2009 PASSIONIST CHARISM RESOURCES - Passionists

• When the will was read in the sacristy of the Church of St. Charles in Castellazzo,
Paul renounced the inheritance in favour of his brothers and sisters, saying he
wished to keep for himself only a breviary
• Around the time of his uncle’s death, Paul’s parents and brothers and sisters moved
to Castellazzo
• His father was now sixty years old and had retired from business, devoting himself
to the care of family property
• Paul described his life at Castellazzo during this period as follows: “Between
daytime and night I used to spend at least seven hours in prayer and other religious
activities. On feast day mornings I used to rise very early to attend a confraternity of
which I was a member. After the confraternity, I would go to the main church where,
as was customary, the Blessed Sacrament was exposed, and would remain there at
last three hours on my knees. After that I would go for something to eat, and then I
would go to Vespers. After Vespers I would take a little fresh air with some devout
young men and talk with them about spiritual things. Last, I would visit the church of
the Capuchins where I would spend an hour in mental prayer; then I would return
home.”
• Paul joined the Confraternity of St. Anthony of the Desert, which met in the Oratory
down the street from his home
• After a short time he was elected prior
• It was probably at this time that he discovered the Treatise on the Love of God by
St. Francis de Sales
• He would rise early each day and pray with his brother John Baptist
• It was at Castellazzo on 23 April 1719 that Paul and John Baptist received the
Sacrament of Confirmation from Bishop Gattinara
1720-1730 SHARING THE CALL
IN SEARCH OF COMPANIONS
1720- 1721 CASTELLAZZO
1722-1724 MONTE ARGENTARIO AND CASTELLAZZO
1724-1726 GAETA AND TROIA
1726-1727 ROME AND ORDINATION
1728-1730 MONTE ARGENTARIO SETTLING IN
Introduction to the Letters of St. Paul of the Cross (Roger Mercurio C.P.)
• By 1720 Bishop Gattinara of Alessandria judged Paul’s inspirations to be sufficient to
allow him to be clothed as a hermit
• The Bishop then ordered him to go into retreat and write the Rule of the Institute he
hoped to establish
• During the forty days of his retreat, Paul not only put his dream into words, but also
gave the Bishop an account of the heights and depths of his prayer
• This document is recognised as one of the finest accounts of mysticism in the 18th
century
• Both the Preface to the Rule — his description of events up to the time of the forty-day
retreat — and the Diary were written in the form of letters addressed to Bishop
Gattinara
• The first version of the Rule, written at this time, has been lost. The original was burnt
at the express command of Paul of the Cross
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