On January 16, 1863, Lewis Thomas Wattson — the future Fr. Paul Wattson, SA — was born in Millington, Maryland, to an Episcopal minister and his wife. No one could have imagined that this child, raised within the Anglican tradition, would one day become a Roman Catholic priest and a prophetic voice calling all Christians to unity.
Long before he entered the Catholic Church, he co-founded the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement while still an Episcopal priest. His own journey across denominational lines gave him an intimate understanding of the hopes, concerns, and convictions of Christians separated from one another. Rather than approaching dialogue with defensiveness, he embraced a spirit of compassionate listening, convinced that Christ’s prayer “that all may be one” required humble hearts and mutual love.
In 1908, Fr. Paul launched what would become the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (WPCU), which continues to be celebrated around the world by Christians of many denominations.
After the Friars and Sisters of the Atonement were received into full communion with the Catholic Church in 1909, Fr. Paul continued to build bridges. He co-founded the Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA) to support the churches and peoples of the Middle East, India, Eastern Europe, and Northeast Africa. He also established the Union That Nothing Be Lost (UNBL), a mission outreach of the Friars.
Fr. Paul’s legacy endures in every ministry of the Friars, who continue to pursue reconciliation, healing, and dialogue among all people, issues near and dear to the heart of our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV.
As we celebrate Fr. Paul’s 163rd birthday, we pray that his cause for canonization may advance, and that through his intercession, the world may draw ever closer to the unity for which Christ prayed.