What Paulist Fathers does

The Paulist Fathers, officially The Society of St. Paul the Apostle (C.S.P.), is a Catholic missionary society founded in 1858 by Father Isaac Hecker and four companions, headquartered in New York City. The order operates across 12+ U.S. states plus Rome, Italy and Toronto, Canada, running Catholic parishes, university campus ministries (including UCLA, UC Berkeley, Ohio State), and downtown Catholic Information Centers in Boston and Grand Rapids. Its members are vowed priests and brothers supported by lay Paulist Associates and Paulist Deacon Affiliates, organized under a Superior General and General Council.

The order runs a diversified media and publishing portfolio rather than a unified technology product. Core subsidiaries include Paulist Press (Catholic publishing house, est. 1865), Paulist Productions (Emmy Award-winning film/TV production), Busted Halo (digital media ministry with podcasts and video), The Conversation (digital content hub), Deacons Pod podcast, Online Mass streaming, Mission Preachers (parish missions and retreats), the Communion Project (reconciliation ministry), The Arts program, and Campus Ministries. Distribution occurs via parish-based service, campus centers, downtown information centers, and digital channels (website, podcasts, social media, newsletters).

The organization is a non-profit religious order funded entirely by donations — the Annual Paulist Appeal, planned giving (Hecker Legacy Society), stock gifts, mass cards, and merchandise. There are no commercial pricing models or product sales. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; the order employs 51-100 people. There is no parent company, no private equity or venture capital involvement, and no ownership in the commercial sense. Governance is internal under the Superior General and General Council, with members taking religious vows and serving the missionary mission.

Name

Paulist Fathers

Legal name

The Society of St. Paul the Apostle (Paulist Fathers)

Website

https://paulist.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1858

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Paulist Fathers (The Society of St. Paul the Apostle) is a 1858-founded Catholic missionary society operating parishes, campus ministries, downtown Catholic Information Centers, and media/publishing arms (Paulist Press, Paulist Productions, Busted Halo) across 12+ U.S. states, Italy, and Canada, funded by donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices17 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The organization relies on donations from supporters, including the Annual Paulist Appeal and various planned giving programs.

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Paulist Fathers is a Catholic priest community and missionary society that provides parish services, campus ministry at universities, Catholic publishing through Paulist Press, Emmy Award-winning film and TV production via Paulist Productions, digital media ministry through Busted Halo and The Conversation content hub, online Mass streaming, downtown Catholic Information Centers, reconciliation ministries, and arts programs. All offerings are provided freely and funded entirely by donations from supporters.

Product overview

Paulist Fathers is a Catholic missionary society offering a diverse portfolio of ministries and services rather than a unified technology product. The core offerings include Busted Halo (media ministry with podcasts and digital content), Paulist Press (publishing since 1865), Paulist Productions (Emmy-winning film/TV production), and The Conversation (digital content platform with podcasts, blogs, and videos). Additional ministries include Online Mass streaming, Deacons Pod podcast, Downtown Centers (Catholic Information Centers in Boston and Grand Rapids), Campus Ministries at universities, Mission Preachers conducting retreats, The Arts program, Paulist Associates (lay commitment program), Paulist Deacon Affiliates, and the Communion Project (reconciliation ministry). These are religious and ministerial services, not technology products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Paulist Press: Catholic publishing house sharing the best of Catholic thought at the intersection of faith and culture through books and other media since 1865.
• Busted Halo
• Paulist Productions
• Paulist Associates
• Paulist Deacon Affiliates
• Deacons Pod
• Downtown Centers

Products and services

• Busted Halo A dynamic media ministry that helps people understand the Catholic faith, put it into practice, and share it with others, featuring podcasts, articles, and videos.
• Paulist Press Publishing house established in 1865 that shares Catholic thought at the intersection of faith and culture through books and other media.
• Paulist Productions Emmy Award-winning production company that creates films and TV shows uncovering God's presence in contemporary human experience, including programs like 'Insight' and films such as 'Romero' and 'Entertaining Angels: The Dorothy Day Story'.
• The Conversation Digital content platform featuring podcasts, homilies, blog posts, videos, prayers, and news releases from the Paulist Fathers.
• Online Mass Online Mass streaming service allowing virtual participation in Catholic worship.
• Deacons Pod Podcast for everyone, especially those thinking about going to or leaving Church, hosted by the Paulist Deacon Affiliates.
• Downtown Centers Catholic Information Centers providing spiritual seekers a place to grow in understanding of the Catholic faith through innovative ministries and educational programs, with locations in Boston and Grand Rapids, MI.
• Campus Ministries Catholic campus ministry services at universities around the United States for more than 100 years, including UCLA, UC Berkeley, Ohio State, and others.
• Mission Preachers Parish missions, retreats, and workshops conducted by Paulist Fathers, a main reason for the community's founding in 1858.
• Communion Project A reconciliation ministry dedicated to overcoming polarization in the Church.
• The Arts Active involvement in visual art, music, and dramatic arts since the community's founding in 1858, including the Paulist Choristers, Openings artists' collective, and liturgical music composition.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• Society of Jesus (Jesuits USA): The largest Catholic religious order of priests and brothers in the U.S., operating parishes, universities (e.g., Georgetown, Fordham, Loyola), retreat houses, and publishing (America Magazine). Directly comparable as a missionary Catholic society with overlapping ministry types — parish, campus, publishing, and media — though significantly larger.
• Franciscan Friars (Order of Friars Minor): A major Catholic religious order operating parishes, retreat houses, and campus ministries across the U.S. Comparable as a Catholic missionary order with a parallel ministry portfolio including parishes, campus work, and publishing.
• EWTN (Eternal Word Television Network): The largest Catholic media network in the world, providing TV, radio, and digital content globally. Directly comparable to Paulist Productions and Busted Halo in faith-based broadcasting and content production, though operating at substantially greater scale.
• Relevant Radio: A Catholic radio network with programming, podcasts, and digital content targeting Catholic audiences. Comparable to Busted Halo and the Conversation as a Catholic content/media ministry reaching audiences beyond parish walls.
• Dominican Order (Order of Preachers): A Catholic religious order historically defined by preaching and teaching, with active U.S. parishes, universities (e.g., Providence College), and publishing arms. Directly comparable as a preaching-focused Catholic missionary order.
• Catholic Extension: A U.S. Catholic missionary society that supports under-served dioceses and faith communities through donor-funded grants. Comparable as another Catholic mission-support organization that depends on donations to fund missionary work, though focused on dioceses rather than parish/ministry operation.
• Salesians of Don Bosco (Salesian Society): A Catholic religious order focused on youth ministry, education, and parishes with significant campus and retreat-house presence. Comparable as another missionary Catholic society operating parishes, schools, and youth outreach across the U.S.
• Marianist Mission (Society of Mary): A Catholic religious order with a strong education and campus ministry focus, including several U.S. universities (e.g., University of Dayton). Comparable as a Catholic religious society with parallel campus ministry orientation.
• Ignatius Press: A major Catholic publishing house producing books and media on Catholic theology and culture. Directly comparable to Paulist Press as a Catholic publisher sharing Catholic thought through books and other media.

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Charities USA: The national umbrella for Catholic charitable and social service organizations across the U.S. Comparable as a large-scale, donation-funded Catholic mission organization, though focused on direct social services rather than parish/media ministry.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/paulistfathers
• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PLrd9oadgqwXzQSRaTsD7lyrtJecCHLr_G
• Facebookfacebook.com/paulists
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/paulist-fathers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Paulist Fathers