Paul Wattson

{{Short description|American priest (1863-1940)}} {{Infobox Christian leader |honorific_prefix = Servant of God |name = Paul Wattson |honorific-suffix = SA |image = Paul Wattson.jpg |birth_name = Lewis Thomas Wattson |birth_date = January 16, 1863 |birth_place = Millington, Maryland, United States |death_date = {{death date and age|8 February 1940|16 January 1863}} |death_place = Garrison, New York, United States | module = {{Infobox clergy | embed = yes | church = {{unbulleted list|Catholic Church (after 1909)|The Episcopal Church (until 1909)}} | ordained = 1910 (Catholic priest) <br /> 1886 (Anglican priest) }} }} '''Paul Wattson''', SA (born '''Lewis Thomas Wattson'''; January 16, 1863 – February 8, 1940), was an American priest who co-founded the Society of the Atonement with Mother Lurana White, and the Christian Unity Octave in the Episcopal Church. He was later received into the Catholic Church and is remembered as an advocate for ecumenism.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Orians |first=Thomas |title=Brief History of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, January 18-25, 2020 |url=https://geii.org/week_of_prayer_for_christian_unity/week_of_prayer_history.html}}</ref><ref name="bio atonement">{{cite web |author= |date=2022 |title=Father Paul Wattson, SA, Servant of God, Apostle of Christian Unity and charity |url=https://www.atonementfriars.org/our-founder-fr-paul/ |access-date=2022-07-09 |website=OUR FOUNDER – FATHER PAUL OF GRAYMOOR |publisher=Franciscan Friars of the Atonement}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author= |date= |title=Wattson, Paul James Francis |url=https://www.episcopalchurch.org/glossary/wattson-paul-james-francis/ |website=An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church |publisher=The Episcopal Church |quote=Founder of the Church Unity Octave, which was a precursor of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author= |date=February 9, 1940 |title=FR. PAUL, FOUNDER OF GRAYMOOR, DIES; He Established Order While Episcopalian Rector, Then Became Catholic Priest ASSISTED HOMELESS MEN They Built the Monastery at Garrison--He Headed the Society of Atonement |work=The New York Times |department=Obituary |page=24}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author= |date=2022 |title=Canonization Process Moves Forward for Servant of God Fr. Paul Wattson, SA |url=https://www.atonementfriars.org/canonization-process-moves-forward-for-servant-of-god-fr-paul-wattson-sa/ |access-date=2022-07-09 |publisher=Franciscan Friars of the Atonement}}</ref>

Wattson was ordained an Episcopal priest in 1886.<ref name="bio atonement" /> He converted to Catholicism in 1909, and was ordained a Catholic priest in 1910.<ref name="CNA step" /> After his death, Wattson was made a candidate for canonization in 2014 and has thus been named a Servant of God.<ref name="CNA step">{{cite news |author= |date=March 20, 2017 |title=In New York, Catholic convert takes a step toward sainthood |url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/35661/in-new-york-catholic-convert-takes-a-step-toward-sainthood |work=Catholic News Agency |publisher=EWTN |quote=The Catholic convert who founded the Society of the Atonement, Father Paul Wattson, S.A., could be one step closer to recognition as a saint.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author= |date=November 19, 2014 |title=US Conference of Catholic Bishops endorse sainthood cause for Fr. Paul Wattson |url=https://cruxnow.com/church/2014/11/us-conference-of-catholic-bishops-endorse-sainthood-cause-for-fr-paul-wattson |work=Crux Catholic Media |quote=On November 11, 2014, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops endorsed the cause for canonization of Father Paul Wattson, SA, Servant of God, founder of the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement, at their fall meeting in Baltimore.}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *[http://anglicanhistory.org/usa/pwattson/ Digital files on Wattson's ministry as an Episcopalian] from the Episcopal Diocese of New York

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wattson, Paul}} Category:1863 births Category:1940 deaths Category:American Servants of God Category:Converts to Roman Catholicism from Anglicanism