Community is a gift of the Holy Spirit, who calls us to deeper conversion and commitment to each other. We are a community of disciples committed by a promise to a common life based on the fraternal love we share in Jesus Christ.
This promise binds us to the sharing of faith, prayer, life in common and material goods.
Our common life is a defining part or our vocation and an integral dimension of our mission.
As disciples in community, we commit ourselves to ongoing conversion, being formed by the Spirit in the image of Christ. This continual conversion is the foundation of our life in community and the wellspring of our mission, proclaiming to the peoples of North America the fullness of life in Christ.
We Paulists, whose founding charism includes the proclamation of our faith to others, strive to share the unfolding stories of our faith journey with one another.
As brothers promising fraternal support of each other in community, we commit ourselves to living and working together. This is the norm of our community life. Our commitment embraces mutual responsibility for the care of each other’s basic human needs. We accomplish this by fostering an atmosphere of trust and respect for each other; by forgiving each other’s failings; by acknowledging each other’s achievements; by celebrating important events in each other’s lives; by caring for our brothers who are infirm, aging, or in crises; by encouraging each other’s talents, especially those which support our common mission; and by spending time together.
As friends called to accountability in community, we commit ourselves to mutual responsibility for our common life, ministry, and resources. This accountability requires presence to and knowledge of one another in community, as well as willingness to sacrifice for each other and for our common life and mission. It also requires sharing of our personal hopes and struggles and communication about our local and general community life, mission, finances, and other resources. We challenge ourselves to accept individual and mutual responsibility and intervention when necessary for personal growth, wellness and ongoing formation.
Prompted by the Holy Spirit, we pledge ourselves as disciples, brothers, and friends to be ever more converted to be a joyful, prayerful and servant Christian community that witnesses to the presence of Christ in our midst.
Videos
Learn more about the Paulist Fathers community life and prayer life in these short videos.