Evangelization
Meeting of Provincial Councils of the North-West European Provinces
Provincial Superiors with members of the Ordinary and Extraordinary Provincial Councils of the North-West European Provinces gathered from 1-3 June 2022 in Rome. Fr. Alberto Eseverri, C.Ss.R., Vicar General, and Fr. Johannes Römelt, C.Ss.R., Coordinator of the Redemptorist Conference of Europe, also participated. The meeting marked the next step on the path to the Federation of the four Redemptorist Units in the ongoing restructuring process for the sake of the mission. Fr. David McCallum S.J., director of the Discerning Leadership Program,...
read moreRedemptorist Fr. Taras Kchik speaks about his ministry in bombed-out Chernihiv, Ukraine
Redemptorist Fr. Taras Kchik offers an update on the situation in Chernihiv in “Ukrainian priest helps town that suffered Russian bombardment” by Crux Rome Bureau Chief Inés San Martín. According to the Chernihiv Regional State Administration, Chernihiv was surrounded and attacked for 40 days straight. At least 3,700 buildings were destroyed during the shelling and partial capture of the Chernihiv region by Russian troops. During the worst of the siege, the monastery housed as many as 58 people. Fr. Taras credits God’s guidance for giving him...
read moreMissionary Storytelling Weekend
Through some chance encounters, links between different Redemptorist initiatives in Europe have grown in recent years. On the weekend of 20-22 May, some Redemptorists and partners in mission took the time to meet for prayer, sharing, eating and relaxing. It became a weekend without planning and preparing decisions. Therefore, at the beginning, each participant shed their “titles and qualifications”, no one had to prove, get or discuss anything. Thanks to the small setting and the common enthusiasm for the mission, it became a weekend full of...
read moreP. Taras Kchik, CSsR “We do our utmost to help those who trust us”.
Interview in the magazine “Icono” (Spain) with Fr Taras Kchik, a 36-year-old Ukrainian Redemptorist. For the past few years, he has been a formator of Ukrainian students in Lviv and now lives in the Redemptorist community of Ivano-Frankivsk in the southeast of the country. “Every day begins with the stress of finding out which city was hit during the night”, Fr Taras Kchik, CSsR. How has your daily situation changed since this siege began? This conflict has had a significant impact on our daily lives. Most of our houses have had to change how...
read moreThe challenge of the popular missions in Albania
The Redemptorist charism, in our history of ministry to the Church, stands out above all for the popular missions. But we know that already in the early days, with the experience of St. Clement Mary Hofbauer in Central Europe, the Redemptorists had to find new ways to realise their founding charism. In Albania, the Redemptorists arrived in 2014 in a context of missionary urgency, given the lack of sufficient priests to minister to the Catholic faithful. The Redemptorist community has taken up the ministry in Kamëz, probably the country’s...
read moreOnline meeting of the Secretariats for Evangelisation and for the Brothers
On 2 and 3 February, the Secretariat for Evangelisation of the Conference of Europe met in a video conference. During the meeting, reports were given on the activities of the individual working groups, including the preparation of the 2022 International Youth Meeting in Torun. The members also discussed the working document for the First Phase of the General Chapter and gave some points of view for further reflection. The members of the Secretariat for the Brothers in Europe also dealt with the working document for the First Phase of the...
read moreChristmas 2021 – Letter of the Coordinator (20.12.2021)
“Because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.” Luke 1, 78.79 . Dear confreres, Dear sisters, Dear partners in mission, There are situations and times when we are particularly attentive and receptive to the promise of Christmas. In the Gospel according to Luke, for example, this is captured in the words of the Benedictus, the words of the hymn in which the surprising, human and world-changing...
read more“Go & share” – RYVM Meeting 2022 in Toruń
Dear Confreres Superiors, Pastors, Youth Pastors and Leaders of Youth Communities, Only eight months remain until the next edition of the European Redemptorist Youth and Vocational Ministries Meeting. It will take place in Poland from 27th to 31st July 2022 at the Redemptorist parish St. Joseph in Toruń, Bielany. The motto of the event is: “Go & Share”. As we remember, the last event took place in 2018 in Granada, where about 700 people gathered. We are counting on the presence of young people from your Provinces. The age of...
read moreAlbania: a new confrere and a visit of the Europe Coordinator
New confrere in the Mission of Albania On 11 September, Fr. Zbigniew Kwiecien, coming from the Province of Warsaw, joined the interprovincial community in Albania. This assignment is not his first missionary experience, for he has spent years in Argentina, announcing the Good News in the great steppes of South America. He has also carried out his ministry in his home province, both in parishes, schools and parish missions preaching. With his incorporation, the Mission of Albania counts three confreres again, two from Poland and one from...
read moreEuropean preparatory meeting in Torun
The Redemptorist Youth Ministry coordinators, leaders and volunteers across Europe gathered recently (24-26 September) for the European preparatory meeting in Torun, Poland. The purpose of our meeting was to help plan and discuss the next Redemptorist Youth Congress that will take place at the end of July 2022. The meeting started with Mass and then a wonderful gathering of introductions and connections with old and new friends from all across the different Provinces of Europe. We spent time reflecting on all our ministries with young people...
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