The IV Gathering of Former Redemptorist Seminarians of the Class of 1984 of the Seminary of Saint Alphonsus took place in Bertioga/Boraceia, SP, from noon on Friday, January 24, 2025 until the end of Sunday morning, January 26, in a house made available by former seminarian Ricardo Palmejani and his wife Luciana, and his brother Carlos and his wife Valéria. Our heartfelt thanks go to these couples.
Thirty-five people attended this meeting. Of these, 14 are former Redemptorist seminarians, 13 accompanied by their wives and 1 priest, Father Paulo Carlos de Souza, and other family members.
Once again, the meeting was characterized by the joy of reunion, spontaneity, spirituality, solidarity, kindness, friendship, fraternization, and recreation. There were many strong moments, but the main one was the celebration of the Eucharist, presided over by Father Paulo Carlos, a former Redemptorist seminarian who is now a priest in the diocese of Foz do Iguaçu-PR.
The celebration lasted more than two hours, followed by other reflections. Everyone had the opportunity to talk, even briefly, about their time in the seminary, what they do professionally, their commitment to the Church, as married faithful.
Paulo Carlos summarized the interventions, emphasizing the importance of family, friendship, faith, the diversity of gifts and signs that we bring into life. He also praised the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer and the importance it has had in the life of each former seminarian.
According to Hilário R. Coutinho, “the event was perfect, the dimension of our history. The fraternity was lived in the seminary, but it was also celebrated outside of it. That is to say: it was planted with deep roots, and time has not shaken its essence. That is all. We left the seminary, but it did not leave us. This is good. Beautiful meeting.”
And so, the fourth meeting unfolded: an alternation of feelings, of prayer and relaxation, of tears and smiles, of redemptions and expectations, of achievements and projections, of closeness and dispersion.
Continuity of arms that embrace to welcome those who arrive and of arms that embrace to wish a good trip and to say, goodbye, until the next meeting.
And so, it goes with pilgrims of hope.
“God continues to call us, and Saint Alphonsus continues to inspire us.”
Jose Ribeiro Leite – UNESER (NUFRS in English)
NUFRS (National Union of Former Redemptorist Seminarians) is an organization composed of lay people that aims to integrate all those who in their life participated in some stage of the initial formation of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer and who come from different Brazilian states and municipalities. Motivated by friendship, faith, and fraternity, it promotes spiritual retreats and meetings, both in person and virtually, at the national and regional level. It is an organization that is committed to keeping alive the charism of Saint Alphonsus Maria de’ Liguori. Considered as lay people, its members make themselves available to the Redemptorist Community to participate, according to their abilities and possibilities, in the project of evangelization, dissemination and integration of all former Redemptorist seminarians.
(source: https://www.uneser.org.br/a-entidade)
