Dear confreres and lay partners in our mission,
On Sunday, November 10, 2024, the Redemptorist family around the world will come together to celebrate the Redemptorist Vocation Promotion Day. This special day is an opportunity to renew our commitment to the mission of following the Redeemer. Asking the Lord to inspire new missionaries who, living in community, will bring the Good News of the Gospel to those most in need.
Vocation is a gift from God, and our mission is to foster it with generosity and foresight. Recognizing the importance of formative and pastoral accompaniment ensures that the seed of the Redemptorist vocation finds the right environment to grow and flourish. It is an act of faith and hope in each person’s potential so that we may accompany vocations in their calling and strengthen the value of building solid and committed communities. Initial and ongoing formation requires resources, and the Solidarity Fund assists us. We must be responsible for providing everything necessary for each member to develop fully in their vocational journey.
This day is significant, as it reminds us that each of us is called not only to live our vocation but also to be an instrument to awaken and accompany new vocations within the Church. Creating a vocational culture in our communities means showing through daily witness the beauty and joy of consecrated life and fostering an environment where young people can discover and respond to God’s call. This task demands presence, patience, and commitment.
In this year especially dedicated to the formation, we remember that the Redemptorist vocation is a personal response and a shared commitment within the community. We are called to renew and strengthen our missionary identity, aware that our Congregation’s future depends on each member’s dedication and witness. This day invites us to be bold and living witnesses of the Good News, sharing the beauty of this vocation with others. May each of us be, in our life and mission, an authentic sign of Christ’s redemptive love, drawing new hearts to follow the path of Saint Alphonsus.
In harmony with Pope Francis’s message for the 2024 World Day of Prayer for Vocations, we are called to be “pilgrims of hope,” embracing our vocation as a mission of peace and fraternity. Today, more than ever, we need to discern together, in synodality, how our life and vocation can contribute to building a more just world united in the love of God. Looking toward the Jubilee Year of 2025, each of us, from our calling, is invited to renew our commitment to be a sign of hope in society.
May Mary, our Mother of Perpetual Help, accompany us on this mission, and may Saint Alphonsus and all our Redemptorist Saints, Blessed, and Martyrs inspire us to proclaim the Good News with courage and compassion.
Fr. Rogério Gomes, CSSR, Superior General
Fr. Paul Vinh, CSSR, General Consultor
Fr. Gerardo Hernández, CSSR, General Secretary for Formation
