Evangelization
Christmas 2022 – Letter of the Coordinator (20.12.2022)
Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests. Luke 2, 14 . Dear confreres, Dear sisters, Dear partners in mission, The angels’ message of peace to the shepherds, which is part of the Christmas message, does not correspond at all to the reality of us in Europe this year. Since February, the war that Russia has started against Ukraine has taken on terrible proportions and there is no end in sight. The consequences of the aggression are first felt by the people in Ukraine itself, but then repercussions...
read moreMeeting of the Secretariat for Evangelisation of the Redemptorist Conference of Europe
The meeting of the Secretariat for the Evangelisation of the Redemptorist Conference of Europe took place in Bonn from November 29 to December 1, 2022. The venue for the meeting was the religious house of the Redemptorists, who run the Collegium Josephinum here. The meeting aimed to summarise the work of the Secretariat in its various areas of activity: a partnership in mission, social ministry, youth and vocation ministry, and new missionary initiatives. The prospects for implementing the indications of Phases I and II of the XVI General...
read moreS. Alphonsus… in southern Albania!
“They will help the people scattered throughout the countryside and rural villages, most deprived and destitute of spiritual relief, with missions”: with these words, our Founder, St Alphonsus, began to write the Rule of our Institute. Over the years, we often ask ourselves who are the poor to whom we should proclaim the Word, and what are the “campaigns” where we should go to bring the good news of the Gospel. In Albania, the question is much simpler because one can literally interpret our Founder’s words. The countryside and rural villages...
read moreBeatification of 12 Spanish Redemptorist martyrs
On Saturday, 22 October, in the cathedral of Santa María la Real de la Almudena in Madrid, the beatification of 12 Redemptorists martyrs has taken place. They belonged to the two communities which, at that time, the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer had in the capital of Spain (Sanctuary of Perpetual Help in Chamberí, and the Basilica of San Miguel in La Latina), and were martyred in 1936. The liturgical memory of the new blessed will be celebrated on 6 November, together with the six Redemptorist martyrs of Cuenca, beatified in 2013....
read morePope Francis met participants of the 26th General Chapter
Saturday 1 October 2022, in the Clementine Hall of the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father Francis received the participants in the XXVI General Chapter in the audience. After the words of the newly elected Superior General, Father Rogério Gomes presented to the Holy Father some of the conclusions of the reflections and the commitment of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer for the next 6 years, the Holy Father addressed the St. Alphonsus’ spiritual sons with a message for the occasion. Improvised words in Spanish by the Holy...
read moreEuropean Meeting of Redemptorist Youth started in Toruń
12th European Meeting of Redemptorist Youth under the motto “Go and share” started on July 27 in Toruń, Poland. The welcome ceremony at the Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help in the presence of about 300 meeting participants, representing almost all European countries where the Redemptorists are ministering. Unfortunately, the war in Ukraine prevented the young people from that country from arriving in Torun. During the opening of the meeting, young people learned the official anthem of the event. They also watched a video message sent by...
read moreMeeting of Provincial Councils of the North-West European Provinces
Provincial Superiors with members of the Ordinary and Extraordinary Provincial Councils of the North-West European Provinces gathered from 1-3 June 2022 in Rome. Fr. Alberto Eseverri, C.Ss.R., Vicar General, and Fr. Johannes Römelt, C.Ss.R., Coordinator of the Redemptorist Conference of Europe, also participated. The meeting marked the next step on the path to the Federation of the four Redemptorist Units in the ongoing restructuring process for the sake of the mission. Fr. David McCallum S.J., director of the Discerning Leadership Program,...
read moreRedemptorist Fr. Taras Kchik speaks about his ministry in bombed-out Chernihiv, Ukraine
Redemptorist Fr. Taras Kchik offers an update on the situation in Chernihiv in “Ukrainian priest helps town that suffered Russian bombardment” by Crux Rome Bureau Chief Inés San Martín. According to the Chernihiv Regional State Administration, Chernihiv was surrounded and attacked for 40 days straight. At least 3,700 buildings were destroyed during the shelling and partial capture of the Chernihiv region by Russian troops. During the worst of the siege, the monastery housed as many as 58 people. Fr. Taras credits God’s guidance for giving him...
read moreMissionary Storytelling Weekend
Through some chance encounters, links between different Redemptorist initiatives in Europe have grown in recent years. On the weekend of 20-22 May, some Redemptorists and partners in mission took the time to meet for prayer, sharing, eating and relaxing. It became a weekend without planning and preparing decisions. Therefore, at the beginning, each participant shed their “titles and qualifications”, no one had to prove, get or discuss anything. Thanks to the small setting and the common enthusiasm for the mission, it became a weekend full of...
read moreP. Taras Kchik, CSsR “We do our utmost to help those who trust us”.
Interview in the magazine “Icono” (Spain) with Fr Taras Kchik, a 36-year-old Ukrainian Redemptorist. For the past few years, he has been a formator of Ukrainian students in Lviv and now lives in the Redemptorist community of Ivano-Frankivsk in the southeast of the country. “Every day begins with the stress of finding out which city was hit during the night”, Fr Taras Kchik, CSsR. How has your daily situation changed since this siege began? This conflict has had a significant impact on our daily lives. Most of our houses have had to change how...
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