St. Paul of the Cross
MONASTERY

148 Monastery Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15203 Phone (412) 381-1188 Fax (412) 481-5049

stpaulsmonastery@cpprov.org

Founder of the Passionists

Click here to watch a video about St. Paul of the Cross

Paul Daneo was born in Ovada, Italy, in 1694. He was the first of sixteen children born to Luke and Anna Maria Daneo. Only six survived. Though his father owned a small business, his family struggled financially due to a poor economy.

As a child, Paul always desired prayer and recollection. His father would often read to his children from the lives of the saints, and his mother often consoled Paul and his brothers and sisters by pointing to a Crucifix and explaining how much Jesus suffered for them.

Guided in this fashion, and spurred on by a particular sermon he had heard, Paul made a radical conversion in his life. At twenty-one years of age he expressed a desire to die a martyr's death and joined the Crusade army. Paul did not find the army to be his calling and left to continue the search for a meaning to his life.

Paul searched for a meaning to his life. In 1718, at Sestri outside of Genoa, at Our Lady of Gazzo Church, Paul saw himself in a vision. He was clothed in a black tunic and was filled with a desire to lead a life of poverty and reparation. He also wanted to call others to join him.

Two years later, in 1720, at the Capuchin Monastery not far from his home, Paul prayed fervently for an understanding of what had happened at Our Lady of Gazzo Church. On his way home he received a vision of the blessed Virgin Mary clothed in a black tunic and wearing the Passionist sign. She told him to gather companions, and to establish an Order that would mourn the death of her Son, Jesus Christ. On November 22 of that same year Bishop DiGattinara of Alessandria vested Paul in what was to become know as the Passionist Habit.

St. Paul of the Cross

LET US LEAVE YOU WITH THIS THOUGHT FROM
ST. PAUL OF THE CROSS ...

Let all creation help you to praise God.
Give yourself the rest you need. When you are walking alone, listen to the sermon preached to you by the flowers, the trees, the shrubs, the sky, the sun and the whole world. Notice how they preach to you a sermon full of love, of praise of God, and how they invite you to proclaim the greatness of the one who has given them being.

During a forty day retreat after this event Paul completed the Rule of Life for his future congregation, and was joined by his brother, John Baptist. His task of forming a community of men dedicated to remembrance of the Passion of Jesus met with failure at first. It was not until 1737, when he was forty three years of age, that the first Passionist Monastery was opened at Monte Argentario. Eight years later the Pope approved the Congregation.

The Congregation of Passionists grew and expanded. Its principle ministry was preaching the Passion of Christ. By teaching the people to meditate on the Passion Paul brought the People of God to repentance for their past sins and to perseverance in their conversion to God's way of living. Paul was convinced that the Passion would enlighten and strengthen their hearts. He wanted as many people as possible to share what he had found in Christ, and so established the Confraternity of the Passion. In his later years he founded a contemplative Order of nuns, the Passionist Nuns.

For forty years Paul suffered extreme spiritual darkness. However, he never failed to enlighten people's hearts about the love of Christ for them, and to give them hope that God indeed journeyed with them. On October 18th , 1775, he died. His feast day is celebrated on October 19th (Oct. 20th in the USA).

For more information about St. Paul of the Cross, visit these websites:

• Saint Paul of the Cross - Founder of the Passionist Congregation

• Paul of the Cross - Wikipedia Article

• Mysticism of the Passion in St Paul of the Cross - Free Online Book

• Flowers of the Passion -Thoughts of Saint Paul of the Cross - Free Online Book