As part of the process of Restructuring for the mission that is being implemented in the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer – Redemptorist Missionaries, the Units of San Juan de Puerto Rico, Central America and Haiti have held separate voting sessions to ask the General Government to abolish the status of Provinces and Region, respectively, to make way for the creation of the new Province of Central America and the Caribbean, dedicated to Our Mother of Perpetual Help, patroness of the Redemptorist missions and of the Republic of Haiti.
For this reason, the Elective Chapter of the new Government to accompany the beginning of this journey was held in the city of Santo Domingo – Dominican Republic. The elected leadership team has been formed as follows:
Fr. Thierry Raphael, Provincial Superior.
Fr. Felipe Santiago Burgos, Vicar Provincial.
Fr. Jesús María Rojas Quesada, Ordinary Consultor.
Fr. Henry Soto Navarrete, Extraordinary Consultor.
Fr. Jean Jacques Nicolás, Extraordinary Consultor.
Alex Hernández, the canonist, guided the election process with great juridical clarity. The document of the General Government (Guidelines) for these first elections was of great help, as was the presence of the General Consultors Fr. Jairo Díaz and Br. Larry Luján and that of the Coordinator of the Conference of Latin America and the Caribbean, Fr. Marcelo Araújo, who, at all times, accompanied the chapter sessions.
Fr. Jairo Díaz, General Consultor for Latin America and the Caribbean, announced the confirmation rescripts for the Provincial Superior and his Vicar in the name of Father General and his Council. He said that this is a moment of great importance for the new Province as it begins its missionary journey as a reconfigured unit. He invited all the participants to accompany the new government in its initiatives and projects and to work together to continue the missionary work of Alphonsus in this immense region.
Br. Larry Luján, General Consultor for North America and the Coordinator of the Conference, Fr. Marcelo Araujo, encouraged the members of the new unit to walk with hope, to work as a missionary body, to allow themselves to be guided by the Holy Spirit and above all to be ready for personal and constant conversion so that this new reality of reconfiguration will generate a new missionary impulse.
Finally, the Eucharist of thanksgiving was celebrated, presided over by the Provincial-elect and concelebrated by the members of his Council present at the Chapter and by all the participants in this Chapter assembly.
Special thanks to the three outgoing provincials, to the various commissions, to the staff of the archdiocesan house of Our Lady of Altagracia for their attention in this beautiful place, to all those who diligently provided the logistics for the Chapter, to the members of each former unit who represented their confreres, to the Coordinator of the Conference and the General Consultors.
To God and to St. Mary of Perpetual Help, we commend the new Province of Central America and the Caribbean.
Fr. Manuel Cruz Meza, C.Ss.R.
