The month of May was particularly significant for the Province of Our Lady of Aparecida, marked by a moment of profound fraternity, reflection, and missionary renewal: the Canonical Visitation of the Redemptorist General Government.
After weeks of visits to communities in the five states of the Unit – Bahia, Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo – the visitors concluded this special moment on Saturday, May 31 with the so-called “Crowning Act” and the Eucharistic celebration at the central altar of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida.
The Mass, celebrated on the day the Church celebrates the Visitation of Our Lady and the Eucharist of the Ascension of the Lord, was presided over by Fr. Rogério Gomes, C.Ss.R., Superior General of the Redemptorist Congregation, and concelebrated by the Provincial Superior of the Province of Our Lady Aparecida, Fr. Marlos Aurélio da Silva, C.Ss.R., and by the visitors: Fr. Andrzej Kukla, C.Ss.R., Fr. Cesar Pantoja, C.Ss.R., Fr. Cristian Bueno, C.Ss.R., Fr. Francois Stanula, C.Ss.R., Fr. Gerardo Hernandes, C.Ss.R., and Fr. Jerome Echevarría, C.Ss.R.
In his homily, the Redemptorist Superior General emphasized the First Reading (Acts 1:1-11) to reinforce the message left throughout the Canonical Visit, which he defined as a “Fraternal Visit”: “As the apostles were challenged not to remain still looking at the sky, the Fraternal Visit concludes with an invitation to the Province to continue to be active in the mission of witnessing to the faith and giving itself in communion.”
Finally, in front of thousands of devotees of Our Lady of Aparecida, Father Rogério Gomes left a special message for the entire Redemptorist Family: “May Divine Grace push us, every day, to live this precious missionary action with zeal. Let us therefore go forward with courage and hope, certain that the Redeemer walks with us!”
At the end of the Mass, Fr. Marlos Aurélio, Provincial Superior of the Province of Our Lady of Aparecida, gave a special thank you to the General Government: “We would like to thank, on behalf of all the brothers of the Province of Our Lady of Aparecida, for your presence, for having known, experienced and shared our work and our challenges. It is always nice to receive a visit, because those who come to visit notice things that we, in our daily lives, do not notice. Many thanks to Fathers Andrzej, César, Cristian, Francois, Gerardo and Jerome, and to our Superior General, who came at the end of this visit, as a sign of honour for the work we do, but also to encourage us in the challenges that await us.”
An international missionary family
Before the celebration in the Shrine, the Superior General and the other visitors participated in a video conference with the Redemptorist missionaries of the Province of Our Lady of Aparecida, in the “Crowning Act” of the Canonical Visitation. On that occasion, Fr. Rogério Gomes highlighted some data related to the Redemptorist Congregation in the world, such as the presence of 4,485 members distributed in 696 religious communities.
He also highlighted the challenges of this moment of consolidation of the Reconfiguration and Restructuring, wished courage and strength to each confrere member of this international missionary family, and highlighted the great steps taken in these almost two years by the Province of Nossa Senhora Aparecida.
After the intervention of each of the visitors and before the conclusion of the videoconference, Fr. Rogério Gomes donated, on behalf of the entire Casa Santo Afonso (House of the General Government, in Rome) – to the Province of Nossa Senhora Aparecida a copy of the original icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Let us pray for the perseverance and mission of these true “Missionaries of Hope in the footsteps of the Redeemer”!
Mario Pereira (A12.com)
Watch the Mass that concludes the visit of the General Government to the Province of Aparecida:
