Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th of May were days of grace and joy for the community of Canfield (Ohio) of the Mexico - Cuba - USA Province. On the 18th the community celebrated the 80th anniversary of its foundation in the presence of the Most Rev. Bishop David J. Bonnar, Sixth Bishop of the Diocese of Youngstown, and Fr. Gabriel Andrés Rendón Medina, Provincial Superior of the Society of St. Paul.
On May 9, 1944, the first Paulines arrived in Canfield / Ellsworth, Ohio at the invitation of Bishop James McFadden to Father Francis Borrano, SSP. The Society purchased 250 acres from the Ursuline Sisters, which has become the St. Paul’s Monastery that we love and cherish today, 80 years later.
In its long history, the structure of the community has changed according to the apostolic needs and the times; from formation community to publisher of the magazines "Catholic Home Messenger" and "Pastoral Life", home of "Alba House Communication" with audiovisual production, home of the Diocesan TV CTNY, and in recent years also home to the retired members of the Province.
May 23, 1994, saw the birth at the Monastery of the local Council of the Knights of Columbus #11369, named after Father Francis Borrano, who established the Society of St. Paul in the United States, after arriving in New York City from Italy in 1931.
2022 was a year of grace for the former US Region, in fact, the numerous volunteers who were already helping the Monastery, officially formed the "Friends of St Paul" group which currently represents, together with the Knights of Columbus, one of the main supports for life, also apostolic, of the community. In the same year, the St. Paul's Book Store returned to the Monastery area, where today, again thanks to the support of the volunteers, it represents its most evident apostolic expression.
In 2023, the communities of Canfield, former Regional headquarters, and Staten Island NY finally joined Mexico and Cuba to form the new Mexico - Cuba - USA Province, receiving new perspectives, apostolic hopes, and plans for our future.
After the celebration on May 18th, presided over by the Bishop, the day ended with a fraternal agape organized by the Community and volunteers.
The following day, Sunday 19th, was focused on the blessing of the site of the Rosary Garden, the latest initiative of the Friends of St Paul which carries forward the project of making the Monastery, which already offers the St. Anthony Shrine, the Station of the Cross and the bookstore, increasingly a center of aggregation and spirituality.
Patty Durkin, one of the creators of the project, briefly summarized the history and purpose of the initiative before the blessing of the site by the Provincial Superior, fr. Gabriel.
May the Lord continue to bless this community and make it fruitful for years to come.
