The Missionary Society of St Paul was the dream of a visionary man, the Servant of God Mgr Joseph De Piro. His dream, to evangelise to the world drawing inspiration from the missionary zeal of St Paul, today is embodied in the members of the Society in various countries of the world and the many young and lay people who embrace this vision with enthusiasm and zeal.

The members of the Missionary Society of St Paul embrace a lifestyle which is one of self-giving, born of a deep and personal spiritual relationship with God. Through service in missionary lands, and through the creation of a deeper awareness of the missionary dimension of the Church, the MSSP, drawing from the wellsprings of Joseph De Piro, is inspired to give to others the gift of faith.

Through the building of community and reaching out to the poor and needy of the world, the members of the Missionary Society of St Paul make the conscious choice to serve in mission. Adopting missionary service as a fourth vow in their consecration as religious, most of their work centres around sensitizing the church to remain focused on the little ones of the Kingdom: the poor, needy and disadvantaged.

In lands which are not strictly missionary, the role of the Missionary Society of St Paul centres around evangelisation, missionary animation, youth outreaches and voluntary experiences in MSSP missionary lands.

Through this, the Paulist family strives to ensure that, across its regions, the values of solidarity with the poor and concern for building authentic Christian communities remain at the top of the agenda of each local Church. The Society recently celebrated its centenary. In celebrating its centenary goal “in communion for mission”, the Missionary Society of St Paul reaffirms its witness as a Society committed to do mission through a genuine effort to build healthy and thriving communities, both internally and with lay people.

The Missionary Society of St Paul invites you to be part of this journey of hope in God’s people. For further information about the Missionary Society of St Paul, please visit Paulist Missionary international website. 

Joseph De Piro was born in Malta on 2nd November 1877 into a wealthy and influential family. As a young man he thought about becoming a lawyer but then felt that God was calling him to priesthood. In 1903, after the completion of his studies he was ordained in Rome. He was involved in different ministries within the Church, but his main concerns were the missions and work amongst the poor. As a young priest he began to work towards bringing to fruition his long cherished dream of establishing a Society of priests and brothers committed to the spreading of the Good News. June 30th was the foundation day of the Missionary Society of St Paul. To its first members he passed on his missionary zeal and love for those in need.