The Mass, presided over by the Archbishop of Santiago, Monsignor Francisco José Prieto Fernández, put the finishing touch to a year of commemorative events.
In his homily, he highlighted the meaning of the Baptism of the Lord and the grateful memory of a century of Redemptorist presence in A Coruña. Devotion to Perpetual Help, the spiritual axis of a community at the service of the city. Concelebrating with the prelate from Compostela were Redemptorist Fathers Antonio Jiménez Campo, superior, and Juan Manuel del Río Lerga.
Closing of a year of celebration
The Eucharistic celebration served as the culmination of a whole year of commemorative events that began with the official opening of the centenary. At the beginning of his homily, the archbishop recalled that first moment and addressed the Redemptorist community in particular, reminding them that ‘a year ago we celebrated and opened this centenary.’ (See Scala News: One hundred years of a missionary community, A Coruña: 1925-2025)
The liturgical context gave the celebration a special meaning. The eve of the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, which closes the Christmas season, served as a framework for combining thanksgiving for 100 years of Redemptorist presence in the city with an invitation to remember one’s own baptism.
In his homily, Monsignor Prieto Fernández drew on biblical texts to explore the meaning of Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan. He recalled that the voice of the Father reveals Christ as ‘the beloved Son,’ emphasising that only through love can the mystery of God and his redemptive action be understood.
A God who draws near
The archbishop highlighted the gesture of Jesus who, without needing to, places himself in solidarity with men to be baptised, as an expression of a God who draws near to human frailty. ‘He places himself as one more… and embraces us also in our need, in our misery, in our frailty,’ he said, pointing out that reconciliation and redemption are manifested in that embrace.
From this Gospel scene, he invited the faithful to rediscover the importance of their own baptism, not only as a memory, but as a living call to be children in the Son and witnesses in the midst of the world.
One hundred years of Redemptorist charism in A Coruña
The historical presence of the Redemptorists in A Coruña occupied a central place in the homily. The archbishop publicly thanked them for their continued work from the Church of Perpetual Help and evoked their charism as ‘an expression of redemption that seeks to be God’s embrace in his mercy to all humanity.’
He reminded all the religious who, over the course of a century, have made this temple a space for word, celebration and accompaniment. A presence, he emphasised, that has been a seed of hope, forgiveness and reconciliation for generations of people in A Coruña.
In this context, he encouraged everyone to experience the centenary not only as a commemoration of the past, but also as a renewed impetus for the mission, in tune with the Church’s call to walk ‘joyfully in hope’.
Perpetual Help, a catechesis in images
The archbishop devoted a large part of his homily to contemplating the image of Perpetual Help, so closely linked to Redemptorist spirituality and very present in popular devotion. He recalled its long history and how it was the Redemptorist Fathers who spread this iconography as an expression of God’s redeeming love.
He paused on the details of the icon: Mary’s gaze directed at the faithful, the Child held and shown to the world, the archangels with the signs of the Passion, and the sandal hanging from Jesus’ foot. Each element was presented as a visual catechesis of the Christian mystery: a God who becomes a child, who walks towards the cross and, from there, opens a path of life.
‘The Virgin seems to be saying to us: “There you have it. This is God’s great gift to you,”’ said the archbishop, emphasising the maternal and missionary meaning of the image.
Fr. Vicente García, CSsR
You can read more about the Redemptorist mission over the past 100 years at: Spain: One Hundred Years of a Missionary Community, A Coruña: 1925-2025
