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On July 9, the Passionists around the world commemorate the feast of Our Lady of Holy Hope. She is an example and model to us of perseverance in the face of great struggles and hopelessness in life. She continually offers us her Son Jesus as the source of her Hope, and as the source of our Hope.

At the foot of the cross Mary showed us that from sorrow comes compassion, and from compassion comes the sensitivity to the problems that we will all encounter at some point on our journey along life’s pathways. Compassion can lead to hope because the most compassionate moment in the life of Jesus and Mary, a moment they shared on Calvary, did not end in death. It ended in Resurrection.

On June 20, 202o, the Vatican informed the world that Pope Francis had added the title “Mother of Hope” to the Litany of Loretto, and at an earlier talk in 2013, Pope Francis related Mary’s hope to the Passion of Jesus: At the foot of the cross, she is the woman of sorrow and at the same time of vigilant waiting of a mystery, greater than the sorrow, which is about to take place. (Nov. 21, 2013)

That is the core of the Passionist Charism, the special insight into the mystery of God’s saving love that inspired St. Paul of the Cross as a founder. May Mary fill our lives with Holy Hope, so that we may serve one another with life-giving compassion.

Thank you for being a part of our Passionist Family. We will keep you in our prayers and include whatever your special intentions may be.

Dear Friend,

For St. Paul of the Cross, the founder of the Passionists, meditation on the Passion of Jesus was the door by which one entered a deeper relationship with God.

As I have reflected on the Cross and its relevance to the times in which we live, I have grown to understand that meditation on the Passion of Jesus is also the door by which we enter a deeper understanding of ourselves as loved by God and a deeper understanding of others as children of God. This is such an important lesson for our world today!

I am happy to let you know that we have several new cards available which express your relationship with the people closest to you. They cover occasions of all kinds, from expressing sympathy in times of grief, to expressing joy and congratulations in times of blessing. Each card carries with it the promise of your prayer and that of our Passionist Community for the person mentioned. 

Click here to view the All Occasion cards that are available. As you use the cards, please send us the names of the people you especially want remembered in our daily prayers.

We also invite you to consider making a donation when you send the names to be remembered in our prayers. Your generosity helps make possible our Passionist life and mission in the years ahead. When we fulfill our mission of proclaiming the Passion of Jesus, we help people remember how much they are loved by God.

May God continue to bless you and yours. We ask that you continue to pray for us as we pray for you.

In Jesus Crucified,

Fr. Michael Higgins, C.P.

Spiritual Director