Society of St. Paul is dedicated to spreading the word of God by all means of communication

By Linda M. Linonis

ELLSWORTH — Pastoral and peaceful describe the setting at the Society of St. Paul, commonly known as St. Paul’s Monastery. Outdoor Stations of the Cross, a shrine that’s open 24/7 and a chapel all are available to those seeking inspirational places to pray.

The tranquil atmosphere belies the activity that goes on within the buildings on the monastery grounds at 9531 Akron-Canfield Road, U.S. Route 224. “There are deadlines to meet,” said the Rev. Jeffrey Mickler, a member of the Society of St. Paul. The work of the brothers and priests there uses “modern means of the media to tell the story of Jesus to the world.”

The community, founded by the Rev. James Alberione in 1914 in Italy, is dedicated to bringing Christ to the world through the means of mass communication. The society uses publishing, radio, television, the Internet and audiovisual productions to reach out to people. Under St. Paul’s/Alba House publishers, the Society of St. Paul worldwide produces CDs, DVDs, audiocassettes, videos and books on religious, spiritual and ethical topics, works in television and radio and operates media centers.

The Society of St. Paul has about 30 communities across the globe and three in the United States. The American sites are in Staten Island, N.Y.; Dearborn, Mich.; and Ellsworth. The local society was established in 1944. There are some 10,000 members of the St. Paul community overall.

At the monastery in Ellsworth, there are six brothers and three priests; the Rev. Ignatius Stanis- zewski is the religious superior. “My role is as administrator and caring for the community of members,” Father Staniszewski said. “I develop the spiritual sense of the Society of St. Paul and the community.”

Father Staniszewski, who was ordained in 1964, was intrigued by the society’s mission after a visit to a community. “It captured my mind,” he said of the society’s work using media to spread the word of God.

Brother Augustine “Gus” Condon is the manager of the local Alba House store, which offers a variety of religious and spiritual materials including between 300 and 400 books, Bibles, CDs, DVDs, audiocassettes, videos, rosaries, jewelry, statues, crucifixes and cards. Alba represents animal nicknames of the four evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, and Alba, Italy, was the place where the society was founded.

A member for 52 years, Brother Augustine said Alba House offers lectures by religious scholars on CDs, DVDs and audiocassettes. CDs of inspirational and Christian music also are available. He said spikes in business usually occur around Christmas, Holy Communion time and Mother’s Day.

“People buy Bibles when they’re taking Scripture courses. Many want family Bibles or Bibles as wedding gifts,” he said.

Brother Augustine was the manager at the Alba House in Staten Island for 30 years and there on Sept. 11, 2001. “People want a closeness to God,” he said, referring to times of strife. “They wanted to find spiritual comfort through books and the Bible.”

At the Alba House on Route 224, Brother Augustine said customers include “regulars” and passers-by. “I think it’s a spiritual oasis for them,” he said.

Alba House is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and closed Sundays. It’s also closed Saturdays during the summer.

Most of the CDs, DVDs and audiocassettes on the shelves are produced on site at the monastery. They feature lectures by religious scholars and related material. The books come out of the Staten Island site.

The audiovisual department, organized in the late 1960s, has some 500 titles including the Old Testament, women’s issues and spirituality. “They feature the best scholars in the country,” Father Mickler said of material that also includes Scripture studies, family issues, social justice and injustice. “We get feedback from pastors who might use something and it reaches a good number of people,” Father Mickler said.

Brother Pasqual Deusman is the audio editor and has been at the monastery for five years. His job is to “clean up” the lectures of coughs, hmmms, aaahs and incidental noises that distract from the presentation. “It’s better than real life,” he said. He said he usually spends an hour on that, but has spent up to five hours when the audio had a lot of disruptions.

Brother Deusman said he started out as a bookbinder but now has moved into the electronic segment of the society’s ministry. “It keeps me busy,” he said. He usually works on two or three CDs a week.

On the monastery grounds, the outdoor Stations of the Cross have been an impressive sight since they were constructed in 1960. Each scene of the Passion of Jesus is done in marble and encased in brick.

After the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Father Mickler said he was moved to write companion prayers for the Stations of the Cross. “I didn’t mention 9/11 but talked about the suffering of humanity,” he said.

Near the stations is a cemetery, where society members are buried. “The first brother in the community, Brother John Marengo, is buried here,” Father Staniszewski said. He came from Italy to the United and served at the monastery.

Another site that attracts some 5,000 visitors a year is the shrine to St. Anthony. There, visitors may say a prayer, light a candle or simply enjoy the quiet and beautiful setting.

“People pray to St. Anthony to help them find something lost,” Father Mickler said.

The shrine, which has a guest book, includes testimonies that people wrote about finding lost items and other occurrences. “People also write what their prayers are,” said Father Staniszewski.

A stained-glass window depicts St. Anthony preaching and giving medicine and food to the poor. The shrine, built in the 1950s, remains a popular place to visit.

The chapel provides another place for prayer and reflection. Masses are at 7 a.m. Monday through Saturday and at 7 and 10 a.m. Sundays. “The 10 a.m. Mass is taped and then broadcast at 11 a.m. on the Catholic Television Network of Youngstown,” Father Mickler said. “We work closely with the Diocese [of Youngstown] and the station’s lay staff.” The CTNY studio is located at the monastery.

A floor-to-ceiling mosaic dominates the wall behind the altar. “St. Paul is the figure on top, and fathers and doctors of the church below him,” said Father Mickler.

He also noted that the chapel can accommodate about 150 people. On the wall to the right of the altar, a saying from the society’s founder, Father Alberione, is written. It says, “Do not be afraid. I am with you. From here I want to enlighten. Be sorry for sin.”

The Society of St. Paul with its Web master, Father Mickler, recently launched a family-friendly video-sharing Web site, www.stpaulstube.com, in conjunction with its celebration of the Pauline Year. Pope Benedict XVI proclaimed June 28, 2008, to June 29, 2009, as the observance to honor the 2,000th anniversary of the birth of St. Paul. “It’s a feather in the U.S. cap,” Father Mickler said of the online effort. No other Society of St. Paul has such a project.

On the Web site, computer users may post videos, audio, images and create their own blogs. The tone of the site is upbeat and positive, he said, and no vulgarity or violence will be permitted. Though much of the material will be secular, Father Mickler and Brother Dominic Calabro will be posting 52 10-minute videos about the life and teachings of St. Paul.