News Items

The Barren Harvest of Denominationalism...

Something very interesting... A Jewess - who became an Evangelical Protestant - who is now a Roman Catholic... and a nun.
#Redemptorists #CSsR #Vocations #Redeemer #DeepinHistory

Men on Mission - CSsR...

The Redemptorist Cross in various different parts of the world!

#CSsR #Redemptorists #Vocations #Priesthood #ReligiousLife #Brothers

cssr men on mission

A Pilgrimage in the footsteps of Saint Clement Hofbauer

Two of our students made the pilgrimage... Br Mike and Br Royston CSsR

(Austria) A pilgrimage in the footsteps of St. Clement Hofbauer took place from 26th to 30th August. St. Clement is a Redemptorist who is often called the “Second Founder” of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, which was founded by St. Alphonsus de Liguori in Italy. That is why he was called the “second”, because he took the Congregation outside the Alps.

Altogether 26 members took part in the pilgrimage, mainly clerical brothers, together with several educators and formators. The participants were from the provinces of Warsaw, Vietnam, London, Madrid, Lviv and Bratislava-Prague.

It was an extremely busy schedule. During our travels, we had the opportunity to pray in different languages and rites, get to know each other, learn a little about our provinces and formation structures. We have heard stories of Redemptorist working in other parts of Europe and the world. Therefore, it was an interesting time together which enriched everyone.

Fr. Michael Brehl: “Pope Francis is an example of the spirit of Saint Alphonsus”...

The Superior General of the Redemptorists analyzes his congregation, the Church and this pontificate in an interview given to The New Life.

The nearly 5,000 members that make up the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer are currently present in more than 80 countries in the world. “The situation is different in each continent,” explains, superior general, Fr. Michael Brehl, to New Life. While in Asia there is a moment of great growth due to the increase in the number of vocations, in Europe and North America the vocations are declining. “There are many older confreres and few young,” he says. Meanwhile, in Latin America, the numbers remain stable. “Brazil, for example, is the country with the biggest number of Redemptorists in the world,” says Brehl. “But if something is common to all continents, it is the clear commitment of the congregation to collaborate with lay people, women and men, prepared and trained to do the mission with us.”

QUESTION.- How do the Redemptorists carry their mission out today?

ANSWER.- It depends on the place. For example, in Latin America and in Europe, which are cultures with a very strong Catholic tradition, we can preach the popular missions and form the communities. But not in Asia, because of various cultures there are fewer Christians. Our mission in Asia is carried out much more in the dimension of witness and social apostolate. However, there is a link between all continents, and we work a lot in the field of youth ministry. In fact, during my recent visit to Spain, I participated in a meeting in the Monastery of Espino (Burgos) with more than 350 young people and confreres involved in the youth ministry in our congregation.

The other reality is the shrines, as it is the case of Aparecida in Brazil. Many of them are dedicated to Our Lady of Perpetual Help. They are very popular pilgrimage destinations and represent another opportunity to evangelize and encourage many people to live more deeply their relationship with God and Jesus in their own parishes after the pilgrimage. Also, each shrine develops social projects to deepen relations with the abandoned and the poor.

Five Redemptorist Missionaries to attend the Special Synod in October 2019

(Rome) Pope Francis has announced the delegates who will be participating in the Special Synod on the Amazon, which will take place in Rome from October 6 – 27. Among the participants are five Redemptorist Missionaries, all from the Pan-Amazon Region. They are:

1. Very Rev. Jose Amarildo Luciano da Silva, C.Ss.R.,Vice-Provincial Superior of Manaus, Brazil

2. Most Rev. Waldo Ruben Barrionueva Ramírez, C.Ss.R., Bishop of Reyes, Bolivia

3. Most Rev. Francisco Antonio Ceballos Escobar, C.Ss.R., Bishop of Puerto Carreño, Colombia

4. Most Rev. Zenildo Luiz Pereira da Siloa, C.Ss.R., Bishop of Borba, Brazil

5. Most Rev. Marian Marek Piątek, C.Ss.R., Bishop of Coari, Brazil

Bishop Raymond Mupandasekwa CSsR preaches...

A powerful homily to three new priests of the Diocese of Chinhoyi in Zimbabwe given by Bishop Raymond Mupandasekwa CSsR
#CSsR #Redemptorists #Vocations #Priesthood #ReligiousLife

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I have never been so happy- Bishop Mupandasekwa CSsR
By Kuda Matambo

Conducting his first priestly ordination on 10 August 2019 as the Bishop of the Diocese of Chinhoyi since his episcopal ordination in April 2018, Rt Rev Raymond Mupandasekwa CSsR said he has ‘never been so happy in his life as a priest’ and that the joy comes from God.

“If you were to ask me, in my 18 years of priesthood, I have never been so happy, the ministry gives me joy, and please know that this joy comes from not having materials things, it comes from God,” said Bishop Mupandasekwa.

OSsR Nun makes her First Profession of Vows today...

Please keep our OSsR Sisters the #Redemptoristines #Rednuns

in your prayers as one of their novices takes her first vows today

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#CSsR #Vocations #ReligiousLife #OSsR #Copiosa #Redemptio

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Our Holy Father Alphonsus...

The members of the

Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer

are known as

the Redemptorists

who opt to proclaim the Good News

to the poor and the abandoned.

#CSsR #Redemptorists #Vocations

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OSsR & CSsR in India...

Sr. Gabrielle Fox OSsR from the Redemptoristine Monastery in Dublin and Fr. Ronnie McAinsh CSsR from the Redemptoristine Secretariat received a very warm welcome from the Redemptorist community in Mumbai.

