The first ever International meeting of Redemptorist Bishops from all over the world was held in Rome from the 22nd to the 27th June 2025. There were 2 Redemptorist Cardinals, and 28 Archbishops and Bishops present from different countries in Latin America (Brazil, Colombia, and Argentina), from North America (The USA and Canada), from Europe (Italy, Ukraine, Slovakia, The Czech Republic, Great Britain), from Africa (Zimbabwe) from Australia and New Zealand. The Bishops came from the Latin Rite, the Ukrainian Byzantine Rite and the Slovakian Byzantine Rite.
This first every meeting was the idea of Fr Rogério Gomes, C.Ss.R, Superior General in response to the constant request from different Bishops to him to organise something for them. His idea was warmly received and welcomed by the General Council and was approved in the very first year of this General Council taking office. The planning began a year ago for this meeting. The venue for the meeting was the Institute of Maria Bambina, a Residence run by Religious sisters near the Vatican. The meeting was planned to coincide with the Jubilee of Bishops (25th June 2025) in Rome.
The Meeting began with a warm welcome and meal on the 22nd June, Sunday evening with the entire General Council present as most of the Bishops arrived that day. The next day, the 23rd June, the Bishops and the General Council went to the Dominican Church of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva to celebrate the Eucharist recalling the day 20th June 1762 when St Alphonsus was consecrated Bishop at the side altar (The Grazioli Chapel) under the gaze of the Saviour (painting by Perugino). Monsignor Micheal Brehl, C.Ss.R, Bishop of Pembroke and former Superior General presided at the Eucharist and recalled and quoted from the text of St Alphonsus written for Bishops, “Reflections Useful to Bishops” as he underlined the pastoral nature of the Episcopal Ministry of St Alphonsus something that Redemptorist Bishops can emulate today. After mass the Bishops were welcomed at Casa San Alfonso in Rome. The Bishops gathered with the entire General Council and had an introductory session sharing who they were and a bit about their dioceses and the number of years they were in the Episcopal Ministry. The Community of San Alfonso then warmly welcomed the Bishops at a festive meal after which the Bishops returned to the Institute Maria Bambina to a relaxing afternoon.
The next day, the 24th June 2025, the Bishops along with the General Council set out early morning by bus to Pagani to the Basilica of St Alphonsus. As the bus neared the exit from the autostrada the bus was escorted by the local carabinieri (police) right until the Basilica. There was a grand welcome led by the entire community of confreres from Pagani and nearby communities. The celebration of the Eucharist was held in the Basilica presided over by Monsignor Antonio de Luca, C.Ss.R, former Redemptorist Provincial of Naples and now Bishop of Teggiano-Policastro in Southern Italy. He spoke of the closeness all felt to the tomb of St Alphonsus, were Alphonsus lived the last few years of his life in the house in Pagani and the nature of the episcopacy of St Alphonsus, something he at first did not want, refused but later accepted in obedience. The nature of his Episcopacy was closeness to people and especially the poor and abandoned something he never gave up but grew into as Bishop. The entire group then knelt in prayer before the tomb of St Alphonsus. The group then visited the museum in Pagani appreciating the personal effects of St Alphonsus and stopping to pray in silence in his room where he breathed his last. After the visit and farewell, the group went to lunch organised in a restaurant in Pagani. The group returned to Rome tired after a long day of travel but deeply grateful to have touched the very tomb and to have been in Pagani itself, most of the group were returning to Pagani for the first time since their consecration as Bishops.
The next day, 25th June 2025 was the Jubilee of Bishops in the this the Jubilee and Holy year. The Bishops went in the morning for their formal visit through the Holy Door of St Peter’s and then concelebrated at mass in St Peter’s and then attended a catechesis by the Holy Father Pope Leo for them. After the catechesis they went over to the Basilica of St John Lateran for a meeting and lunch. The afternoon was free for them to rest and visit the city.
