Called to Proclaim Christ
Our story runs parallel to the extraordinary development of the media in the 20th century, and to the story of the Church in those years. The Daughters of St Paul began in northern Italy in 1915, when Fr Alberione first gathered around him a small group of young women and girls whom he prepared to carry out the printing apostolate. He asked Teresa Merlo, later known as Sr Thecla, to be our first Superior General. The faith and guidance of these two remarkable leaders provided the firm foundations of our Order, allowing it grow from strength to strength.
Our beginnings were humble. We started out by printing and distributing Bibles and catechisms in a time when the Bible was not well known, nor was the prayerful study of Scripture encouraged among ordinary Catholics. The editorial and publishing aspect of our ministry quickly developed and soon afterwards a radio ministry emerged. In time we opened Book Centres so that people could easily find good Christian reading material and resources to feed their spiritual hunger.
Over the years, our ministry has continued to develop and change as society has also changed. Our Founder strongly encouraged us to learn and make use of the new forms of media as they emerged. This spirit of change and adaptability is essential to the character of the Daughters of St Paul. It invites us to explore how developments in communication can be used for the good of humanity and it gives us the courage to welcome the challenge of speaking about God in new ways to the people of each new generation.
Our Australian Story
The Daughters of St Paul established their first house in Sydney on 13 May, 1955. From this dwelling in the suburb of Concord, the Sisters began door-to-door visitation of homes, schools and parishes taking with them the Bible together with good spiritual reading materials. In these early days, the Sisters visited homes in local suburbs and also travelled to many country towns and regions by train, car and on foot, bringing the Gospel to the people of Australia and encouraging them to grow in their Christian life. Even decades later, many families still fondly remember those visits and the dedication, energy and enthusiasm of our early Sisters in carrying out their mission. In 1955, Carmel Caruana became the first young woman to enter with the Daughters of St Paul in Australia. She took the religious name Thecla.
Years later, a small printing operation was set up in Strathfield. Our book centres began to emerge and a recording studio was established for the production of audio-talks on topics of personal growth, spirituality, Scripture and Christian formation. It was 1962 when our Sisters opened the first St Paul Book Centre in a small location adjacent to St Francis Xavier Cathedral in Adelaide. Our Sydney book centre soon followed, and then the book centre in Hawthorn East, Victoria.