“Rooted in hope, Paulists are missionaries for the Holy Spirit’s transformative action in the world.” (2026 General Assembly)
At the 2026 General Assembly, the Paulist Fathers articulated a fresh expression of the Paulist charism as Missionaries of Hope. To learn more about the Paulist charism, spirituality, and mission, please read the document from the 2026 General Assembly below or download the PDF version.
“In the life of religious communities, a founding charism is a gift of the Holy Spirit, first received in the life of a founder, through whom a community is brought into being, shaped in its identity, and is entrusted with a grace meant not for itself alone, but for the life of the Church. Rooted in Christ and given through the Spirit, a charism shapes a community’s spirituality, gives rise to its mission, and continues to be discerned and embodied anew in every age.
“In our synodal process leading to the General Assembly, many expressed that there is a recognizable Paulist “way of being” that points toward a deeper spiritual anchor. Upon reflection on the recurring patterns in Paulist life and ministry, this recognizable Paulist way of being that animates us and serves as a deep spiritualanchor is this: Paulists are missionaries of hope. By this we mean an enduring hope born of the Holy Spirit, sustained by confidence that the Crucified and Risen Christ is already present, and that God is always at work in the joys, questions, struggles, and sufferings of the people of our age.