Everyone is searching for the deeper meaning of life. What was I made for? Am I doing what I am
"supposed" to do? Am I really happy?

I remember going through my college years thinking: “I want to help people achieve their greatest potential, whatever that may be in their work place.” I pursued my doctoral studies in Human Resources Development to fulfill that desire. God surprised me, however, in fulfilling this desire to the max with a vocation to become a Daughter of St Paul!

I have discovered over the years – and with much gratitude – the treasure of who we are and what we do. Quite simply: we introduce people to Jesus so that they may personally encounter him in their lives and come to experience fullness of life in him. How do we do this? By being His Hands, His Feet, His Voice and allowing Him to live in us so that others may meet Him. We stand on “pulpits” of social media, books, music, movies, apps. We live excitedly proclaiming that “we hit the jackpot…God is real!”

In the end, things worked out even better than I thought: I help people achieve their greatest potential by introducing them to the most important person they need to know – Jesus, our Way, Truth and Life.

Sr. Jacqueline Jean-Marie Gitonga, FSP


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Passion for the mission springs from our interior life—from our vital relationship with the Master and our loving response to the important question that inflamed the heart of our Founder: “How many times do you ask yourselves: where, how and toward what is humanity moving, this humanity that is constantly renewing itself on the face of the earth?”

At the turn of the last century, Blessed James Alberione, founder of the Daughters of St. Paul and the entire Pauline Family,  observed the power of the press and of newspapers to reach and move the masses. These people who were leaving the Church in ever increasing numbers, could be powerfully influenced by what they read. He wanted to put these same means at the service of the Gospel. He saw the mission of communication in the Church not as a "business," but as "preaching," as an exercise of the ministry of salvation.

What makes our “publishing” to be “preaching”? Alberione often told us that our mission was a written “preaching” alongside the oral preaching of priests. Our books, CDs, DVDs, podcasts, radio programs, facebook pages, blogs, YouTube videos, apps and e-books are places where people can encounter the God who is forever seeking them out. Alberione told his followers to leave the sacristies and to go out where people live their lives and to make God present there. He believed that saints were needed to tread this new path of holiness and mission in the Church. He declared: “Missionaries are needed–new missionaries for this new and fruitful apostolate!”

If St. Paul were to come to earth today, he would immediately take up a microphone, begin podcasting, create a facebook page, publish books and create apps—because he would want to use the fastest, most efficacious ways of reaching the largest number of people with the message of God’s incredible love for us shining on the face of Christ.