The 200th anniversary of the death of St. Clement Hofbauer invites us to get to know more deeply the rich personality of this Redemptorist missionary. The latest issue of Spicilegium Historicum is dedicated entirely to the person of our holy brother. Particularly noteworthy is the attempt to present the impressive pastoral activity of St. Clement in Warsaw and Vienna in articles written by Fr. Vincenzo da Mendola C.Ss.R. and Fr. Ryszard Hajduk C.Ss.R.
Summary of the Fr. R. Hajduk’s article (La actividad de San Clemente Hofbauer como ejemplo de contextualization pastoral):
Both the task of the whole Church as well as individual pastors is to interpret events, social processes and ideological trends as signs of the times, it means challenges that demand response in pastoral activity. The activity of the Church must always take into account the context in which the recipients of the salvific mission of the Church live.
St. Clement Maria Hofbauer is a model of the contextualisation of pastoral activity. His basic motto was “To preach the Gospel in a new way” in view of the circumstances. He therefore uses his apostolic zeal and pastoral wisdom to continually adapt the forms of his priestly ministry to the specific needs of people living in the Age of Enlightenment.
Being faithful to the Redemptorist charism, Clement Hofbauer fulfils his vocation to the apostolate in Warsaw and Vienna as evangelizer, spiritual director, confessor and educator of the lay faithful. He contradicts the Enlightenment’s aspirations to reduce the Catholic faith to acts of mercy and rigorous observance of religious norms. The Holy Redemptorist promotes Catholicism faithful to the doctrine proclaimed by the Church and closely linked to the papacy.
Hofbauer’s life and work is a testimony of truth. In this way he positively influences his surroundings and shows people the way to live in the fullness of Christ’s redemption.
Table of contents of Spicilegium Historicum, Vol. LXVIII, Fasc.1
- La Mendola, Vincenzo, C.Ss.R., La proposta pastorale di San Clemente Maria Hofbauer. Origini, sviluppi e attualità, 3-93.
- Hajduk, Ryszard, C.Ss.R., La actividad de San Clemente Hofbauer como ejemplo de la contextualización pastoral, 95-114.
- Dąbrosz-Drewnowska, Paulina, Abbé Edgeworth de Firmont, dernier confesseur de Louis XVI, ami de Clement Hofbauer, 115-147.
- Macko, Martin, C.Ss.R., Karl Hofbauer, Bruder des hl. Klemens, Kolonist im Temeswarer Banat, 149-172.
- Frank, Peter, Hermann Hofbauer, C.Ss.R., und seine angebliche Verwandtschaft zum hl. Klemens M. Hofbauer, 173-175.
- Leitgöb, Martin, C.Ss.R, Hundert Jahre nach dem Tod von Klemens Maria Hofbauer: Vorgeschichte, Gestalt und Programatik der Wiener Jubiläumsfeiern im Jahre 1920, 177-190.
- Macko, Martin, C.Ss.R., Zwei Dokumente zur Redemptoristen-Mission in Bulgarien, 1835-1840, 191-259.
- Owczarski, Adam, C.Ss.R., Bibliografia Hofbaueriana (2001-2019), 261-274.
