(Madrid, Spain) Our community of Perpetual Help in Zaragoza received a great gift: Daniel Torrubia, after completing his novitiate in Ciorani (Italy), was going to profess his religious vows as a Redemptorist missionary following in the footsteps of St. Alphonsus. The celebration took place last Saturday, September 4.
In preparation, a vigil of prayer and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament was held in the church on Friday evening. A personal encounter with the Lord in which we wanted to thank Him for the immense love poured out on our brother Daniel, and we asked Him not to stop increasing his faith and his vocation of dedication to the service of the neediest, asking Our Mother of Perpetual Help always to be his help in his journey.
In the evening, at 7 pm., the doors of the church of Perpetual Help were opened so that, complying with the rules of security, distance and capacity due to the pandemic situation of the COVID-19, the numerous attendees, family and friends, who did not want to miss the celebration, could enter the church, accompanying, praying and being witnesses of the “Yes” to Christ of Daniel, could do so.
At 8.00 p.m., the celebration began with the procession of the Redemptorist formandi and the confreres who attended the celebration. It was presided over by the Provincial Superior of the Redemptorist Missionaries in Spain, Francisco J. Caballero, accompanied by Fr. Maurizio Iannuario, master of novices, and Fr. Jorge Ambel, Superior of the Community, as main concelebrants.
Redemptorist communities
Present were 27 confreres who filled the presbytery and the space in the main nave of the church: postulants and confreres from the House of Formation and the Provincial House and the communities of San Gerardo (Madrid), Granada, Jerez, Mérida, Astorga and Valencia, as well as two religious Cooperators of Truth and a diocesan priest from the Archpriesthood.
After listening to the word of God, Daniel was introduced to the community. Asked by the Provincial Superior, asked: “to be allowed to consecrate himself to Christ and His Kingdom by making a holy religious profession in this community of the Most Holy Redeemer”.
Francisco J. Caballero then gave us an affectionate message, emphasising in his homily that we were on a feast day, celebrating the gratuitousness of the Lord’s love which is manifested through ordinary people, who one day felt the Lord’s call and set out in freedom and with all kinds of difficulties to follow him.
After the homily, we witnessed the religious profession, with Daniel expressing his firm will to consecrate himself to God by reading the formula of the profession in his own handwriting, receiving the Redemptorist cross, the Redemptorist constitutions and an icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. After the signing of the act of profession, Daniel received the welcoming embrace of his new confreres.
Then it was Daniel’s parents, Ignacio and Mª Ángeles, who brought the offerings of bread and wine to the altar as a sign of their generosity in the missionary dedication of their own son.
Vocational journey
At the end of communion, Daniel took the floor to explain the reason for his decision to profess as a Redemptorist missionary and to thank all the people who have accompanied his vocational journey, remembering his brotherhood and thanking all those present for their prayers. These words were received with a resounding ovation by all those present.
With the prayer and song to Our Mother of Perpetual Help, the solemn blessing, the family photo of the Redemptorist confreres present and the final procession, the celebration ended.
Br. Daniel returned to Madrid where he will be studying theology at the Pontifical University of Comillas. He will continue his vocational journey in the Redemptorist formation community at Perpetuo Socorro with other postulants and students.
Filled with happiness, we want to thank the Redeemer for the call made to Daniel to be his disciple as a Redemptorist and ask Him, through the intercession of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, to give him all the strength he needs to persevere in his journey as a Redemptorist missionary.
(www.redentoristas.org)
