The General Council made its annual retreat in the Redemptorist Community at Bussolengo in Northern Italy which is near the historic city of Verona from 24th to 28th of March 2025. The Redemptorists have a shrine dedicated to Our Mother of Perpetual Help here which is over a hundred and eighty years old with the presence of the Redemptorists serving the people at this Marian Shrine all these years and the shrine known as the Shrine for confessions. There is a very active ministry of celebrating the sacrament of reconciliation daily as people come from the neighbouring towns for confession and the confreres are always available all through the day for the sacrament.
It is in this community of active Redemptorists who exercise a wonderful ministry of reconciliation that the General Council made its annual retreat. Fr Jose Cristo Rey Gracia Paredes CMF, a Claretian priest from Spain was the retreat preacher. He chose to preach on the theme of “The Holy Spirit, The Evangelical Counsellor.” He reflected on the Evangelical Counsels as lived by a Religious today under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the principal protagonist guiding the Church and every Religious Congregation today.
The entire retreat was a reflection and meditation on the Covenant and how Religious life is a reciprocal living of the Covenant under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Reflecting on the first day on the meaning of the Covenant, then on the God of the Covenant, Jesus and the Covenant, the Spirit, and the Covenant and finally Religious Life as living the Covenant today. The next reflection was on Religious Profession as understood today in the context of the Evangelical Counsels as gifts of the Holy Spirit drawing forth a response of love from the religious whose vows are a response to the gifts of the Evangelical Counsels.
Each day Fr Paredes then took up each of the Evangelical Counsels and in the two reflections of the day took up the Evangelical Counsel of Obedience, of Chastity and of Poverty from the perspective of the Covenant. He reflected on each of these Counsels as gift of the Spirit for the religious from the Biblical perspective both Old and New Testament Covenant and then in the second session he reflected on each Evangelical Counsel from the Missionary, Communitarian, Ecological and Mystical Dimensions. Fr Paredes focused the entire reflection each day on leadership and the role of the General Council in guiding the Congregation led by the Holy Spirit who is always The Guide, the Giver of all Gifts as seen in the Life of Mary.
A highlight of the retreat was the reflection, texts for meditation, questions for reflection and points for spiritual exercise that Fr Paredes gave after each reflection. He quoted from St Alphonsus and expressed his deep admiration for our founder as well as used our C.Ss.R constitutions for reflection. His homilies at mass were on the liturgy of the day as he drew from his rich knowledge of Scripture, tradition, and his vast teaching experience of Theology.
The Community of Bussolengo led by the Superior Fr Sergio Santi were wonderful in their hospitality, kindness, care, and concern and provided the space for this time of rest, reflection, meditation and sharing. It was a joy to be with the community and pray with the community and share fraternal life especially at lunch and dinner with the community as well as enjoy the peace and quiet, the serenity and calm of the place, for a time of meditation, rest, and reflection.
Joseph Ivel Mendanha, C.Ss.R.
General Consultor
