The Passionists of Holy Cross Province

The Love that Compels

St. Gemma Galgani Circle of Giving

St. Gemma Galgani, a Passionist Saint of the 19th century, found meaning in her sufferings because she lovingly united them with the suffering of Jesus on His Cross. Her deep and unwavering love for our Lord and His Passion embodied the spirit of our founder, St. Paul of the Cross. You can read more about the life of St. Gemma here.

Through the St. Gemma Circle of Giving, we invite you to collaborate with the Passionists in preparing our young seminarians in their training, education and formation; by caring for and assisting our senior Priests and Brothers; and in our unique and vital mission to the people of Birmingham, Alabama.

The St. Gemma Circle of Giving program allows you to easily make a gift to the Passionists in regular installments from a credit card or checking/savings account.

Benefits of joining The Saint Gemma Circle of Giving include:

•A yearly mass offered for you and your special intentions on May 16, the feast day of St. Gemma Galgani.
•A special remembrance in a Mass on your birthday.
•A members-only web page to submit your prayer intentions.
•Our quarterly E-newsletter, Passionist Perspectives.
•A copy of our semi-annual magazine.
•A St. Gemma Galgani Prayer card.
•A year-end giving statement for income tax purposes.

If you would like to become a member of the St. Gemma Galgani Circle of Giving, please complete the form below with the gift amount you would like charged to your account. All gifts will process on the 20th of each month.

For additional information or to join using EFT, please contact Angela Kwasinski at [email protected].

Ash Wednesday

On March 2, the Church celebrates Ash Wednesday. 

Most of us learned early in our Catholic lives that Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent, and that is a time of special sacrifice in preparation for the Easter celebration of Jesus’ Resurrection.

Dear brothers and sisters, every moment of our lives is a time for believing, hoping and loving…. These words of Pope Francis, taken from his Lenten Message of last year, 2021, and echoing the virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity, can still inspire our answer to the question: “What am I giving up for Lent?” 

We can draw our Lenten sacrifices out of our daily life: 

Share our faith in God’s presence by sharing in prayer with our family or with those in our parish community.
Share our hope in God’s promises by encouraging positive and respectful dialogue in our family circle and among our friends. 
Share the charity God has bestowed on us in the Passion of Jesus, with those whose sufferings are ignored or aggravated.

Let us pray for one another as we enter the season of Lent. Our Passionist “motto” can be our daily prayer during Lent, “May the Passion of Jesus Christ be always in our hearts.”