Letter from the Coordinator, No. 23 (23.03.2016)
Caravaggio: The Incredulity of Saint Thomas
EASTER 2016
Alleluia!
Christ is risen
and we are called
to rise with him into
a new life!
Happy Easter!
Fr. Jacek
Letter from the Coordinator, No. 23 (23.03.2016)
Dear Confreres,
Dear Lay Missionaries of the Most Holy Redeemer,
Dear Partners in Mission.
The Initial Phase of General Chapter is coming soon. Representatives from all Europe will meet in Toruń (Poland) from 5th to 13th April 2016. The experiences of the last years will help us evaluate the apostolic life of the Units within the Conference, in terms of fidelity to our mission and the signs of the times, taking account of common experiences, missionary priorities, new pastoral situation, etc. During this phase we will propose candidates for the election of the Superior General and also the General Consultors from our Conference. This gathering shall prepare the canonical phase of the General Chapter which will be held from 31st October to 25th November 2016 in Pattaya in Thailand.
However, the year 2016 will be for us very busy not only because of the General Chapter. Many important meetings and gatherings will take place in various parts of our Conference.
The Jubilee Year of Our Mother of Perpetual Help will finish in a few months. The one of the important events will be “The Visitation of the Icon to the Conferences”. After consulting with each Unit Superior, the specific dates will be determined in which the icon will travel through each Unit and C.Ss.R. houses. The closing of the Jubilee Year will be on June 27, 2016 and on this day the Icons will be blessed and given to each Conference in Saint Alphonsus Church in Rome during Mass at 6 p.m. Then the Icons will begin visits to our communities. The Commission of OMPH in our Conference is preparing also an event/pilgrimage in honor of OMPH in Madrid (2-7 May 2017). (more: www.cssr-europe.com 4.03.2016)
For the fourth time we invite our formandee from all the Units in the CRE for the common preparation before the Perpetual Vows. This year the formators from the Viceprovince of Bratislava are in charge of this preparation. The meeting will last from 4th of July to 2nd of August 2016 in Kostolna Zariece (Trencin) in Slovakia. During the last week the participants will go to Kraków (Poland) where they will participate in World Youth Day.
As usual we invite also the confreres who are in the Transition to Ministry programme or who are ten years professed or ordained to take the opportunity of this meeting. The special time reserved for them is from the 4nd until 16th July. (more: www.cssr-europe.com 10.03.2016)
The Interprovincial Community in Albania invites Redemptorists and our students from various Units to help and to spend time in a mission experience during the summer months. One student from the Rome Province, Br. Leszek Pyś, is helping during his pastoral year in Albania, and his missionary work is very much appreciated by the community and the parishioners. There is also the possibility of lay people connected with the Redemptorists to have a summer mission experience. (Those willing to go – please contact the superior of the community: Fr. Laureano del Otero; email: laureanodel@gmail.com). We are also waiting for the next Redemptorists who wish to join the community for a few years.
Also this year for the fourth time, Astorga “Welcome House” will serve pilgrims on the St. James’ Way from 1st July and 31st August 2016. The mission of this community is to offer a space for dialogue and prayer with pilgrims who are going to Santiago. The responsible persons from Spain are waiting for volunteers from all our Units in the CRE who can dedicate at least one week to this kind of evangelization. The confrere responsible is Fr. Pedro Lopez (email: pedrolopez@cssr.es or phone: +34 689 800 824).
World Youth Day: Kraków 2016. I hope that many of us will meet in Poland this summer. Just to remind you: WYD in Kraków: 26-31 July 2016 (before Kraków: for all CSSR groups: “Days in the Archdiocese of Wrocław” 20-25 July 2016; Alphonsian Day: 27th July 2016). The official multilingual website of our Group Redemptorist: www.krakow2016.redemptor.pl; Facebook account in English: facebook.com/wyd.redemptor. Twitter in English: @redemptor2016.
May God’s abundant love bless each of you in a special way this Easter.
Jacek Zdrzałek CSsR
