Pauline Fathers OSPPE – Order of St Paul the First Hermit

The Pauline Fathers and Brothers are more properly called the Order of St. Paul the First Hermit (Ordo Sancti Pauli Primae Eremitae OSPPE).
It is a Catholic Religious order of men. This monastic order has a long history, founded in the 13th century in Hungary. Its founders were hermits who came together to form a monastery and a religious community. Blessed Eusebius of Esztergom can be said to be the founder of this order. These Hermits chose St Paul the First Hermit to be their heavenly patron. In 1308 the Order official adopted the Rule of St Augustine. The Order is a Clerical order, meaning that it requires Priests to fulfil its mission in the church and thus, priesthood is necessary for its superiors. It is a Papal order; therefore, its internal governance is removed from the jurisdiction of Bishops and falls directly under the authority of the Holy Father.