Rolling up the sleeves: reflecting on the Redemptorist mission
My dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
On Saturday, October 1st, Pope Francis addressed the members of my religious community, the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (commonly known as Redemptorists) who gathered in Rome Sept. 11 to Oct. 7 for our Congregation’s 26th General Chapter.
This four-week session was focused on setting the direction for our Congregation, which was founded by St. Alphonsus de’ Liguori, for the next six years and on electing new co-responsible leaders to oversee the implementation of the plans that have emerged as a result of community members’ prayerful discernment, attentive listening, and collaborative dialogue.
I grew up with Redemptorists. Our family belonged to Holy Redeemer Parish in Detroit, Michigan, which at that time was staffed by Redemptorists. As a boy I attended Holy Redeemer Elementary School, and then graduated from St. Joseph’s Prep College in Edgerton, Wisconsin. I continued my education at Holy Redeemer College in Waterford, Wisconsin, and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy. While in college, I entered the community and professed vows as a Redemptorist. Later I attended Mount Saint Alphonsus Seminary in Esopus, NY, and earned a Master’s Degrees in Religious Education and Divinity.
After I made perpetual vows as a Redemptorist and was ordained a priest, I was assigned to parishes staffed by my community in Detroit and Chicago, and I had various other assignments both in the dioceses I served and in the Redemptorist community, including two decades in Rome serving my missionary brothers stationed in more than 70 countries through the world.
I mention these basic elements of my personal biography not to brag—or to bore you—but to “qualify” as someone who is now and always will be a Redemptorist missionary. Because of my vocation, I take seriously the counsel given to us members of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer by Pope Francis:
“I encourage you to dare, having the Gospel and the Magisterium of the Church as the only boundary. Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty in the service of the most needy and people who count nothing”
As a missionary, but also as a bishop, I am called to roll up my sleeves and get to work spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ by my words, certainly, but most importantly by my example. Our Holy Father never tires of reminding all of us who are baptized Christians that we are missionary disciples who should never hesitate to “take new paths and to dialogue with the world” while always keeping our eyes on Jesus “who emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant.” What’s true for every missionary disciple is especially true for those of us who are Redemptorists schooled in the spirituality of our founder, St. Alphonsus de’ Liguori, a spiritual writer, composer, musician, artist, poet, lawyer, scholastic philosopher, theologian and bishop.
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