I am the second of three children born to Paul and Rita Fagan. I grew up in the little town of Port Vue, PA not far from Pittsburgh. At the age of 14, my family moved to Harrisburg, PA but just for a year and then it was on to the Philadelphia area where I finished my high school education. Once I finished high school it was time to start out on my own, so I made my way to St. Louis, where I attended St. Louis University. I received a BSSW (Bachelor of Science in Social Work Degree), in 1976 and immediately went to work for the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services as a Child Care Worker. During my four plus years with DCFS, I worked with abused and neglected children, their families, teenagers and was involved in specialized adoptions.
In September of 1980, I answered a life long invitation from God to religious life and the priesthood by entering the Passionist Residence Program in Philadelphia, Pa. After a year, I moved on to the Passionist Novitiate in Pittsburgh and took vows as a Passionist on August 22, 1982. My Passionist journey then took me to Chicago where I studied at Catholic Theological Union. I completed his studies in June of 1986 with a Masters of Divinity with a Word and Worship Specialization. I took my final vows on September 1, 1985. I was ordained a deacon on December 20, 1985 and I was ordained a priest on June 18, 1986.
My first assignment after ordination was to the Bishop Molloy Retreat House in Jamaica Queens, New York. I lived and ministered in the retreat house for 8 years offering weekend retreats and evening programs to adults and midweek retreat, day retreat and confirmation programs to young people.
In May 1994, I was elected to the Provincial Council of the Eastern Province of the Passionist Community. I served the province as a consulter to the provincial until May of 1998. At the time of my election, I was also transferred to the Passionist Itinerant Preaching Ministry, and over the next five years I used the talents, skills and experience developed during my time in retreat ministry to enrich parishes with Missions, Renewals and Retreats. I also continued to give adult retreats in various retreat house and to do youth retreats and Confirmation programs.
I had always wanted to develop my preaching skills so in 1998 I asked the Eastern Province of the Passionist for permission to pursue a Doctor of Ministry degree in Preaching from the Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis. In 1999 I was given permission and travel to St. Louis to begin the three year program. However, six months into the program I was asked to return to the province in order to be the Director of our Spiritual Center in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, New York.
So in June of 2000 I returned to New York to take up my position as the Director of the Passionist Spiritual Center in the Bronx, New York. I spent ten years as director of the Spiritual Center. My time at the Passionist Spiritual Center was a wonderful experience. The Center was located along the Great Hudson River and was a wonderful spiritual place in the midst of the busy city of New York. At the center we offer retreats and other kinds of programs for adults and young people. We hosted many groups who came to make use of the beautiful place for their own programs. Unfortunately, due to finances, shrinking personnel and the high cost of maintaining the facility the Passionists decided to closed the Spiritual Center in May of 2010. The Center officially closed on January 1, 2011 and over the next 11 months I administrated the closing of the Spiritual Center until the sale of the property.
During this time of closing I was given the wonderful gift of finishing the Doctor of Ministry degree in preaching that I had started back in 1999. The provincial asked me if I wanted to return to finish my studies and the Aquinas Institute of Theology accepted me back after so many years of absence. With a lot of hard work and great guidance on May 11, 2012, I graduated from the Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis with a Doctor of Ministry Degree in Preaching.
Beginning in July 2012 I was assigned to the Passionist Itinerant Preaching Ministry. Which means I spend time on the road celebrating Parish Missions, Retreats and Renewals. I am also trying to develop retreats for preachers that will use the work that I did at the Aquinas Institute of Theology in the Spirituality of Preaching. I also help out in local parishes each weekend when I am home.
In May of 2016 I was asked by my provincial to become director of Passionist Communications and host of The Sunday Mass. This means that I am the producer of the Passionist Sunday Mass television ministry that is seen each Sunday across the US on the Freeform channel and many other local stations. It can be also seen on the internet which is a great help to our service women and men around the world. The Sunday Mass is also seen across Canada on the Salt and Light Catholic Network. This is a wonderful ministry and I am very privileged and honored to be a part of.
I am energized by the ministry of preaching whether in person, on the TV or internet and I always hope to give people God’s Good Word through my preaching and my prayerful celebrations within the sacramental life of the Church. Through my studies in preaching I see myself as a preacher who is a friend of God and thus I want to share the gift of my friend, God, with everyone I meet. One of my heroes has always been the Apostle Paul, a traveling preacher himself. Sharing my faith with others in a genuine way, as St. Paul did, is a lifelong goal! I work at being a quiet peaceful man; with an interest in people and the goodness and joy, they can bring to life.
I am an avid sports fan with my first love being baseball. I enjoy exercise of all kinds. One of my passions besides preaching is running. I am a marathon runner and I have completed eight marathons and countless other half marathons and races of other distances. I try to run several marathons and other races each year.
I value quiet time for prayer and reflection, which is why I like running. I also enjoy prayerful time watching rivers like the Great Hudson River just flow by; I believe they have a lot to say to us about God!
