It was with great joy and gratitude that the General Government held a special Zoom meeting on 21st March 2025 at 2.00 pm (Rome time) to honour and celebrate the remarkable milestones of our confreres who are celebrating 25, 50, 60, 70, 75, and even 80 years of profession and ordination to priesthood. Their unwavering dedication and faithful service to the mission of the Church and the Congregation are a testament to God’s grace and their deep commitment to the Redemptorist charism.
In this Jubilee Year 2025, a time of renewal and gratitude, our Fr. General delivered a heartfelt message to encourage and inspire the participants. His words remind us of the beauty of our vocation, the fruits of perseverance, and the ever-present call to be witnesses of Christ’s redeeming love in the world.
Do find below the letter of Fr. General.
MESSAGE TO THE REDEMPTORIST CONFRERES JUBILARIANS OF 25, 50, 60, 70, 75 AND 80 YEARS OF PROFESSION AND PRIESTLY ORDINATION
Dear Confreres Jubilarians,
- It is a joy to meet with you, as General Government, although via Zoom, to celebrate this important moment in your lives: the jubilees of 25, 50, 60, 70, 75 and 80 years of consecrated and priestly life. On behalf of the whole Congregation, I would like to express my gratitude for the generosity with which you live your vocation, for the joy of being missionaries in different fields of work or even in situations of illness, and for the courage not to give up, even in times of difficulty, crisis and dark nights. To celebrate the Jubilee is to remember the day when the Lord called each of you and to renew the vow of perseverance. We pray that the Redeemer will continue to bless your lives with health, peace and wisdom, and that the Holy Spirit will strengthen you each day, so that with renewed missionary ardour and apostolic zeal you may continue to proclaim God’s plentiful redemption and mercy to the end.
- In each of you, jubilarian confreres, there is present the fruit of the love, dedication and fidelity to the mission which the Lord entrusted to you at the time of your consecration and ordination. You are living witnesses of the generosity that has guided, sustained and strengthened your personal journey over the years, as well as that of the Congregation. Starting from the Redemptorist charism, you have responded to the call to follow in the footsteps of Christ the Redeemer, announcing the Good News of salvation, especially to the poorest and most abandoned, with a heart burning with love and compassion.
- The celebration of a Jubilee, in the context of salvation history, becomes a privileged moment for a profound spiritual retreat. This retreat offers the opportunity to review the road we have travelled, to identify where we have been called to be liberated, where we still find the ‘Egyptians’ in our lives, and how God’s redemptive action can transform us and push us to live more fully the vocation we have received in a paschal way. This experience of the People of God, marked by the crossing of the desert, helps us to realise that consecration is a journey of faith, which demands trust in God and a constant surrender to his will. Throughout these years of life, you will be able to contemplate the journey of the People of God, from the crossing of the desert, with its difficulties and murmurings, to the way in which God, by his power and faithfulness, liberated his people from slavery. This process of liberation is intertwined with the culmination of the paschal mystery of Christ, which brings us true freedom. Reflecting on consecration in the light of this paschal mystery is therefore a way of seeing God’s action in our own history and revitalising our vocation. Consecration, therefore, is not just an external act, but a continuous living out of Christ’s death and resurrection in one’s own life. This calls for each of us to renew our commitment to God, to revitalise our mission and to strengthen the purpose of our Christian life.
- Celebrating the Jubilee of religious profession and priesthood in the Jubilee Year of Hope is an occasion of great grace and significance to mark the journey we have made. This special time unites the witness of fidelity to the Redemptorist mission with renewed trust in God’s promise.
- The Jubilee of Hope invites the faithful to look to the future with renewed faith, recognizing that, even in difficulties, hope is the guiding light. As you celebrate years of service to the Kingdom of God, the Jubilee you celebrate becomes a living expression of this hope, reminding all that, through faith and vocation, it is possible to continue the mission of the Redeemer with confidence. In a world that needs it so much, the light of Christ’s redemption and peace is spread through this unwavering commitment.
- Celebrating a jubilee of profession and ordination makes us reflect on perseverance in consecrated life. How can we persevere in a world that changes every day and with so many different proposals? Perseverance is the ability of a consecrated person to continue with his or her heart set on God. This moment is certainly an opportunity to thank God for your fidelity and perseverance and that of so many other confreres throughout your lives. But it is also an opportune moment to reflect on what it means to persevere in consecrated life, especially in a world that is constantly changing and challenging us with so many distractions and seductions.
