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Paulist Fathers
The Paulist Fathers, better known as the Paulists and officially named the Missionary Society of Saint Paul the Apostle (Latin: Societas Sacerdotum Missionariorum a Sancto Paulo Apostolo) is a Catholic society of apostolic life of pontifical right for men founded in New York City in 1858 by Isaac Hecker in collaboration with George Deshon, Augustine Hewit, and Francis A. Baker. Its members use the postnominal letters CSP.
The society's mission is to evangelize—preach the gospel or give information with the intention of converting people to Catholicism—the people of North America in a manner suited to the continent's culture.
Isaac Hecker was a priest of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists), as were all the founding members of the Paulists. Following their conversion to Catholicism, they wanted to create an institute of priests that could evangelize the people of North America in ways that would be more effective than previous methods. Hecker advocated using the popular means of his day, primarily preaching, the public lecture circuit, and the printing press. Hecker's zeal was fueled by his conviction of the insufficiency of Protestantism. He considered it prophetically inevitable that the people of the United States would convert to the Catholic Church and a new Catholic civilization would begin.
Meanwhile, a misunderstanding had arisen between the American Redemptorists and their superiors. In order to seek a final and authoritative settlement of the difficulty, Hecker went to Rome as the representative of the American Fathers, to lay their case before the superior general of the order. Upon his arrival, he found the general and his council extremely hostile, and on the third day he was expelled from the order.
Hecker was supported by Redemptorist Fathers George Deshon, Augustine Hewit, Francis Baker, and Clarence Walworth, who were themselves converts to Catholicism from the Episcopal Church and were influenced significantly by the Oxford Movement. Hecker and his companions were soon after dispensed from their Redemptorist vows and were granted permission to found the Paulist Fathers in 1858 as the Missionary Priests of Saint Paul the Apostle, in honor of Paul of Tarsus, by Pope Pius IX.
Hecker received letters from the Propaganda Fide, strongly recommending him and his associates to the bishops of the United States. The Paulists got their start in the Archdiocese of New York, establishing their headquarters in a parish on 59th Street appropriately named Church of St. Paul the Apostle, granted them by John Hughes. Hecker conceived the Paulists to be a small community with a specific missionary focus. From their headquarters in New York City, at Hecker's insistence, they began their task of performing missionary work to non-Catholics.
Hecker and the first Paulists specifically targeted Protestant Christians in his ministry. Hecker toured cities like Norfolk, Jersey City, St. Louis, Dayton, Columbus, Chicago and Detroit, whereafter he returned to New York City. In New York, nearly 30,000 people came to hear Hecker preach about the Catholic faith, over two-thirds of whom were not Catholic. Despite these efforts, the work yielded few converts.
In 1865 Hecker started the "Catholic World" magazine, then the only Catholic monthly in the country. In 1866, the Catholic Publication Society was created, adding the written word to the Paulist mission. In 1870, a magazine for Catholic youth, The Young Catholic, was also created. Around this time, the Paulists began inviting Protestants to their mother Church, the Church of St. Paul the Apostle. Knowing that Catholics were often suspected of being anti-American, Hecker saw that the Church's design would "merge the best of American art and architecture within a Catholic house of worship," including the art of John La Farge -- himself the father of a Jesuit Priest.
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Paulist Fathers
The Paulist Fathers, better known as the Paulists and officially named the Missionary Society of Saint Paul the Apostle (Latin: Societas Sacerdotum Missionariorum a Sancto Paulo Apostolo) is a Catholic society of apostolic life of pontifical right for men founded in New York City in 1858 by Isaac Hecker in collaboration with George Deshon, Augustine Hewit, and Francis A. Baker. Its members use the postnominal letters CSP.
The society's mission is to evangelize—preach the gospel or give information with the intention of converting people to Catholicism—the people of North America in a manner suited to the continent's culture.
Isaac Hecker was a priest of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists), as were all the founding members of the Paulists. Following their conversion to Catholicism, they wanted to create an institute of priests that could evangelize the people of North America in ways that would be more effective than previous methods. Hecker advocated using the popular means of his day, primarily preaching, the public lecture circuit, and the printing press. Hecker's zeal was fueled by his conviction of the insufficiency of Protestantism. He considered it prophetically inevitable that the people of the United States would convert to the Catholic Church and a new Catholic civilization would begin.
Meanwhile, a misunderstanding had arisen between the American Redemptorists and their superiors. In order to seek a final and authoritative settlement of the difficulty, Hecker went to Rome as the representative of the American Fathers, to lay their case before the superior general of the order. Upon his arrival, he found the general and his council extremely hostile, and on the third day he was expelled from the order.
Hecker was supported by Redemptorist Fathers George Deshon, Augustine Hewit, Francis Baker, and Clarence Walworth, who were themselves converts to Catholicism from the Episcopal Church and were influenced significantly by the Oxford Movement. Hecker and his companions were soon after dispensed from their Redemptorist vows and were granted permission to found the Paulist Fathers in 1858 as the Missionary Priests of Saint Paul the Apostle, in honor of Paul of Tarsus, by Pope Pius IX.
Hecker received letters from the Propaganda Fide, strongly recommending him and his associates to the bishops of the United States. The Paulists got their start in the Archdiocese of New York, establishing their headquarters in a parish on 59th Street appropriately named Church of St. Paul the Apostle, granted them by John Hughes. Hecker conceived the Paulists to be a small community with a specific missionary focus. From their headquarters in New York City, at Hecker's insistence, they began their task of performing missionary work to non-Catholics.
Hecker and the first Paulists specifically targeted Protestant Christians in his ministry. Hecker toured cities like Norfolk, Jersey City, St. Louis, Dayton, Columbus, Chicago and Detroit, whereafter he returned to New York City. In New York, nearly 30,000 people came to hear Hecker preach about the Catholic faith, over two-thirds of whom were not Catholic. Despite these efforts, the work yielded few converts.
In 1865 Hecker started the "Catholic World" magazine, then the only Catholic monthly in the country. In 1866, the Catholic Publication Society was created, adding the written word to the Paulist mission. In 1870, a magazine for Catholic youth, The Young Catholic, was also created. Around this time, the Paulists began inviting Protestants to their mother Church, the Church of St. Paul the Apostle. Knowing that Catholics were often suspected of being anti-American, Hecker saw that the Church's design would "merge the best of American art and architecture within a Catholic house of worship," including the art of John La Farge -- himself the father of a Jesuit Priest.
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