Preaching Good News Since 1732
St. Alphonsus Liguori and his first companions began the Redemptorists in response to the needs of those on the periphery of the Church and society, “the most abandoned, especially the poor.” Starting with the rural residents of 18th century Scala, Naples, the Redemptorists have continually sought to bring the joy of the gospel to all with whom they minister. The priests and brothers of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer seek to build communities of conversion wherein people can encounter the plentiful redemption offered through Christ. While preaching Christ, the Redemptorists rely on and encourage devotion to Mary, our Mother of Perpetual Help. She is a mother of mercy and powerful intercession, pointing her devotees to life through her Son and the mysteries of his life, death, and resurrection.
You can hear daily Redemptorist homilies at https://redemptorists.net/podcasts-in-english/.
Where do we serve?
The Redemptorists serve the Church in over 80 different countries. The worldwide congregation is divided into conferences and units (provinces, vice-provinces, regions and missions). Redemptorists take their vows as members of the worldwide congregation and are assigned to a particular unit, usually in the geographic area from which the man entered the congregation. The North American Conference of the Redemptorists is made up of five units, the provinces of Baltimore, Denver, Edmonton-Toronto, St. Anne de Beaupre, and Yorkton, and one vice-province, Vietnamese Extra Patriam. To view an interactive map of the Redemptorist mission centers in our North American Conference, click on the map to the left.
Redemptorists preach the gospel of Jesus Christ in words, deeds, and through “the silent witness of brotherly presence” (Constitution 10). They share the gospel with all people, but “preference for situations where there is pastoral need, that is, for evangelization in the strict sense together with the choice in favor of the poor is the very reason why the Congregation exists in the Church, and is the badge of its fidelity to the vocation it has received” (Constitution 5). The Redemptorist mission calls for different types of apostolic work in different settings and the Redemptorist Constitutions remind the missionaries that they are not to settle into structures that would prevent them from being truly missionary (Constitution 15). In this spirit, the Congregation has taken on many apostolates during its history. In the days of St. Alphonsus Liguori, the Redemptorists were primarily preachers of parish missions and retreats. In North America in the 19th century and the era of St. John Neumann, the Redemptorists entered into parish ministry for immigrants. Today you can find Redemptorists preaching parish missions, revivals and retreats, welcoming pilgrims and hearing confessions at shrines, working as pastors in inner city and rural parishes, running retreat houses, serving as spiritual directors, and publishing articles, books and magazines. All Redemptorists are missionaries. Even when they are aged and infirm they contribute to the mission of the congregation and the Church through their prayers, witness and offering of self for the sake of God’s kingdom.
Professed members
There are a variety of ways to be a part of the Redemptorist community and mission. The most fundamental way, of course, is to join the Congregation fully through the profession of religious vows as a Redemptorist brother. Profession of one’s religious vows is the “definitive act of the whole missionary life of Redemptorists” (Constitution 54). Beyond their religious profession, many members of the Redemptorist community are also ordained to the priesthood and live out their Redemptorist calling through the priestly vocation. In fact, since the beginning of the Congregation the majority of Redemptorists have been priests.
Partners in mission
There are also ways to participate in the Redemptorist life and mission without professing the traditional religious vows. When the Redemptorists speak of our “Partners in Mission,” we refer to a few different levels of association with the community in its life and work. The strongest association belongs to “Lay Missionaries of the Most Holy Redeemer.” Lay missionaries are folks who go through a formal period of formation and upon acceptance by a provincial superior, make promises for a year’s time or more to collaborate closely in the apostolic life of the Redemptorists.
Redemptorists use the term “Redemptorist Associates” to refer to folks who participate in local associate groups where they engage regularly in faith sharing and formation in the Redemptorist charism and spirituality.
Redemptorists are also deeply aware of the way that we are sustained by our generous benefactors, relatives, friends and parishioners. The ongoing apostolic life of the Congregation is only possible because of the tremendous generosity of so many dedicated lay women and men who give of their time, treasure and talent to support the members of the Congregation and their mission. Countless people participate in the Redemptorist apostolate every day through their prayers, their service, and their generosity. We are grateful to all who accompany us in our mission.