Last Monday, September 8, the Redemptorist Spirituality Course, Spanish edition, began in Rome. Its aim is to connect the participants with the sources of spirituality and deepening knowledge of St. Alphonsus and the Redemptorists during the period of the foundation and growth of the Redemptorist Congregation. There are 12 participants: Redemptorist missionaries and one laywoman from different countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. The first week was held at the Generalate in Rome.
On the first day, the participants celebrated Mass in the Shrine of Perpetual Help, presided over by Fr. Francois Stanula, Vicar General, who greeted the group and introduced the dynamics of the course.
Over the following days, the course was led by a variety of confreres who guided the participants through different sessions. Among the facilitators were:
- Fr. Rogério Gomes, Superior General
- Fr. Francois Stanula, Vicar General
- Br. Larry Lujan, General Consultor
- Fr. Edward Chacón, Secretary General
- Fr. José Carlos Linhares, Procurator General
- Fr. Inácio de Medeiros, Director of the Historical Institute
- Fr. Krzysztof Dworak, Director of the Redemptorist Spirituality Center
- Fr. Cristian Bueno, Executive Secretary of the General Secretariat for Evangelization
- Fr. Maikel Dalbem, Professor at the Alphonsian Academy
Each speaker brought his own perspective and experience, enriching the course with different facets of Redemptorist spirituality.
The group of participants took advantage of the opportunity to be in Rome: they attended the general audience with Pope Leo in St. Peter’s Square, visited the Roman basilicas, the catacombs of St. Callixtus, and other places significant to both the Redemptorist Congregation and the universal Church.
The first phase of the course ended on September 12, leaving the participants with a wealth of valuable experiences and teachings. In the following two weeks, the group will move to Ciorani, in southern Italy, to continue their spiritual journey and visit places connected with the life of the Founder, Redemptorist saints and blesseds, and the first communities of the Congregation.
