Pauline Presence in the USA

The foundation of the Society of St. Paul in the United States had its very humble beginnings in the Archdiocese of New York. The founder was Fr. Francis Xavier Borrano, who arrived in New York from Italy on October 1931. He had no fixed destination in the city of New York, had no money, and could not speak English. Consequently, as the immigration law required, he was quarantined at Ellis Island.

Released from Ellis Island, Fr. Borrano was received by the Jesuits at Nativity Church on Second Ave. in Manhattan. After several months temporary permission was granted and Fr. Borrano moved in March of 1932 to an apartment in Brooklyn, New York.

With the arrival of the members, Bro. Raphael, Fr. Stanislaus and Sub-Deacon Mario Gandolfi, the community began to expand and it was necessary to find larger quarters in the Bronx. In 1937 the community made its final move to a six acre plot of land in Staten Island, New York which today is the present residence of the Society of St. Paul. This is the main publishing house for ST PAULS Publishing.

On May 9, 1944 the Paulines took possession of property in Canfield, Ohio where the Novitiate was begun. Two new printing presses were bought and the publication of "The Catholic Home Messenger" began. Today, it is the home of audiovisual, CD and DVD productions.

Apostolic mission of the Society of St. Paul in Chicago.On December 1, 2015, they opened ST PAULS CATHOLIC BIBLICAL CENTER in Chicago, with the specific aim of helping to promote the spread of the Good News within the multicultural Church of Chicago, to be a resource center for all the Midwest states and indeed for the entire USA, in fulfilment of their mission statement: THAT THE WORD OF GOD BE EVERYWHERE KNOWN AND LOVED.