A Gathering of Confreres from the Three Indian Units
140 Redemptorist confreres and 10 candidates to the Redemptorist way of life gathered at Bangalore, India for a historic General Assembly on 19th and 20th July 2025. This was an apt preparation for the inauguration of the Confederation of Indian Redemptorists which occurred on the evening of the second day.
Confreres from all the three Indian Units: Bangalore, Liguori and Majella journeyed to Bengaluru city for this significant milestone in the life of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer in the country. Superior General Fr. Rogerio Gomes, General Consultor Fr. Ivel Mendanha, Fr. Yaokim Ndelo, the Asia-Oceania Conference Coordinator, Provincial Superior of Dublin Fr. Brendan O’Rourke, Vice-Provincial Superior of Japan Fr. Takeshi Inoue, Fr. Manoj representing the Province of Oceania, and Fr. Victorino Cueto, the Vice Provincial of the Singapore-Malaysia were present.
The Inaugural Mass and Keynote Address of Fr. General
During the inaugural Mass, Fr. General emphasized that Redemptorists are called to follow St. Alphonsus who did not consider the anointing of the Spirit (Isaiah 61:1) as a personal privilege, but a commissioning to leave behind the comforts of Neapolitan nobility, to forsake a promising legal career and to embrace the poor and abandoned. Thus, Redemptorists are called today, in the ever-changing world, to courageously embrace change as a spiritual journey, deeply rooted in prayer, and simplicity. Restructuring is not merely an administrative exercise, but a Paschal dying to forms of missionary life that no longer serve the Mission of the Congregation while focusing on what truly matters, being more compassionate like Jesus towards those to whom we are sent.
After the Mass, Fr. General gave a keynote address in which he emphasized four key areas of emphases for Indian Redemptorists. Firstly, the Redemptorist mission needs to have a social impact on situations of poverty and injustice while focusing on Dalits, women and children making Christ’s liberating love visible. Secondly, mission needs to take place in dialogue, deepening Christian identity through respectful encounter with others in humble witness. Thirdly, the unique challenges of India call for a prophetic, non-violent, and creative mission with an emphasis on interculturality and digital sensitivity. Finally, Fr. Gomes called for a Redemptorist formation that overcomes clericalism, rooted in spirituality, community, cultural openness, global fraternity, missionary availability, and pastoral sensitivity.
Fr. Provincial, Edward Joseph warmly welcomed the confreres and the dignitaries, He then introduced the resource person for the workshop, Fr. Victorino Cueto who is fondly known as “Ino.”
Becoming Missionaries of Hope in India by Fr. Ino Cueto, C.Ss.R.
Fr. Ino animated three sessions during the workshop which were filled with rich insights. Firstly, to become effective and relevant, we are called to take missionary pathways that are shaped by a ‘bricolage’ of considerations from the global-local context of India. Continuous evolution is vital, calling for creative fidelity to the charism, stepping beyond safe spaces geographically, spiritually, and culturally, and identifying the ‘new poor’ or ‘subalterns’ who are most marginalized today. Secondly, it calls for embracing “missional communitas” which implies a radical openness to others, crossing boundaries, active resistance to injustice and an apophatic awareness of God through silence and humble prayer. In this new approach, mission is not understood as clerical or hierarchical, it is not domination but relationship that sustains the mission. Trusting in God’s ongoing work in and through us, we are called to embrace the “unfinishedness” of the Mission, which is open-ended, never complete, and always filled with hopeful expectation. Thirdly, each member of the Congregation is responsible for being a credible witness of life and mission by embracing a spiritual restlessness (St. Augustine) which enables the crossing of new frontiers, building inclusive and adaptable communities. We cannot retreat into the nostalgic past, nor remain static, but we must respond to today’s ‘rough grounds’ with a bold and creative response shaped by humble faith, courage, and communion. Missionary laboratories could be envisioned to explore new avenues of ministry to migrants, youth, families in distress and the digital world as a mission frontier.
Attitudinal Shifts Required of Redemptorist Missionaries of the Future
This new approach to mission calls Redemptorists to “go across to the other side” (Mk 4:36) symbolizing a change of attitudes. This means exchanging a triumphalist attitude of “conquest” for “companionship” with the Other. It implies leaving behind the colonialist disdain for local cultures to embrace inculturation of the Gospel while engaging in respectful dialogue with other religions. It involves appreciating that justice-seeking and liberation of the poor is just as important as “saving souls” for us as co-workers in God’s redemptive work. From a specialized task for professional missionaries, mission is now seen as a participation of all the baptized in the Missio Dei. Inspired by the Trinity, a divine community of love and difference, all the believers are called to build relationships, fostering communion, and dialogue for the common good. The courageous hope of the missionaries in the midst of change comes from trust in the Risen Christ amid brokenness and the unfinishedness of the mission.
What Next? Requirements of Redemptorist Formation for the Future
In this new adaptive mode of being missionaries of hope, Redemptorists are called to be rooted in the Trinitarian nature of God, to affirm that every missional activity participates in the mission of God, to emulate Christ’s way of evangelizing through solidarity, dialogue, service, and humble witness, and to recognize that the liberation of the oppressed and justice for the marginalized are biblical imperatives found in the prophets, the Magnificat, and Christ’s own proclamation of the Gospel of the Kingdom. The core values that will shape Redemptorist missionary life are relationality, mutuality, vulnerability, hospitality, prophetic boldness, and mystical humility. These are the virtues that Redemptorist formandi will be required to imbibe while remaining strong in faith, rejoicing in hope, and burning in charity.
Plan of Action:
After each input by Fr. Ino, the confreres broke into small circles to discuss how these new approaches could guide and challenge their mission in the Confederation of India. The suggestions of the small groups were collated by their respective secretaries and then submitted to the Council of the Confederation for their consideration and implementation. After this inspiring General Assembly, the Redemptorists of India can look forward to the future with renewed zeal, unshakable hope, and the bold humility of prophetic mystics!
Fr. Sandeep Menezes, C.Ss.R.
