From August 19 to 22, 2025, the city of Resistencia hosted the closing meeting of the canonical visit of the General Government to the Pedro Donders Province. For four days, the Superior General, Fr. Rogério Gomes, C.Ss.R., together with his leadership team, shared moments of prayer, discernment, and fraternity with the local superiors and the Provincial Council.
Fr. Rogério was accompanied by six visitors:
- Fr. Francisco Stanula, C.Ss.R., Vicar General
- Fr. Laurence (Larry) Luján, C.Ss.R., General Consultor
- Fr. César Pantoja, C.Ss.R., Conference Coordinator
- Fr. Gerardo Hernández, C.Ss.R., Secretary for Formation
- Fr. Cristian Bueno, C.Ss.R., Secretary for Evangelization
- Fr. Andrzej (Andrés) Kukla, C.Ss.R., Assistant to the Procurator General
The meeing began on Tuesday, August 19, with the arrival of the community superiors, followed by the opening Eucharist, which set the spiritual tone for the gathering. The following days were dedicated to intense reflection and dialogue:
- Wednesday, August 20: the day was dedicated for meeting of the General Government with the local superiors, followed by dialogue between them and the Provincial Council. The day concluded with the Eucharistic celebration in the parish, as a sign of communion with the People of God.
- Thursday, August 21: a meeting was held, both in person and online, with the entire Pedro Donders Province —which includes Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Chile— allowing broad participation and synodal listening. In the afternoon, the focus was on deepening the relationship between local superiors and the provincial government, concluding with the Eucharist.
- Friday, August 22: the gathering was formally closed and participants left for their destinations.
One of the most significant moments was the intervention of Fr. Rogério Gomes on “The importance of local superiors in the discernment of leaving communities.” In his message, he emphasized that the mission of superiors goes far beyond administration: they are pastors, animators, and bridges of communion between the daily life of communities and the provincial and general governments. He underlined that discernment must be communal, transparent, and faithful to the Redemptorist charism, always giving priority to the most abandoned and the poor.
The meeting in Resistencia left a strong call to live the processes of restructuring with hope and to keep alive the Redemptorist spirit of service and shared mission. As the Superior General expressed: “Leaving a community does not mean abandonment, but availability to respond with greater fidelity to the cries of the poor and the abandoned in other places.”
With gratitude and fraternal spirit, the Pedro Donders Province welcomed this step of the General Government as a renewed impulse to continue proclaiming plentiful redemption in the lands of the Southern Zone.
Fr. Sergio Elías Stang, C.Ss.R.
