and misunderstanding within our society.

I think that God is saying to the Paulist Fathers, the Paulist Associates, our parishioners, our collaborators and supporters, that our original Paulist mission, “The Conversion of America!,” is needed more than ever.

We must be bridge builders who seek to transform the hate and distrust among us into unity and peace. This will not be done with shallow platitudes, merely saying “everything will be alright.” We must truly listen with the heart of Jesus to the concerns and fears of everyone we serve and then shed the light of the Gospel where it is needed most. In the process, we must allow ourselves to be transformed as well, and not presume God doesn’t have something new to tell us. In following this path, we give witness to the way of Christ, away from partisanship, towards communion with God and our brothers and sisters.

Our founder, Servant of God Isaac Hecker, and the other early Paulist Fathers, lived through the Civil War, the worst division ever encountered in the United States. Reflecting on this, Fr. Hecker said:
 
“Perhaps the time has come when human beings will consider impartially the causes which have brought about the deplorable religious dissensions and divisions existing among Christians, and that a movement is about to set in on all sides towards unity, and the prayer of Christ that ‘all who believe in Him might be made perfect in unity’ will find its fulfillment. This is our hope. To contribute to this result we labor.”
 
On this feast day, let us all pray that the rich resources of our Catholic faith “act like oil on troubled waters” for our country and our entire world, as Fr. Hecker hoped, and that the Holy Spirit may inspire us anew to be His instruments of hope, peace, justice, truth and mercy!

Sincerely yours in Christ,

 
signature-andrews-web
 

Very Rev. Eric Andrews, C.S.P.

President, The Paulist Fathers

 

P.S. Each year around today’s feast, we hold the Annual Paulist Appeal.  The appeal raises vital funds for our community and ministries.  Please consider making a financial contribution.  Your generosity makes all we do possible!