30 Years of Seeing
God in Others
Fr. Paul Keller, CMF
Provincial, USA-Canada Province
Give in Honor of Fr. Paul
”Listening and finding the places that honor people’s dignity, where they feel respected—that’s what is most important.
”We are all missionaries in our own way.
For thirty years, Fr. Paul has gone wherever people need hope—high schools, prisons, ICE detention centers, college campuses, parishes and neighborhoods—not just to preach, but to listen. Learn more about his journey.
”When someone opens their life to you, when they privilege you with its depth and vulnerability, it’s like standing on the rim of the Grand Canyon. It’s so sacred.
A group of young men from a juvenile probation school stood outside a Denny’s with Fr. Paul. Before they walked in, he asked a simple question: Who will ask for the table?
One volunteered.
What happened next turned an ordinary breakfast into something much bigger.
When it was time to order, Fr. Paul asked for scrambled eggs. One by one, the young men ordered the same thing—not necessarily because that was what they wanted, but because they didn’t know the other ways eggs could be prepared. Soon, breakfast became a lesson in everyday life: how to speak with a server, how to leave a tip, how percentages work, even how a credit card works.
These young men were navigating a world where they often felt more confident on the street than in places most people take for granted. "Walk into a Denny's where you feel like a fool and you're going back to the corner where you're important," Fr. Paul reflected. "We're going to find our worth in good ways or bad ways." In that moment, Fr. Paul understood that beneath their choices was something deeply human: the need to feel valued, respected and significant.
That breakfast helped shape a conviction that has followed Fr. Paul throughout his priesthood: “We’re all looking for the same thing."
For Fr. Paul, ministry is all about walking with people long enough to help them recognize their own dignity, discover their gifts, and imagine a different future.
A mission that transforms lives and builds a more just and compassionate world
You may know Fr. Paul but do you know the congregation he’s spent his life serving?
The Claretian Missionaries were founded in 1849 by St. Anthony Mary Claret, a Spanish missionary who believed the Gospel should be carried directly to the people most in need of God’s love. Today Claretians serve in 72 countries on six continents.
In 1902 the first Claretians arrived in the United States to serve Mexican immigrants in Texas, Arizona, Illinois and California. Would you like to learn more about our congregation? Read our history.
Every gift made in Fr. Paul’s honor enables the Claretians to minister to all God’s people, especially those who feel lost, overlooked, or forgotten
Your gift helps to:
Support young people
Walk with immigrants
Accompany the unhoused
Develop future missionaries
Educate new generations
Remind people of their dignity
“To this day, I will still message Fr. Paul when I am pondering a moral or ethical dilemma. He is a good man, an ethical priest. I send him my love, my gratitude, my respect and my admiration.” –Elise Anne
“What’s your gift?” Fr. Paul once asked Fr. Art Gramaje—a question that helped shape his community organizing and rapid-response ministry that accompanies immigrant families.
“He’s an incredible leader! We’re so blessed to organize alongside him.”
-Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership
Watch Fr. Paul in Action
His latest ministry—For the Love of Christ—goes live every Monday.
A short-form video series, For the Love of Christ, offers insights on issues shaping our world today, drawing directly from Church documents, bishop statements, and the Catechism.
From Iran to immigration, Pentecost to who makes Jesus angry, Fr. Paul breaks it open with clarity and reminds us that our faith calls us to choose love over fear.
