Our Life and Mission

Saint Paul of the Cross gathered companions to live together and to proclaim the Gospel of Christ to all. The first name he gave his community was The Poor of Jesus. This was to indicate that their lives were to be based on evangelical poverty, which he held to be so necessary if they were to observe the other evangelical counsels, to persevere in prayer, and to preach the Word of the Cross in season and out of season.

Moreover, he [Saint Paul of the Cross] wanted them [his companions] to live their lives like [the] apostles. They were to foster and develop a deep spirit of prayer, penance and solitude so that they could reach closer union with God and witness to His love. Keenly aware of the evils that afflicted the people of his time, he was never tired of insisting that the most effective remedy is the Passion of Jesus, “the greatest and most overwhelming work of God’s love”.