Alaska, Appalachia and beyond: Paulist Father Michael Martin’s True Tall Stories

You can’t miss Paulist Father Michael Martin in gatherings of his community. He’s known as the “tallest Paulist.” His height exceeds a standard door frame. Walking with a cane, his is a commanding yet tender figure in the line of...

From Experimental Psychology to Ministry: Paulist Father Paul Huesing

Paulist Father Paul Huesing says that in his post-graduate job in psychology, he was one of those fortunate people who woke up excited to go to work. But something was missing. That something turned out to be life as a...

"A Journey of Surprises" -Heather Kinney, with The Paulist Fathers

The Paulist Fathers serve in campus and hospital ministries, administrative roles, evangelization, and other pursuits. Heather Kinney helps Paulist seminarians hone in on the direction God may be guiding them toward. She’s the community’s Associate Director of Formation for Academics...

"Open to the surprising encounter" -Paolo Puccini, CSP

Paolo Puccini describes himself as a pilgrim and a missionary. His Catholic journey and evangelization led him to the Paulist Fathers. After several years of study and formation with the community, in September 2019, Paolo made his final promises to...

Acting Justly with our God

Paulist Fr. Tim Sullivan has been a social justice-minded community type from the start. His upbringing is deeply influential on his ministry. His youth included extensive involvement in the Christian Family Movement that works to make parishes a "family of...

Priest and Collegiate Athletics Superfan

When Paulist Fr. Bob O'Donnell was in high school, he mentored young kids from the poor side of town by playing basketball with them once a month. Today he's still reaching out to young people through athletics--attending many of the...

"Priesthood? No way, no how, not a chance, never…"

When Paulist Father Don Andrie consider changing from tech worker to priest, he asked his best friends to tell him how crazy he was. They thought it was a great idea. Though he was long involved in ministry, the idea...

"The Prophetic Push"

Evan Cummings, C.S.P., made his final promises to life with the Paulist Fathers in late 2018. Just before that, he spoke about how wikipedia led him to the community, how some of his most profound spiritual moments come while kneading...

Inspired by the healing ministry of Jesus Christ

"My dad was a carpenter, my mother's name is Mary and I have no illusions that I'm Jesus Christ," says Paulist Father Frank Desiderio in this interview with Jennifer Szweda Jordan conducted for The Paulist Fathers in Lake George, New...

“I wanted not to live on a pedestal”

Fr. Ken McGuire describes himself as a theological liberal who peers say still gets along well with conservatives. Father Ken says a Ph.D. in anthropology shaped him to understand how people approach situations from different mindsets and it made him...

“Gratitude never gets us in trouble.”

I'm not proud of anything I've done," Paulist Father Tom Hall told the crowd gathered at his retirement party after 30 years as a Navy chaplain. He says that the room was silent. "I'm just overwhelmed with gratitude. Pride--no. There's...

An evangelist “reaching the unreached”

Paulist Fr. Kenneth "Ken" Boyack is vice president of the Paulist Evangelization Ministries, which has the tagline, "Reaching the Unreached in Faith." In this interview, he describes that work as well as intimate pivotal moments of his faith journey--including an...

Praying at the Piano

Paulist Father Ricky Manalo's main ministry is music. But he's also a teacher at Santa Clara University, and around the world, about liturgy and culture. He writes reflections in the devotional book "Give Us This Day." Fr. Ricky is of...

“I love that I have a vocation”

Deacon Ryan Casey becomes Paulist Father Ryan Casey on May 19, 2018. As his ordination approached, he talked about everything from binge-watching Christian movies like Holy Man Undercover to his occasional street preaching. (Photo by Ryan Haggerty.)

“It’s a service of humility”

"Life in the priesthood is one of humility," says Michael Hennessy in this interview recorded shortly before his May 2018 ordination as a priest. Hennessy is a New Englander who started thinking about being a priest when he was teaching...

God’s Talent Scout

Though Paulist Father Dat Tran embraces Jesus’ instruction to be a “fisher of men,” he’s learned that the harvest may not come overnight and to trust in the work of the Holy Spirit. In this interview, he speaks about transitioning...

“It was a better use of my life.”

Father Frank DeSiano calls himself a "lifer." He entered the Paulist junior seminary as a teenager. That was more than 45 years ago. He's a noted leader in evangelization or sharing of the Catholic faith. Father Frank has been the...

“I don’t have to give up dancing…I can do this.”

Paulist Father Ed Nowak is an avid athlete. He runs, bicycles and hikes. But he’s also something of a cheerleader--of people moving forward in their faith. When Father Ed was a college student studying engineering at Penn State, it became...

"There's just no greater privilege."

Paulist Father Steve Bell speaks about his conversion story, his love of music, and the pains and pleasures of being a priest. His recorded conversation with Jennifer Szweda Jordan was produced for The Paulist Fathers. (Photo by Ryan Haggerty.)