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When I was formally introduced to the Paulists at a vocation retreat not to long ago, I was made aware by fellow discerners that the Paulists were known as ‘workers on the fringe’ in America.  I would later find out that what my fellow discerners were trying to articulate is that the Paulists of late had a reputation for being the Society that works with those Catholics who were struggling with their Catholic identity.  Many of my fellow ‘Millennials’ who were on the retreat were there to get an answer to a single question: can a ‘traditional (conservative)’ Catholic find a home in the ‘liberal’ Paulists?

At the time of the retreat I was a relatively recent convert to Catholicism and had little understanding of what constituted a ‘liberal’ or ‘traditional’ Catholic, but after some probing of my fellow discerners I was made to understand that I was in fact ‘traditional’.  In my Novitiate year I developed a somewhat better understanding of what the distinctions were between the two and came to identity even more with the traditionalists.  I then presented the questions to myself: could I find a home with the Paulists?

What drew me to the Paulists was their mission of bringing Catholicism to North America.  As a convert to Catholicism, I was passionately convinced that I had found something that others needed to see.  I wanted people to see the beauty and richness of Catholicism and I was convinced that the Paulists possessed both the will and means to do just that.  When I became aware of my ‘traditionalist’ sensibilities I began to look closer at this community and its members, trying to figure out whether one with such a perspective would be welcomed and encouraged or isolated and criticized.

What I have discovered thus far is this: the Paulists are a Society that attempts to transcend the ‘liberal’/‘conservative’ divide through solidarity in mission.  The Paulists are as diverse a Society as that of the countries in which it ministers.  What makes the Paulists so effective and keeps them united is their fidelity and love of Catholicism and their zeal for spreading the good news of the Gospel.  In the Paulists you will find individuals with ‘liberal’ and ‘traditional’ sensibilities and this is precisely what gives the Paulists an edge.  Despite the plethora of views amongst Paulists they have learned how to respectfully dialogue with each other and learn through such interaction.  It is not so difficult to understand why the Paulists in America also have such a reputation for being important proponents of ecumenical activities.  They, having learned the importance of dialogue and mutual understanding by means of living and working with each other, are more than able to bring such experience to other faiths or denominations.

The Paulist commitment to responding to the ‘signs of the times’ means they are perpetually trying to reinvent themselves so as to better reflect their mission field and so increase their effectiveness.  I have come to love this community, for it is a real reflection of the unity that we Americans and we Canadians seek to achieve in our own nations.  In the Paulists, whether you are liberal or conservative, a baby boomer or a millennial, you are amongst brothers and you can find a home.

Pax Vobiscum,
Matt Sanders, CSP