Passionist Associates are individuals, both men and women, who in a spirit of mutuality,
bond themselves more closely with the mission and the spirituality of the Passionist Congregation, Province of St. Paul of
the Cross. This mutuality recognizes that both professed Passionists and Passionist Associates contribute to the Passionist
Mission in the world today.
Those desiring to participate
more fully in the life of the faith community and share their individual gifts and talents in the context of the Passionist
Charism and Mission may be selected as Associate candidates. After at least a two-year period of discernment, orientation,
formal acceptance, and formation a covenant is made between the Passionist Associate and the local Passionist Community of
Priests and Brothers. Once the initial covenant is made, each Associate is then required to recovenant him or her self to
the Passionist Community every year on the Feast Day of St. Paul of the Cross.
The
Associates enter into this relationship centered on living the Gospel message in the spirit of the Passionist Congregation
and the charism of its founder, St. Paul of the Cross. The Passionists for their part invite their Associates to participate
in some aspects of their life of prayer, community, and ministerial outreach. The Passionists also provide their Associates
with the opportunities for ongoing faith formation in the spirit of the Congregation of the Passion.
Formed in 1996, the first group of Passionist Associates, was covenanted in Riverdale NY. Since that
time a number of the St. Paul of the Cross Province foundations have either covenanted members or associates in formation.
The number of Associates from Pittsburgh and Scranton Pennsylvania, North Palm Beach Florida, Shrewsbury Massachusetts,
Riverdale New York, and Greenville North Carolina now number around sixty-six. On November 6, 2011 the Bishop Molloy Retreat
House in Jamaica, New York, covenented 8 new associates.
