The members of the Brothers’ Commission held their first meeting in person at the General Curia, from 6th to 11th of February 2024 in Rome. The Brothers present were: Br. Laurence Lujan (General Consultor), Br. Michael Duxbury (Europe Conference), Br. Eumir Samson Bautista (North America Conference), Br. Celestino Toh (Asia – Oceania Conference), Br. Germain Rakotovao (Conference Africa and Madagascar), as well as the brothers who carry out their work at the General Curia and the Church of Saint Alphonsus in Rome: Br. Diego Vinício Gomes de Almeida (Sacristan) and Br. Fernando B. Cordeiro (Vice General Secretary).
During this week, they reviewed the work done over the past year and the previous Brethren Commission document (published in 2020). The discussion focused on some topics of great importance within the reality of the Brothers and the entire Congregation. In addition to the discussions, a quick visit was made to the Sanctuary of Saint Gerard Majella in Materdomini and the Sanctuary of St. Alphonsus in Pagani.
Regarding the reflection and discussion of the Commission, we can highlight some points, such as the concept of the identity of the Redemptorist Brother and how to promote being a Redemptorist in the modern context. Furthermore, there was discussion about how to “tell” the story of the Brothers within the Congregation. In a spirit of collaboration between the bodies of the General Curia, a morning was dedicated to the general secretariat of formation, with the main theme of how to develop a formation program for the Brothers, clear and engaging for formators and students.
In summary, the meeting sought to highlight the most important themes and organize the next concrete steps to be taken. It was a great step for the work of the Commission, and it is hoped that the projects developed can help the entire Congregation to understand and promote the vocation of the Redemptorist missionary, particularly in the dimension of the Brother.
Brother Fernando B. Cordeiro, CSsR.
Vice General Secretary
Brother Celestine Cheng Leng and Brother Eumir Bautista, two Redemptorist Brothers talk about the vocation of a religious brother in the Redemptorist Congregation. In conversation with Fr Joseph Royan C.SS.R., they also share their experience of participating in the mission of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer.
