The Paulist Fathers, officially named the Missionary Society of Saint Paul the Apostle (Latin: Societas Sacerdotum Missionariorum a Sancto Paulo Apostolo), abbreviated CSP, is a Catholic society of apostolic life of Pontifical Right for men founded in New York City in 1858 by Isaac Hecker in collaboration with George Deshon, Augustine Hewit, and Francis A. Baker.

Following their conversion to Catholicism, they wanted to create an institute of priests that could evangelize the people of North America in ways that would be more effective than previous methods.

Hecker advocated using the popular means of his day, primarily preaching, the public lecture circuit, and the printing press.

[2] Hecker was supported by Redemptorist Fathers George Deshon, Augustine Hewit, Francis Baker, and Clarence Walworth, who were themselves converts to Catholicism from the Episcopal Church and were influenced significantly by the Oxford Movement.

Hecker received letters from the Propaganda Fide, strongly recommending him and his associates to the bishops of the United States.

The Paulists got their start in the Archdiocese of New York, establishing their headquarters in a parish on 59th Street appropriately named Church of St. Paul the Apostle, granted them by John Hughes.

[5] In 1875, the first Paulist missionaries set sail[citation needed] for California; other missions quickly followed in Chicago, Illinois; Winchester, Tennessee; and Austin, Texas.

Around 1935, the Paulists outfitted motor trailers as chapels and began a series of missions to rural areas such in states such as South Carolina, Tennessee and Utah.

The Paulist Press, based in Mahwah, New Jersey, is a well-established publisher of hardcover and paperback books, audio and visual tapes, DVDs, and educational materials and resources for parishes.

[5] Paulist Press also maintains an online journal, founded by Isaac Hecker, called The Catholic World, which is a collection of articles on faith and culture.

The office seeks to create processes, resource materials, forums, and leaders to recruit these people into the Church.

The Paulist National Office of Ecumenism and Interfaith Relations has the mission of fostering understanding, respect, and collaboration with members of other religions.

Paulists also have a number of Newman Centers and campus ministries at several major universities throughout the United States; they consider this one of their highest priorities.

It today creates films and television programs on a variety of subjects with spiritual concerns and matters at the heart of the production.

In the early 1870s, the Paulist Fathers became the owners of a large portion of lakefront property at the southern end of Lake George in the Adirondacks in upstate New York.

The Paulists also announced they would be withdrawing from ministry at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY along with three other locations, citing a steep decline in vocations.