Father Rogério Gomes, CSsR, presided over the Feast and Jubilee Mass at the Sanctuary of Perpetual Help in Rome on the Fourth Sunday of Lent, which this year coincides with the feast of St. Clement Mary Hofbauer.
The Path from Blindness to Faith.
Commenting on the Gospel of the healing of the man born blind, Father Rogério reminded us that we too, during Lent, are called to embark on a similar journey: to move from a superficial view of reality to one of faith, to learn to see the world through the eyes of the Lord. To allow Christ to illuminate our decisions, our relationships, and our understanding of life.
Saint Clement Hofbauer: A Leader in Service to the Mission.
Referring to the new thematic year of the Redemptorist Congregation—dedicated to leadership in service to the mission —Father Rogério evoked the figure of Saint Clement Hofbauer, who lived in a time of great political and religious change. These changes overshadowed his apostolic plans and created obstacles that, from a human perspective, seemed insurmountable for the Redemptorist mission in Central Europe during the first decades of the 19th century.
“Saint Clement did not allow himself to be imprisoned by these shadows,” said Father Rogério. “He trusted deeply in God’s providence and possessed a great capacity for discernment. When some doors closed, he sought others. Instead of lamenting the difficulties of his time, he wondered where God was opening new paths.”
“For this reason, St. Clement is often called the second founder of the Congregation: he understood that the Redemptorist charism transcends the limits of an era and must always find new ways to proclaim Christ’s abundant redemption. In a certain sense, Clement helped the Congregation to see things in a new way and helped the Church to understand that, even in times of crisis, God continues to act.”
Confreres Celebrating Their Jubilee this year:
Two brothers from the Redemptorist community of Rome, celebrating the 25th anniversary of their religious profession, concelebrated with the Father General: Fr. Sanjay Tirkey, CSsR, and Fr. Sanjay Vincent, CSsR. Fr. Rogério thanked them with these words: “Dear Brothers celebrating their anniversary, we give thanks to God for the witness of your fidelity. In a world often marked by instability and superficiality, your fidelity becomes a true proclamation of the Gospel.”
In his prayer for the confreres celebrating their Jubilee, the Father General also remembered Fr. Paul Vinh, CSsR, General Consultor, who is celebrating 25 years of priesthood this year and was absent because he was in America working for the Congregation.
At the end of the celebration, Fr. Gianni Congiu, CSsR, rector of the community, expressed his best wishes to the confreres celebrating their Jubilee and invited all those present to pray for them and for the Congregation. After the Mass, a photograph of all the concelebrants alongside the portrait of St. Clement commemorates the celebration and the hope that the Lord will continue to guide the future of the Congregation, just as St. Clement wrote in one of his letters: “Take heart! God is the Lord! He guides all things for His glory and our good.”
Scala News / GR
