In 18th Century Italy, a man named Paul Daneo, later known as St. Paul of the Cross, saw the people of his time forgetting how much they were loved by God. He set out to remind them of God's love as found in the Passion--the suffering and death--of Jesus Christ.
In 1740, St. Paul of the Cross received permission to gather companions who would live and proclaim a loving remembrance of the sufferings and death of Jesus And so, he founded the Passionist Community with the profound conviction that preaching the Passion had the power to inspire and change the lives of men and women all over the world. As these men, who would later be called "Passionists," gathered in residences called "retreats," others were invited to come for a short time and experience the prayer and solitude that such places offered.
Today, Passionist Retreat Centers such a Mater Dolorosa (Sorrowful Mother) continue this work, mainly through weekend retreats. In listening to conferences, praying alone and with the larger group, and sharing faith and concerns with each other and the retreat team, people come to quiet themselves, deepen their relationship with God, and develop spiritually.
The Passion is also proclaimed when people come to pray the Stations of the Cross. It is announced even in the statuary and pictures around the retreat center--the most dramatic being the Limpia crucifix in the chapel. This profound, stunning crucifix portrays the crucified Christ in the midst of his suffering and death. In all these things, the charism of the Passion of Christ is evident.
They seek to welcome all who wish to hear the message of the Passion through our traditions of preaching, hospitality, and compassion.
HAD A GREAT TIME!
z0bananas
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