THE CONGREGATION OF THE PASSION OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, KNOWN AS THE PASSIONISTS, WAS FOUNDED IN 1720 IN CASTELLAZO, ITALY BY ST PAUL OF THE CROSS IN RESPONSE TO THE NEEDS OF A TIME WHEN MANY PEOPLE WERE ALIENATED FROM GOD AND THE CHURCH. AFTER GAINING APPROVAL FOR HIS ORDER, ST PAUL WAS JOINED BY OTHERS SEEKING TO LIVE TOGETHER IN A COMMUNITY AND BY HIS DEATH 12 HOUSES, CALLED RETREATS BY ST PAUL, WERE LOCATED IN ITALY. AFTER A PERIOD OF TRIAL AND CLOSURE DURING THE SUPPRESSION OF RELIGIOUS ORDERS IN THE EARLY 19th CENTURY THE ORDER EXPANDED RAPIDLY IN THE MID-1800's ESTABLISHING COMMUNITIES IN SEVERAL EUROPEAN COUNTRIES, USA AND AUSTRALIA.

THE PASSIONISTS WERE AMONG THE FIRST ORDERS TO ARRIVE IN AUSTRALIA WHEN FOUR OF THEIR NUMBER FROM ITALY ACCOMPANIED ARCHBISHOP POLDING TO AUSTRALIA IN 1842 WITH THE INTENTION OF WORKING AMONG THE ABORIGINES OF SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND. FOR VARIOUS REASONS THE MISSION WAS NOT THE SUCCESS HOPED FOR AND IT WAS ABANDONED IN 1846. DESPITE THIS FAILURE AT LEAST TWO OF THE PASSIONISTS INVOLVED ARE KNOWN TO HAVE WORKED OUT THE REMAINDER OF THEIR LIVES IN ADELAIDE AND MORPHETVALE IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA THUS KEEPING ALIVE THE CHARISM OF THEIR ORDER.

IN 1887 A SECOND FOUNDATION WAS MADE BY THE PASSIONISTS, THIS TIME FROM THE PROVINCE OF ST JOSEPH (ANGLO-HIBERNIAN), AT MARRICKVILLE, NSW. OVER THE NEXT TWENTY YEARS FURTHER FOUNDATIONS WERE MADE IN NSW, TASMANIA AND SOUTH AUSTRALIA. THE WORK TO WHICH THE PASSIONISTS WERE CALLED WAS PRIMARILY IN THE CONDUCTING OF PARISH MISSIONS AT A TIME WHEN AUSTRALIA WAS STILL CONSIDERED MISSIONARY TERRITORY, A WORK MUCH APPRECIATED BY THE NEWLY ARRIVED BISHOPS CHARGED WITH THE SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP OF WHAT THEY REGARDED AS AN OFTEN GODLESS LAND. IN 1922 AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND AND PAPUA-NEW GUINEA WERE ESTABLISHED AS THE PASSIONIST PROVINCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WITH ITS HEADQUARTERS AT MARRICKVILLE. THROUGH THE TWENTIETH CENTURY THE PASSIONISTS CONTINUED THEIR WORK CONDUCTING RETREATS AND MISSIONS, BUT THEY HAVE ALSO TAKEN ON PAROCHIAL DUTIES, ACTED AS CHAPLAINS, SERVED AS TEACHERS IN SEMINARIES AND UNIVERSITIES, AND WORKED WITH THE PASSIONIST FAMILY GROUP MOVEMENT BEGUN IN 1973 AT TERREY HILLS. ALTHOUGH THE PASSIONISTS, LIKE MANY OTHER ORDERS, HAVE SUFFERED A DECLINE IN NUMBERS IN RECENT DECADES THEIR ACTIVE WORK CONTINUES TODAY IN MANY FORMS STILL INSPIRED BY THEIR FOUNDER, ST PAUL OF THE CROSS.

PASSIONIST FOUNDATIONS ARE KNOWN AS RETREATS IN KEEPING WITH THE FIRST FOUNDATION MADE BY ST PAUL OF THE CROSS. THE FOLLOWING IS A COMPLETE LIST OF THOSE FOUNDATIONS MADE BY THE CONGREGATION OF THE PASSION IN AUSTRALIA.

BELROSE
2003

BOTANY
1982

ELSTERNWICK
1982

GEELONG
1946

GLEN OSMOND
1896

GOULBURN
1891

HOBART
1956

MARRICKVILLE
1887

NEW TOWN
1893

OXLEY
1955

PORT AUGUSTA
1981

ST IVES
1935

ST KILDA
1951

TEMPLESTOWE
1965