The Redemptorist presence in the Dominican Republic dates back to September 1946. “Its foundation in this country comes from the friars who were already working in Puerto Rico. We are present in four places in the country: Barahona, Azua, Santo Domingo and Sanchez Ramirez.
Precisely in Cotuí, one of the municipalities of Sánchez Ramírez, in the Casa San Gerardo, where we organized the first Council of the Conference of Latin America and the Caribbean for the reconfigured Provinces. In the presence of all the Provincials and the General, Fr. Rogério Gomes once again expressed the affirmation of continuing the path guided by the Holy Spirit, “which is not provoked by us, but by the Spirit who calls us to move forward, to change things, the structures for the mission” (Fr. Rogerio Gomes).
The entire experience of this meeting was of great benefit to us aspirants, helping us to get to know all the members of our Congregation better. Furthermore, for the fathers of the Conference, it was a spiritual renewal. As Fr. Mauricio, provincial of the Andean-Caribbean Province, said, ” We experienced this meeting in communion, with a sense of participation and desire to go on a mission.”
During this meeting of prayer, brotherhood, and communion, we all testified that “no one is the owner of the Congregation, but followers of the One Redeemer, who guides us, we cannot assume the Congregation as ours, it would be fatal, we would declare its death” (Fr. Rogerio Gomes).
In the New Province of the Mother of Perpetual Help, where we welcome the Conference, the Casa San Gerardo hosted the initial phase of Redemptorist Formation. Then, Fr. Rogerio Gomes met the four aspirants who live there. It was a warm and fraternal meeting, in which the Father listens to us attentively and advises us like a good Shepherd. He tells us: “to deepen our Redemptorist life, which is Christocentric, and that ongoing formation is something fundamental for us.”
On behalf of all of us at the Casa San Gerardo of Cotuí, we are very grateful to God and Our Mother of Perpetual Help for having allowed this important meeting, which helps us to stay awake but also an enormous opportunity for us students, because the presence of General Superior and the provincial superiors stimulates us to grow and move forward in our respective realities.
Dilcio Nerby, postulant
Dominican Republic
