Fr. Rastislav Dluhý CSsR with Mr. and Mrs. Živčák and Mr. and Mrs. Zamkovský represented the Province of Bratislava – Prague at the meeting of Redemptorists and lay missionaries in Naples at the turn of November and December 2024. Father Rastislav shares his impressions with us.
I sometimes look at participation in larger official meetings organized by the various bodies of the Congregation with reluctance. I have often asked myself before planning a trip to such an event: Will this meeting be worth it at all to buy the airfare and cover the other expenses associated with the trip? Wouldn’t it all just be a waste of time? Will it get us anywhere? Will anything significant happen at this meeting? These feelings of pessimism and apprehension dissipated right at the start of the meeting. It was a time of grace, joy, passion and new things.
The meeting of the Shared Mission representatives organized by the Conference of Europe at the Monastery of Colle Sant’Alfonso was a pleasant surprise for me. The organizers, headed by Eric Corsius, did a good job and their great patience in dealing with the logistical and technical challenges is to be commended.
The very beginning of the meeting signaled that it would be in a good spirit. The evening prayer we had on Friday in the church before the plenary session began showed the hunger for an encounter with God. After an hour of praise, the superior of the house still had to signal to those who remained in the church and continued to pray to move to the monastery’s dining room for a communal dinner. Not far from the mighty Vesuvius in the region where St. Alphonsus lived, with fire in our hearts, it was as if we wanted to begin in the upper room, not at the writing desk and not at the screens or the microphone. On Saturday, during the morning prayer led by the Dublin Province, it was as if the experience of God’s presence from the evening continued. As the Irish companion read the Word of God, I experienced anew its captivating power.
When Ann Walsh from Canada told her story of how God conquered her heart, what her first missionary steps were and how God literally drew her to the Redemptorist family, I regretted that she could only speak to us from a distance, that I could not be with her in person for a few minutes. I had so many questions inside me! From her story, I realized how important it is for us Redemptorists to stand with those whom the Spirit leads to serve with us in the charism of St. Alphonsus, to notice what is germinating and cultivate it. The paternal and prophetic influence that our former Superior Generals Lasso De la Vega and then Novice Master Michael Brehl had on her life is a strong encouragement to me not to neglect the opportunities God sends me to similarly encourage lay collaborators. I would very much like everyone to hear Ann Walsh’s testimony. Maybe one day we will see a film of her testimony somewhere on the internet. I was very impressed with how well she knows our charism, our constitutions and our lifestyle. Many a Redemptorist who has not held our Constitutions and Statutes in his hands for years would feel like a novice around her. She exuded missionary passion, the maturity of a sister, mother and disciple of Jesus, as well as a devoted love for the Redemptorist family.
When I heard all that was happening in the various provinces, I was sorry that our Congregation knew so little about it. I saw many signs of life and hope there, which we in Europe especially need to hear so much about. Perhaps one day there will be a series on the worldwide Scala News website where individual countries will write about how they are doing in ministry and how they are specifically serving. We could be greatly encouraged and inspired. I have been very impressed by the many forms that our shared mission with the laity has taken. I have heard about the different degrees of commitment in ministry. In some places lay missionaries renew their commitment annually and do so in a very solemn way.
Our lay missionaries, with whom we serve together, receive different forms of formation. In some places they even study our constitutions and statutes with great interest. In some countries our lay missionaries also receive formation in moral theology and ethics. In one province, lay missionaries have even led a retreat based on the four main pillars of Alphonsian spirituality. Lay missionaries serve in the proclamation of the Word of God in parish missions and evangelizations, during Alpha courses and evangelization schools. They also use their creativity to create physical spaces or “gateways” to encounter seekers. They also intercede to the faithful during novenas to the Mother of Perpetual Help and to St. Gerard. We also find them serving sacrificially in places where St. Alphonsus or our other saints lived and worked. They are heavily involved in media evangelization. Often, they also care for the aging Redemptorists.
I believe that one day each community of lay missionaries will encourage us all with its own story. We would very much welcome this now as we prepare for the Jubilee Year in which we long to revive our hope that God is at work today and in all places. I know that by our witness we build up our faith and the faith of others. I know that sparks and flame can leap from place to place. This is how the Mystical Body of Jesus and our Congregation works.
Thank you for this meeting in Naples!
Fr. Rastislav Dluhý, CSsR.