As my friend St. Paul once wrote, "I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39 NIV
I hope you will check out the rest of my web site and be a frequent visitor. Perhaps our paths will cross and we will get a chance to share our faith with each other. Be well and may the Passion of Jesus Christ be always in your heart!
Peace in Christ's Passion...Fr. Paul
In September of 1980, I answered a life long invitation from God to religious life and the priesthood by entering the Passionist Residence Program in Philadelphia, Pa. After a year, I moved on to the Passionist Novitiate in Pittsburgh and took vows as a Passionist on August 22, 1982. My Passionist journey then took me to Chicago where I studied at Catholic Theological Union. I completed his studies in June of 1986 with a Masters of Divinity with a Word and Worship Specialization. I took my final vows on September 1, 1985. I was ordained a deacon on December 20, 1985 and I was ordained a priest on June 18, 1986.
My first assignment after ordination was to the Bishop Molloy Retreat House in Jamaica Queens, New York. I lived and ministered in the retreat house for 8 years offering weekend retreats and evening programs to adults and midweek retreat, day retreat and confirmation programs to young people.
In May 1994, I was elected to the Provincial Council of the Eastern Province of the Passionist Community. I served the province as a consulter to the provincial until May of 1998. At the time of my election, I was also transferred to the Passionist Itinerant Preaching Ministry, and over the next five years I used the talents, skills and experience developed during my time in retreat ministry to enrich parishes with Missions, Renewals and Retreats. I also continued to give adult retreats in various retreat house and to do youth retreats and Confirmation programs.
I had always wanted to develop my preaching skills so in 1998 I asked the Eastern Province of the Passionist for permission to pursue a Doctor of Ministry degree in Preaching from the Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis. In 1999 I was given permission and travel to St. Louis to begin the three year program. However, six months into the program I was asked to return to the province in order to be the Director of our Spiritual Center in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, New York.
So in June of 2000 I returned to New York to take up my position as the Director of the Passionist Spiritual Center in the Bronx, New York. I spent ten years as director of the Spiritual Center. My time at the Passionist Spiritual Center was a wonderful experience. The Center was located along the Great Hudson River and was a wonderful spiritual place in the midst of the busy city of New York. At the center we offer retreats and other kinds of programs for adults and young people. We hosted many groups who came to make use of the beautiful place for their own programs. Unfortunately, due to finances, shrinking personnel and the high cost of maintaining the facility the Passionists decided to closed the Spiritual Center in May of 2010. The Center officially closed on January 1, 2011 and over the next 11 months I administrated the closing of the Spiritual Center until the sale of the property.
During this time of closing I was given the wonderful gift of finishing the Doctor of Ministry degree in preaching that I had started back in 1999. The provincial asked me if I wanted to return to finish my studies and the Aquinas Institute of Theology accepted me back after so many years of absence. With a lot of hard work and great guidance on May 11, 2012, I graduated from the Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis with a Doctor of Ministry Degree in Preaching.
Beginning in July 2012 I was assigned to the Passionist Itinerant Preaching Ministry. Which means I spend time on the road celebrating Parish Missions, Retreats and Renewals. I am also trying to develop retreats for preachers that will use the work that I did at the Aquinas Institute of Theology in the Spirituality of Preaching. I also help out in local parishes each weekend when I am home.
In May of 2016 I was asked by my provincial to become director of Passionist Communications and host of The Sunday Mass. This means that I am the producer of the Passionist Sunday Mass television ministry that is seen each Sunday across the US on the Freeform channel and many other local stations. It can be also seen on the internet which is a great help to our service women and men around the world. The Sunday Mass is also seen across Canada on the Salt and Light Catholic Network. This is a wonderful ministry and I am very privileged and honored to be a part of.
I am energized by the ministry of preaching whether in person, on the TV or internet and I always hope to give people God’s Good Word through my preaching and my prayerful celebrations within the sacramental life of the Church. Through my studies in preaching I see myself as a preacher who is a friend of God and thus I want to share the gift of my friend, God, with everyone I meet. One of my heroes has always been the Apostle Paul, a traveling preacher himself. Sharing my faith with others in a genuine way, as St. Paul did, is a lifelong goal! I work at being a quiet peaceful man; with an interest in people and the goodness and joy, they can bring to life.
I am an avid sports fan with my first love being baseball. I enjoy exercise of all kinds. One of my passions besides preaching is running. I am a marathon runner and I have completed eight marathons and countless other half marathons and races of other distances. I try to run several marathons and other races each year.
I value quiet time for prayer and reflection, which is why I like running. I also enjoy prayerful time watching rivers like the Great Hudson River just flow by; I believe they have a lot to say to us about God!
As my friend St. Paul once wrote, "I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39 NIV
I hope you will check out the rest of my web site and be a frequent visitor. Perhaps our paths will cross and we will get a chance to share our faith with each other. Be well and may the Passion of Jesus Christ be always in your heart!
Peace in Christ's Passion...Fr. Paul