Catholic World News

Redemptorist superior general recalls St. Alphonsus, calls for creative fidelity to his charism

August 01, 2025

» Continue to this story on Redemptorists International

CWN Editor's Note: In a letter to his confrères for the feast of St. Alphonsus Liguori, the superior general of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer called for “creative fidelity” to their founder’s charism.

“We are invited to contemplate him not only as a teacher and guide, but as a living source of charismatic inspiration and a courageous model of response to the wounded world in which we live,” said Father Rogerio Gomes, CSSR. “Alphonsus did not offer easy answers and often did not even get them, given the circumstances of his time, but he opened new paths with inner freedom, creative fidelity and passion for the Gospel.”

Father Gomes added:

The future depends on our ability to look wisely at the past, without being trapped in it, and to assume with co-responsibility, creative fidelity and without fear, the today of our history.

We are often tempted to wish for a Congregation molded in our own image and fantasy. However, this way of thinking can stifle the charism and impoverish the mission, leading us to the emptying of our identity.

The number of Redemptorists, or members of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, fell from 5,556 in 2001 to approximately 4,500 in 2024.

The above note supplements, highlights, or corrects details in the original source (link above). About CWN news coverage.

 


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