Dear Confreres and Lay Partners of our mission.
Sunday, November 12, 2023, the entire Congregation celebrates the annual Redemptorist Vocation Promotion Day. On this day, from different corners of the world, we join together to commemorate our call to follow the Redeemer. We are invited to renew our charism and prayerfully ask the Lord to send missionaries who, living in the community, bring the Good News of the Gospel.
This call reminds us of the essence of being apostolic missionaries who, living in community, form one body, collaborating as companions of Jesus Christ in the work of redemption. As Redemptorists, we are challenged and questioned by the difficult reality of our world. For this reason, the Holy Spirit encourages us to go out on a mission. We are a community of followers of Jesus, strengthened in faith, filled with hope, fervent in charity, inflamed with zeal, humble, and always devoted to prayer. (Const. 20).
On this day, we are invited to take up a collection for the Solidarity Fund, which finances initial formation in Africa and Madagascar, Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia, some scholarships for the students of the Major College, disaster relief and other pastoral projects of the Congregation. We are therefore invited to strengthen the spirit of solidarity among the Units of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer. Although recent General Chapters have called us to solidarity, the response has not been as expected. It is important that we all contribute to this purpose.
There is Redemptorist blood in our veins; we carry the Redeemer and proclaim the Good News to the poor, being authentic disciples of St. Alphonsus. We joyfully follow Christ the Redeemer, we participate in his ministry, we proclaim him with the simplicity of life and language, and we are always available even in the most difficult places and situations. We are called to make daily simplicity the place where God meets us to bring abundant redemption to the world.
May Mary, Our Mother of Perpetual Help, accompany us in this mission, and may St. Alphonsus and all our saints, martyrs, and blessed continue to bless us so that, as a community, we may continue to bring the Good News to the world!
Fr. Rogério Gomes, CSSR, General Superior
Fr. Paul Vinh, CSSR. General Consultor
Fr. Gerardo Hernandez, CSSR, General Secretariat for Formation
Prayer for Redemptorist Vocations
Lord Jesus,
You have willed that we collaborate with You
in the salvation of the world.
The harvest is abundant
but the laborers are few.
Our people need men and women
committed to the Gospel;
it needs young people
who are willing to give their lives
for abundant redemption.
We ask you, through the intercession of Our Mother of Perpetual Help,
that from among our families,
raise up young people
who will consecrate their lives
to those most in need.
Grant that our young people,
like Mary,
not only hear your call,
but may they also know how
to respond to you with generosity.
Send, O Lord
to your people
solid Christian marriages,
singles who give themselves to the service of the community,
religious and priests to your Church,
particularly to our Redemptorist Congregation.
We ask this of you,
who live and reign
forever and ever.
Amen.
