General Visit in Vienna-Munich Province

The General Visit of the Vienna-Munich Province lasted from 22nd February to 10th March 2015. The General Consultors Jacek Dembek and João Pedro Fernandes have been delegated by Father General to carry out the visit.
The new Province Vienna-Munich (Wien-Munchen, 5500) was officially inaugurated on January 19, 2015. The first moments in the history of the Province were the Provincial Chapter, held in Cham, Germany (January 19 -22, 2015) and the Provincial Day, on January 23. Obviously, both former Provinces bring in their rich history, achievements, hopes and challenges.

The international spread of the Congregation started – after the expulsion of the Redemptorists from the first non-Italian community in Warsaw – from Vienna, where the first community was established in 1820, just a few months after St. Clement Hofbauer’s death. It must not be forgotten either that the Province of Vienna was established as one of the first six provinces of the Congregation, in 1841, and the Province of Munich in 1859. The Redemptorist presence in USA and Brasil started from these Provinces.
The history of the new Province however did not begin only this year. It was preceeded by almost eight years of the Federation of the Provinces of Vienna and Munich (est. 15.03.2008). This step not only gave to the Congregation new creative form of restructuring, but has helped both Provinces to establish new forms of collaboration, structures and has allowed the Confreres to know each other, securing this way a smooth passage to the fusion.
The Province counts today 113 members. Most of the them are elderly, but there is a significative group (more than 30) Confreres younger than 70.
There are 4 postulants as well, which gives some hopes for the vocation promotion and future. The Province embraces 5 houses in Austria, 5 in South Germany and 1 in Denmark.

The apostolic priorities of the new Province (as formulated by the working group) are: missionary parishes and shrines, youth, immigrants, and parish missions. There are a few retreat houses as well.
The challenges, beside the task of integration, as in whole Europe, are vocations, aging and necessary reduction, apostolate in a secularized society. A particular challenge is presented in the area of the parish missions, which traditionally has been the strongest activity of both former Provinces. The number of invitations for the missions is reduced, and our human resources do not allow a huge activity. It seems that studying new possible models of the parish missions should be necessary.
Independently of aging and shrinking numbers, the energy and dedication to the apostolate, even of the Confreres in advanced age, are impressive. We wish the new Province a strengthened hope and all the blessings from the Most Holy Redeemer.
Fr. Jacek Dembek