In this time of the pandemic, we are deprived of personal encounter. In all our Redemptorist communities, we are suffering the difficulty of not being able to live the faith in community. Still, many initiatives help us to continue the path of Hope that Jesus proposes to us in the Gospel.
On Saturday, December 5th, delegates of the Redemptorist Youth & Vocational Ministry (RYVM) from all the (V)Provinces that are part of the Redemptorist Conference of Europe met. It was an online meeting, and perhaps, for this reason, 37 young people and religious from all over the continent were able to participate.
The meeting began with a greeting and prayer, prepared by Brendan Dineen (Dublin Province), member of the Conference RYVM commission. Then Europe’s Coordinator, Fr. Johannes Romelt, thanked everyone for their participation, in addition to highlighting the effort of the commission that was preparing the European Redemptorists Youth Meeting in Bratislava. An effort that will be collected by the new leaders of this meeting, which will be in Torun (Poland) in 2022.
The different units gave the testimony of their work throughout the pastoral year. Fr Pedro López, general councillor, recalled that the PJVR is a priority for the entire Congregation in his intervention.
One of the central points of the on-line meeting was the preparation of the European Youth Meeting in Torun 2022. Previously, young people will be able to make a journey towards the meeting through 5 preparatory catecheses. Details such as the program, events and celebrations were also discussed, as well as details of organization and logistics. In the dialogue, participants highlighted the idea of facilitating cultural exchange among young people.
The second central point of this meeting was the convening of an online meeting for young people from Europe in spring: “Hope in a time of crisis”. It will be in March 2021 and will offer a time of prayer, reflection, and the opportunity to dialogue in language groups. Participants will have to register online, and it is expected that there will be 10 young people for each province.
RYVM Europe committee