Father Ronnie was able to preach at the novena service for the preparation of the feast of the Mother of Perpetual Help, which took place each evening and saw a capacity filled church. On Sunday evening Sr. Gabrielle spoke about the long-standing desire of her monastery to establish Redemptoristine life in India; and Sr. Shital, the first Indian postulant also spoke to the large congregation.

The hospitality of the Vice Provincial, Fr. Ivel, the Rector, Fr. Henry and the entire community was outstanding and the enthusiasm among the faithful for the Redemptorist charism is very apparent.

Ven Margaret Sinclair - Commitment and Confidence...

Fr Richard Reid CSsR was invited by the Poor Clare Community in Arkley, the Community of the Venerable Margaret Sinclair, to mark the Anniversary of the Ven Margaret's entry into the Poor Clares. Find below his words on that day...

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JMJTA

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

I have know of the Venerable Margaret all of my life - believe it or not - because my granny always had a prayer card of the Venerable Margaret somewhere obvious in her house! So you can now appreciate how strange it was for me to find myself in the church of St Patrick’s those years ago. And you may well appreciate the great pride (not sinful pride) I was able to take when the hearse left the Mount Vernon cemetery with her coffin inside and I travelled all the way back to St Pat’s, with Ven Margaret's remains by my side.

With military precision the whole event was organised and everything went to plan perfectly. With great dignity, and with great love and respect, Margaret returned home! She was carried in to the empty church - and it had to be empty - and at the back beside the baptismal font, a red ribbon went around the coffin and this was secured by a seal of wax. She was carried into the church in complete silence and taken to the side altar where her new tomb awaited her. There were 14 of us carrying out this incredible ceremony. I should say that up in the choir loft was a small group of parishioners - Margaret's niece was also there - Norah Smith - God rest her soul - who all sat in complete silence and witnessed the whole thing.

I don't mind telling you that it was deeply spiritual and moving experience. 16 years ago when the Apostolic Nuntio came to to bless the shrine - that was a remarkable afternoon - we prayed and we sang and then prayed some more. The reason I am reminiscing in this fashion is because I remember the great enthusiasm and passion and energy and appreciation that we all had on that day concerning our love and need of the Venerable Margaret Sinclair.

It is my hope and prayer that we still have the same enthusiasm and passion and energy and appreciation for the Venerable. Clearly by the numbers I see here today, that is till true.

I would like to highlight the commitment and confidence that Margaret most definitely had in her life.

In her prayer life - witnessed in this church obviously - but then in her room around the corner from the church in Blackfriars street - her mother saw her praying in her room with arms outstretched - her mother walked away quietly, saying nothing. Commitment and confidence.

When at work she made sure the Lord was with her - displaying a holy card for all to see. Every morning she went in, the card was in the bin. She rescued it and reinstated it. That went on for a long time. Commitment and confidence.

Nearly broke her partners heart - Patrick Lynch - when she ended the relationship by returning the ring and ceasing the engagement. She knew that her heart was not for him - he certainly had a place in her heart - but her heart wanted more than he could give her - but how to break the relationship? Commitment and confidence.

Once she was asked, Why don't you just become a Little Sister of the Poor like your sister Bella. To which Margaret replied, I could never become a Little Sister Of the Poor, I will be a Poor Clare. Commitment and confidence.

When Margaret came to be dying in the Daughters of Charity sanatorium in Warley she was never one of those patients who cried and simpered to try and gain others sympathy. The files that sit in Rome, called the Positio and again I have had the privilege of studying it, show Margaret's fun-loving side, for example in her "sparring relationship" with Sister Frances Mulgrew, a nun from Glasgow who nursed Margaret and with whom Margaret developed a friendship. "They hit it off by slagging off each other's cities." Commitment and confidence.

Fr Agius her spiritual director came to appreciate the divine relationship that was going on in Margaret's life. Visiting Margaret in Warley, he began to recognise that it seemed as if Margaret was having mystical experiences with the Lord. Again, with no great show or ostentation, but she simply answered his questions. Commitment and confidence.

I could go on and on with more of these examples, however I am sure you know well what I am saying - Margaret had a commitment and confidence.

Before I go on to say anymore about this, let me tell you a time when maybe Margaret lacked commitment and confidence. On her first evening in the Poor Clare monastery in London, a priest found her in the corridor crying and so he went into a parlour with her and he managed to calm her down. No wonder she was upset - the long journey from Edinburgh, her brother had travelled with her, but then she waved him off as he then emigrated on a ship going West, and then she entered her new life as a Poor Clare. However back to the priest, what was he doing in the monastery? The simple answer is that he was giving a retreat to the Poor Clare nuns and he was a Redemptorist!

We are here today to remember our dear Margaret - Sr Mary Francis of the Five Wounds - we are here today to bring our petitions to the shrine - and we are here today to realise and celebrate the fact that we are not on our own - we are all members of the Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. We are in this devotion together.

Let us never forget the one reason why we are all attracted to Margaret - she had Jesus her loving Lord and Saviour at the heart of her existence.

In her family

In her work

In her personal relationships

In her Religious Life

In her sickness

and in her dying

Jesus was there!

May I suggest that as we celebrate the Venerable Margaret Sinclair's life and we place our petitions and our prayers for our loved ones, we take a moment to ask her to grant us, individually, the grace of

i - giving us a deeper and truer commitment to Jesus Christ - saying, Lord I want you to be at the very centre of my life.

ii - giving us a deeper and truer confidence in Jesus Christ - saying, Lord I trust that you know what you are doing with my life - even in those moments when I cannot see the way forward.

Today - let us ask for these two graces.

Commitment and Confidence in Jesus Christ.

Venerable Margaret Sinclair - pray for us.

Fr Richard Reid CSsR

28th July 2019