Paulist Associates
Who are the Paulist Associates?
Religious orders often are joined by laypersons who are drawn to the ideals and charisms of that particular order and seek to model them in their daily lives. Paulist Associates are lay women and men who have come to know the Paulist Fathers (the first religious order of men formed in the United States) and their particular attention to the Holy Spirit. After a period of discernment, formation and acceptance, they are invited to make a Promise annually to associate with the Paulist Community. These men and women meet regularly to pray, study and learn about Paulist spirituality, mission and ministries, striving to understand what the Paulist charisms of reconciliation, evangelization, ecumenism and inter-religious dialogue mean in this 21st century in America.
Paulist Associates in Boston
Since 2004, the Paulist Associates in Boston meet monthly at the Paulist Center. The gatherings often center around prayer and short readings from the works of Servant of God Isaac Hecker, founder of the Paulists (and convert to Catholicism), as well as current topics that invite lively discussion. The Boston group initially began with 12 people and, in 2016, numbered 20. Many Boston Associates have attended occasional national/regional retreats that offer opportunities to connect with Associates in other Paulist chapters. In June or July, the Associates enjoy an outing to places such as Walden Pond (a site linked to Hecker’s brief but significant time in Massachusetts), the JFK Library and The Museum of Fine Arts.
To learn about becoming a Paulist Associate, click here.