(Bogota, Colombia) – The Major Seminary of ‘San Alfonso de Suba,’ Bogota, Colombia, hosted the 17th Congress of young Redemptorists in formation, from 12 to 15 October, with the presence of confreres from Puerto Rico, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Venezuela, Brazil and Colombia. The whole Congress revolved around the theme “Youth in formation, Witnesses of the Redeemer in a wounded world”. And the slogan of the meeting was: “If you let the Redeemer shape you, you will be able to heal the wounded world”. The Formation Houses that participated in this meting were: the Minor Seminary Gaspar Stanggasinger (Manizales), the San Alfonso Seminary of initial formation and the novitiate house (Piedecuesta – Santander). The vocation promoters, formators and the confreres from the house that hosted us – ‘Seminario San Alfonso’ – also participated in the Congress. Including the young people in formation, confreres, priests, formators and vocation promoters, a total number of 73 people participated in the Congress.
Apart from the General theme “Youth in formation, Witnesses of the Redeemer in a wounded world” other themes that are dealt with during the Congress were;
* Perpetual Help an invocation to heal the wounds of the world today.
* Be a young witness of hope today for the Church and for a new world, even with our frailties.
* Reality and challenges of youth in the wounded world in the light of the Holy Scriptures.
* Historical evolution of C.Ss.R. in healing the wounds of the world.
* Redemptorist charism, a response to the wounds of the world of Youth.
* The pastoral commitment of the Redemptorist Conference of Latin America and the Caribbean with the wounds of today’s youth.
The meeting was motivated and strengthened by a letter addressed by the Superior General Fr Brehl who has reached the soul of our young people; along with the letter he sent them his prayer and blessing. The young people also were blessed with the presence and words of the Provincial Superior, Fr. Jorge Gómez Rueda.
The Secretariat for Formation was responsible for organizing the event, presided over by Fr. Rosendo Afanador and a group of formators and students.
The formators and young people in formation highly appreciated the environment, the arrangements, the resources used and the atmosphere of prayer and the celebration of the faith of this Congress.
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