PROVINCE OF ST. PAUL OF THE CROSS
Also known as: Passionists
Post-nominal letters: CP
This collection contains the records of the Province of St. Paul of the Cross (United States Eastern Province) of the Congregation of the Passion of Jesus Christ, commonly known as the Passionists.
This collection is currently closed for research.
Founding Dates
1720
Founded by St. Paul of the Cross in Italy
1852
First North American community established in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
St. Paul of the Cross, Founder of the Passionists
January 3, 1694 – October 18, 1775
Beatified: October 1, 1852 by Pope Pius IX
Canonized: June 29, 1867
Feast Day: October 19 (Worldwide); October 20 (USA)
Saint Paul of the Cross gathered companions to live together and to proclaim the Gospel of Christ to all. The first name he gave his community was “The Poor of Jesus,” indicating that their lives were to be based on evangelical poverty, which he held to be necessary if they were to observe the other evangelical counsels: a communal life of common poverty, chastity, obedience. Also, to contemplate the Passion of Christ through persevering prayer, and to preach the message of Jesus Christ Crucified and the message of the Cross and Passion to Christian and all who experience suffering and seek spiritual healing reconciliation as a gift of the presence of God.
Charism of the Passionists
Passionists seek the unity of their lives and apostolate in the Passion of Jesus: The Memoria Passionis. The Passion of Jesus reveals the power of God which penetrates the world, destroying the power of evil and building up the Kingdom of God. Passionist religious have been called to unite themselves to the life and mission of Him who “emptied Himself taking the form of a servant” (Phil 2:7).
Historical Sketch
The Congregation of the Passion of Jesus Christ, or the ‘Passionists,’ was founded in 1720 and is a global order of Roman Catholic priests, brothers, nuns, sisters and laity who proclaim God’s love for the world revealed through the Passion of Christ.
The Passionist presence in the United States began with their arrival in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1852. Their presence eventually extended to New York, New England, Baltimore, Florida, West Virginia and among Black Catholics.
Their activities included establishing monasteries, seminary education, sponsoring retreat houses, ministering in parish missions. They were also active in media, operating a radio and television apostolate, and publishing The Sign Magazine, a national Catholic monthly, from 1921-1982.
The Passionists in the United States and Argentina fell under one province until 1906, when the Holy Cross Province, based in Chicago, was established to govern all activities west of the city.
Their global reach in the twentieth century included missions in China, Germany, Austria, Jamaica, the Philippines, and the West Indies. Notable Passionists are Fathers Fidelis Kent Stone, Viktor Koch, Thomas Berry and, Bishop Cuthbert O’Gara.
Historical Resources:
Rev. Caspar Caulfield, C.P., Only A Beginning: The Passionists in China. 1921-1931 Union City, Jersey: Passionist Press, 1990
Rev. Robert E. Carbonneau, C.P. Life, Death and Memory: Three Passionists in Hunan, China and the Shaping of an American Mission Perspective in the 1920s. Ph.D. diss. Georgetown Univ. 1992.
Bro. Laurence Finn, C.P. and Rev. Donald Webber, Letters of St. Paul of the Cross. Distributed by Congregation of the Passion, 2000
Katherine Koch, The Sower of the Black Field MindStir Media, 2024
Rev. Jude Mead, St. Paul of the Cross: A Source/Workbook for Paulacrucian Studies. New Rochelle, N.Y.: Don Bosco Publications, 1983.
Rev. Roger Mercurio, C.P., The Passionists. Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 1992.
Rev. Donald Webber, editor. Passionist ministry in North America and beyond. The Passionists, 2002.
Rev. Cassian J. Yuhaus, C.P., Compelled To Speak. Westminster, Maryland: Newman Press, 1967.
For more information:
Please see the website of the Passionist Historical Archives
https://passionistarchives.org