On Friday, April 10, the Friday of Easter Week, the opening ceremony of the Redemptorist Aspirancy in the city of Trujillo was celebrated with great joy. This significant moment marks the beginning of a new vocational stage for four young men who have decided to begin their journey of discernment and formation in the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, founded by Alphonsus Liguori. This ceremony also marked the reopening of our house of formation in that city.
The celebration was presided over by the Provincial Superior of the Bolivia-Peru Province, Boris Calzadilla Arteaga, who encouraged the aspirants to live their response to God’s call with generosity and to cultivate a deep missionary spirit in service to the most needy. In this significant ceremony, the young people Emerson, Piero, Arial and Daniel officially began their formation.
During the celebration, each of them publicly expressed their desire to begin this time of formation and discernment, entrusting their journey to the Lord and the intercession of the Virgin Mary. As a sign of their initial commitment, they received the Redemptorist cross, a symbol of the missionary spirituality that characterizes the congregation and a constant reminder of Christ’s redeeming love.
Also present was Father Erik Luján, the mentor for this stage of formation, who will be responsible for guiding the aspirants through this process of human, spiritual, and vocational growth. The celebration also included the participation of several Redemptorist priests and parishioners who joined together to thank God for these new vocations.
A particularly moving moment was the presence of the candidates’ families, who joyfully and hopefully accompanied their sons on this important step in their lives. Their closeness and support reflect the communal dimension of the vocation, where the family becomes a fundamental space of faith and accompaniment.
The opening of the aspirancy represents the first step within the Redemptorist formative path, a time dedicated to vocational discernment, community life, and the strengthening of spiritual life, with the aim of preparing young people for the next stages of religious and missionary formation.
In the context of Easter, this celebration takes on a special meaning: just as the risen Christ sent his disciples to proclaim the Good News, so too today he continues to call young people willing to give their lives in service to the Gospel.
The Redemptorist community of the Bolivia-Peru Province thanks God for these new vocations and trusts that, guided by the Holy Spirit and the example of Alphonsus Liguori, these young people will be able to grow in their missionary vocation and become authentic “missionaries of abundant redemption.”
Fr. Víctor Ernesto Espinoza Gil, C.Ss.R.
Vocation Promoter
