Secular Associations

The Passionist Secular Institute (Missionarie Secolari della Passione) was founded in Catania, Italy by Father Generoso Privitera. It is a Secular Institute of Pontifical Right, and is made up of consecrated women (Missionaries) and married couples (Associates) who share in the spirituality and mission of the Institute. At present, the Passionist Secular Institute has members in Italy, Austria, the United States, Mexico, Brazil and Chile.
In recent years, many lay movements and associations have been established in various Provinces. Examples of these are the Passionist Companions in Holy Spirit Province, Australia, the Passionist Partners in Holy Cross Province in the United States, and the Movimento Laicale Passionista in Italy. The oldest Passionist lay movement is the Confraternity of the Passion, which traces its roots to a mission giving by Saint Paul of the Cross in the Italian town of Veroli in 1755. The Confraternity was originally founded as a way of bringing people together to sanctify Sundays and Feast-days by prayer, spiritual reading and meditation on the Passion. Groups still exist in many places, including Dublin, New York, Pittsburgh and Munich.