With profound joy, the Mother Province of Perpetual Help celebrated a moment of grace and hope: the diaconate ordination of Brother Fermín José Benedicto Guevara Chicas, C.Ss.R., which took place on June 14 in Havana, Cuba. The Eucharist was presided over by His Eminence Reverend Juan de la Caridad García Rodríguez, Cardinal, and Archbishop of San Cristóbal de La Habana, in a ceremony filled with faith, emotion, and missionary commitment.
This step toward ordained ministry is a living sign of God’s faithful love, which continues to call men to follow Christ the Redeemer in the consecrated life and in the service of the People of God.
Brother Fermín José responded with a resounding, free, and generous “yes,” the fruit of a journey of profound discernment and unconditional dedication to the Redemptorist mission, especially among the poorest and most abandoned.
From every corner of our Province—which spans 11 countries in the Caribbean and Central America—we join in thanksgiving for this new Redemptorist deacon, a sign of new life in the Church and the Congregation. His witness reminds us that a vocation is a gift to be shared, a call to serve, and a journey forged day by day with fidelity, joy, and hope.
“The Lord has done great things for us, and we are glad” (Ps 126:3). These words of the psalmist resonate in our hearts and become prayer. We feel blessed because God continues to raise up laborers for his harvest, and because Redemptorist consecrated life continues to be fruitful wherever dedication becomes life, and the Gospel is proclaimed with passion.
Brother Fermín José, thank you for your generosity, for your witness, for trusting in the Lord who called you. As a Redemptorist family, we pray for you, that you may live this ministry of service with humility, closeness, and missionary joy.
May Mary, Our Mother of Perpetual Help, intercede on your path, always accompany you, and remind you that you are never alone.
Deacon Fermín, C.Ss.R., will continue his pastoral service at the Miraculous Medal Missions and the Parish Community of the Most Holy Redeemer in Havana, alongside Father José Araya, C.Ss.R.
Sent by:
Redemptorist Missionaries – Central America and the Caribbean Province