- Perseverance is, first and foremost, the ability of a consecrated person to keep his or her heart steadfast in God, despite adversity or changes around him or her. We live in a time of rapid cultural, social and spiritual change, when external pressures can often shake our deepest convictions and commitments. ‘Faced with this world, we may feel like the flame of a torch blowing in the wind, refusing to be extinguished and struggling to fulfil its task: to illuminate and warm’ (Communicanda 1/2024).
- However, to persevere is not simply to resist or to survive; it is to remain faithful to God’s call and to continue confidently on the path of vocation, with renewed faith and missionary ardour. Persevering does not mean simply going ahead without question or difficulty, but is, above all, a daily exercise of trust in God. For us consecrated men and women, it means continuing to respond to God’s invitation, day after day, in the silence of prayer, in generous service to others and in fidelity to our vows, with our hearts centred on the love of Christ.
- In a world full of attractions that can divert us from our mission, true perseverance is based on a personal relationship with God, on a sincere desire to live his will and to be living witnesses to the Gospel. As Redemptorists, we are called to be signs of God’s mercy, which is unchanging and eternal, in a world that is constantly seeking new answers to its concerns. Our vocation is, therefore, an invitation to live with joy and determination, despite difficulties, always trusting in the divine grace that sustains us. This is why, in a Jubilee, we celebrate not only the years of consecrated and priestly life, but fidelity to this vocation which, at every step, leads us to renew our commitment to God and to others. May the perseverance we see reflected in your lives be an inspiration to us all, reminding us that, even in a world that changes every day, our hearts must remain steadfast in God, the source of all our strength and peace.
- It is important that you jubilarians realistically transmit the joy of consecration to the younger generations coming up. They need good references. It is essential to show them that it is worthwhile to consecrate themselves to the Redeemer and his mission. Indeed, conveying the joy of consecration in a realistic way is key for the younger generations to understand the value and beauty of this commitment. When we speak of consecration to the Redeemer, it is important not only to show the spiritual fruits, but also the difficulties that are part of this journey. This transparency creates a more authentic frame of reference, allowing young people to connect with the idea of distacco, of self-denial (Const. 20) and of deep love for God and mission. In underlining that it is worthwhile to consecrate oneself to the Redeemer, we must focus on the transformations that take place in the hearts of those who live this dedication.
- True joy lies not in a life without challenges, but in knowing that consecration is a path of service and love that, over time, brings a deep satisfaction, a peace that transcends difficulties. Younger generations need concrete examples of people who have lived this consecration and how they have found purpose and joy in their mission. ‘Joy is not a superfluous ornament; it is the requirement and foundation of human life. Every man and woman strives to achieve and live joy with his or her whole being. Joy is often lacking in the world. We are not called to make epic gestures or to proclaim high-flown words, but to bear witness to the joy that comes from the certainty of feeling loved and the confidence of being saved’ (Rejoice. Circular Letter to Consecrated Men and Women for the Year Dedicated to Consecrated Life, 2014).
- Commitment to the Redemptorist mission is a profound reflection of the charism that guides all Redemptorists in their total dedication to evangelisation and service of those most in need. From the beginnings of the Congregation, the mission of proclaiming abundant redemption has been at the beating heart of every action: be it preaching, teaching, pastoral care or works of charity. Thus, the celebration of a Jubilee is a renewal of this commitment, a sign of perseverance in living the Gospel of Christ, in proclaiming abundant redemption and in responding generously to the call that resounds in the heart of every Redemptorist. The Redemptorist mission is present wherever the Congregation is active, spreading light, hope and consolation to the marginalised and the suffering. Over the years, the fruits of this work are visible in the communities transformed, in the vocations that arise to continue this work of salvation and in the lives of so many people touched by God’s grace. Each gesture of charity and service is a testimony to the redeeming love of Christ, which you celebrate by renewing your strength and dedication so that the mission can continue to expand and bring God’s love to the most distant and needy. The work carried out is a true harvest of spiritual fruit that reveals the strength of the Redemptorist charism, always faithful to its vocation to proclaim redemption and serve with generosity and compassion.
- As we celebrate this jubilee of religious profession and priesthood in the Jubilee Year of Hope, our gratitude goes to God who, through the intercession of Mary, Mother of Hope, strengthens the journey of each one of you. May she, who accompanies the whole Congregation with her maternal and compassionate gaze, grant you the gift of perseverance to continue the mission with unshakable faith and great enthusiasm. We also ask the Redemptorist Saints, Blessed and Martyrs to intercede for each of you, blessing you with the joy of consecration and missionary ardour, keeping alive in your hearts the zeal and passion to bring the message of redemption wherever you are.
Fr. Rogério Gomes, C.Ss.R
Superior General
Rome, 21 March 2025
Original: Spanish
