General Visit of the Province of Rome

The Visit lasted from 1st until 26th February 2014 and it was conducted by Frs. Alberto Eseverri (General Consultor) and Jacek Zdrzałek – Coordinator of CRE.

There are 46 Redemptorists in the Rome Province (39 Fathers, 3 Brothers, 3 professed seminarians and 1 deacon). There is also 1 postulant and one diocesan priest who is waiting for permission from his bishop to start his Novitiate in this Province.

The Province has 8 communities: 2 in Rome (Monterone, San Gioacchino) and others in Scifelli, Frosinone, Bussolengo, Venezia, Francavilla al Mare, San Sperate (Sardinia). There is also a residence in Rome (Montespaccato) where 2 confreres live and take care of the parish of San Giovanni Neumann, but they belong to the San Gioacchino community.

Two Assemblies were held during the Visit: one in Bussolengo at the beginning (4 February), and the second one was at the end of the Visit in the community of San Gioacchino in Rome (26 February). The Superior General, Fr. Michael Brehl, took part in both of them.

The visitors had the possibility of talking with all the Confreres of the Province as well as with various Lay people involved in the pastoral activities, and with young people connected to RYVM.

The missionary activity of the Province is mainly carried out by means of pastoral work in the parishes, in sanctuaries, during parish missions and with young people. Our community in Venice is taking care of a great number of migrants from the Philippines. The Roman Province was the host of the 10th European Meeting of Redemptorist Youth in San Sperate in 2013.

The community in Bussolengo is working in the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, which has been recognized as a Diocesan Marian Sanctuary by the Bishop of Verona since 2005. The Sanctuary of Saint Gerard with the great devotion to this saint is situated in Frosinone.

Evangelization is done also by publishing various books and bulletins (e.g: in Bussolengo: “Il Soccorso perpetuo di Maria”, in Frosinone: “La voce di San Gerardo”, in Rome-Monterone: “Bolletino della Provincia Romana C.Ss.R.” and  “Ricordo e Suffragio).

Since 2005, San Gioacchino has served as a formation house for the two Italian Provinces (Rome and Naples).

The Rome Province of the Redemptorists has a long history because two of its houses were founded by Saint Alphonsus Liguori (Scifelli – 25 April 1773 and Frosinone – 20 June 1776). Also Saint Clement Hofbauer stayed in these houses. The Province was also one of the first six Provinces of the Congregation which were established in 1841.

The Rome Province founded two houses in Spain in 1863: Huete, in the diocese of La Concha and in the Alhama de Granada, where they remained until 1868, when they had to withdraw because of the war. Redemptorists from the Rome Province are also present in South America where the first missionary group arrived in 1949. After several years in Chile and Bolivia, the Rome Province established in 1951 the community of Pilar (in Paraguay). The mission of Pilar became a Vice Province on 8 December 1994, and after several years, together with the Vice-Province of Asuncion, became the Province of Paraguay in 2010.

Fr. Jacek Zdrzalek, C.Ss.R.
Coordinator of the CRE