The passionist charismatic identity

In the aftermath of the Second Vatican Council there were numerous publications aimed at rediscovering and making known the charisms of the Church, the Saints and the religious Congregations created or inspired by them. Father Librado Cuadrasal's book has the same aim but, thanks to its scholarly rigour, it goes beyond the merely informative and becomes a handbook that offers direction not just to those who want to get closer to the Passionist Congregation but also to those who must facilitate this drawing closer, that is, formators and teachers. The text, preceded and followed by contributions from important personalities of the Congregation, is clearly divided into two parts: the first part is dedicated to making known the founder of the Congregation, Saint Paul of the Cross, and includes in full the Diary drawn up during his Castellazzo retreat, the foundational experience for the life and spirituality of the Saint; the second part examines the charismatic and vocational identity of the Congregation of the Passion and presents the challenges and objectives for the various dimensions and stages of formation, offering precise pedagogical-formative guidelines which will be useful to the formators of the Congregation. Father Cuadrasal's volume, with its clear and fluent language and its wealth of sources and bibliographical references, is a fundamental text for those thinking of becoming a Passionist, for those who already are and want to dedicate themselves to the formation of young people, and also for those who simply want to learn more about the Congregation that has made the Memory of the Passion of Jesus its charism.