The next day, 26th June 2025, the Bishops and the entire General Council along with the Major Officials of the General Curia had a private audience with the Holy Father Pope Leo. Along with the Redemptorist Bishops and General Government were present a couple of Bishops and a few members of the General Council of the Scalabrinian Congregation. Speaking about St Alphonsus, the Holy Father said, “Saint Alphonsus Maria de’ Liguori, upon encountering the misery in the most neglected neighbourhoods of eighteenth-century Naples, he had given up a comfortable life and a promising career to embrace the mission of bringing the Gospel to the least of society.” The Holy Father continued, “We too, a historical moment that likewise presents great opportunities as well as difficulties and contradictions, as we celebrate the Jubilee of Hope, want to remember that, today as in the past, the voice we must listen to in order to understand what to do is that of the love of God poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” “Yet”, the Holy Father underscored, “even in our world today, the Lord’s work always precedes us: we are called to conform our minds and hearts to it through wise discernment, and I am convinced that the dialogue you have promoted will be very helpful in this regard.” Pope Leo continued, “I therefore, encourage you to maintain and cultivate these fraternal bonds of mutual support also in the future, with generosity and selflessness, for the good of the entire Flock of Christ.”
Pope Leo XIV concluded by thanking the Bishops for their great work and imparting upon them and all their communities his Apostolic Blessing.
On returning to the Institute Maria Bambina, the Bishops and the General Council celebrated the Eucharist together presided over by Monsignor Darci Joseé Nicioli Archbishop of Diamanina, Minas Gerais, in Brazil. Bishop Mykhaylo Bubniy of the Archiepiscopal Exarch of Odessa in Ukraine preached a powerful homily of being open to the Holy Spirit and building one’s life of faith on the rock of Christ. In the afternoon there were two conferences with discussion and sharing. The first one was given by Mons. Alfonso Amarante, C.Ss.R, Rector of the Lateran University in Rome on the Episcopal Ministry according to St Alphonsus and the second was given by Cardinal Joseph Tobin, C.Ss.R on the theme of “Redemptorist missionaries and Episcopal Office: Our Vocation? Both conferences were followed by a time for questions, comments, and sharing. It was a very fruitful sharing allowing for an open exchange of ideas on Redemptorists as Missionary Bishops today. Fr Rogério Gomes, C.Ss.R., Superior General moderated the sessions and there were online translations available in English, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and Ukrainian.
The next day, 27th June 2025, the Bishops gathered with Fr Ivel Mendanha to have time of sharing in groups. Two questions were taken up, 1) Sharing one’s joys and challenges as Redemptorist Bishops today and 2) Suggestions for the future and what the Bishops expected from the General Government. After a very fruitful group sharing there was a plenum with reporting and open sharing. Fr Rogério then thanked the Bishops, the Sisters and house staff at the Institute Maria Bambina, the General Council in particular Fr Ivel along with the Secretary General Fr Edward Chacon Diaz and the Vice Secretary General Bro. Fernando Baptista Cordeiro and Fr Vicente Soria Fleitas the Economo General for organising and leading the meeting.
The Bishops then moved to San Alfonso in the evening to celebrate the closing mass of the meeting which was the Feast of Our Mother of Perpetual Help in the Church of St. Alphonsus in Rome on the Via Merulana at the shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help. Cardinal Tobin presided and spoke of the closeness to Mary in the life of every Redemptorist and so every Redemptorist Bishop drawing from different aspects of the Icon. The Eucharist was well attended by Bishops, the entire General Curia, the confreres from San Alfonso, Ambassadors from 18 countries where the Redemptorists are present, and the people of God of the three immigrant communities of Polish, Latin American and Filipino as well as the regular Italian community. Fr Rogério proposed the vote of thanks during the Eucharist thanking every single person who contributed this unique and historic event in the life of the Congregation. The Eucharist was followed by the procession with a copy of the icon through the streets and concluded with a final blessing given by Cardinal Tobin. The Meeting ended with a buffet meal in the community for all, a truly fitting end of fraternal celebration to a historic gathering of Redemptorist Bishops in the Jubilee Year in Rome.
Fr. Joseph Ivel Mendanha, C.Ss.R.
General Consultor
