(Slovakia and Poland) The commission of the Redemptorist Youth Vocation Ministry (RYVM) of the Conference of Redemptorists of Europe (CRE) held a meeting on 19 and 20 February 2019. The purpose of this meeting was to know, encourage and coordinate Vocational Youth Ministry on the continent in each of its units, as well as accompanying the preparation of the European youth meeting, which normally takes place every three years. This committee is made up of five members: Fr. Pawel Drobot as Coordinator (Province of Warsaw), Lay Redemptorist Brendan Dineen (Dublin Province), Fr. Laureano Del Otero Sevillano (Mission Albania), Lay Redemptorist Mariro Aguilar (Province of Madrid) and Father Piotr Sulkowski (Province of Rome). On this occasion, only the first three took part.
It was a unique meeting, as a single meeting took place in two different countries: Slovakia and Poland. On the 19th, the RYVM Commission met in Kostolna (Slovakia), in the company of the provincials and the members of their (Vice) Provinces engaged in the RYVM. The next European meeting of young Redemptorists will be in Slovakia, and the two units, Bratislava-Prague and Michalovce, will join to prepare for this meeting. First, the evaluation of the last meeting, held in Granada in 2018. Overall, the evaluation is very good, noting the procession of young people with the icon of Perpetual Help to the Cathedral. So, we started planning the future meeting (theme, date, place) to be presented in the coming months. A preparation timetable is important, in addition to not forgetting the fundamental role that the preparatory community has in this type of events. On the other hand, it is important to respect the frequency of holding these meetings every 3 years, so that young people can continue to know and share our charism and our mission.
The commission continued its work after greeting the Slovak confreres. Since the aim of the Commission is to get to know and coordinate the RYVM in Europe, it is proposed to organize a meeting every year by representatives of the RYVM of European units, in order to have more knowledge and communication to be more fluid. In this way collaboration between the units can emerge. The meeting of the representatives of the RYVM of the units of Europe will be between 27 and 29 September 2019 in Krakow (Poland). A European Mission Camp for young people was presented in the Redemptorist Mission of Albania. It will be from 7 to 11 July and the information will reach the communities through the in-charges of RYVM. Moreover, it was emphasized that common initiatives are shared on our continent to live the mission and develop the Redemptorist charism. We are also studying the possibility of offering a youth pilgrimage for the year 2020, on the occasion of the anniversary of Saint Clement. The day ended with the celebration of the Eucharist.
On 20 February, the meeting was held in Krakow (Poland). It was a day dedicated to the study and reflection of the documents that inspire the RYVM throughout the Congregation, which need new considerations. The RYVM has undergone changes on all continents and even the new configuration of conferences requires a new missionary perspective. We have worked on the document of 2000 “General guidelines of the RYVM”. The meeting ended with the Eucharist in our Sanctuary of Perpetual Help.
We thank Father Vaclav Hypius (Provincial of Bratislava-Prague) and Metod Lukačik (Vice-provincial of Michalovce) for their hospitality and a warm welcome offered to us in time of a snow-covered Slovakia. Also, we thank the community of Krakow, where we felt at home.
Fr. Laureano Del Otero Sevillano C.Ss.R.
Redemptorist Mission in Albania
