"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...

“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...

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...

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...

“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...

"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.)

"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...

“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...