On April 8, 2026, the Superiors of the Slavic Redemptorist Units — including the Provinces of Warsaw, Bratislava-Prague, and Lviv, as well as the Vice-Province of Michalovce — met in Krakow, Poland, for a day of work. The meeting, also attended by Fr. Piotr Chyła, CSsR, coordinator of the Conference of Redemptorists of Europe (CRE), marked a significant step in the restructuring process within the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer.
The meeting, described as fraternal and productive, focused on two fundamental objectives:
- Preparing for the merger of the Bratislava-Prague Province with the Vice-Province of Michalovce, scheduled for October 12, 2026.
- Working on the Statutes for the future Confederation of Slavic Units, to be inaugurated on November 9, 2027.
Mutual collaboration among the Slavic Units has a long history. The future Confederation is designed to intensify this cooperation, promoting solidarity in formation, mission, and secretarial work. As Fr. Chyła noted, the Confederation will address all forms of solidarity in this part of Europe, ensuring that the Redemptorists’ presence remains dynamic and responsive to local needs.
The meeting also received a message of encouragement from Fr. Rogerio Gomes, CSsR, Superior General, who expressed his closeness to the Superiors gathered in Krakow. Acknowledging both the weight and the significance of the process underway, he wrote: “The Congregation is currently undergoing yet another process of transformation. It is not the first, nor will it be the last. I am deeply convinced that the Spirit is guiding us in this time.”
He also called attention to the deeper motivation behind the restructuring effort: “We do not have absolute certainties, but we do have the sincere desire to do what is right and to continue the mission of the Redeemer in today’s world, especially among the poorest and most abandoned.”
Scala News
Message of Fr. Rogerio Gomes, CSsR, Superior General
To the Superiors of the Slavic Units — Krakow, April 8, 2026
In this year dedicated to reflecting on leadership in the Congregation, the service you provide is of great importance. Leadership is mission. Only from this perspective does our work gain new meaning, as it becomes participation in the mission of Christ. I would like to sincerely thank you for the service you are carrying out and for moving forward the decisions of the General Chapter regarding restructuring. This is not a service for ourselves, but for the good of the Congregation and of the Church. We are together in this mission.
I understand the challenges you face. For the General Council, this is also a significant task, since this process is taking place throughout the entire Congregation. We are all learning together and seeking to respond in the best possible way to the mandate of the recent General Chapters. We are striving to be faithful to our charism, attentive to the signs of the times.
The Congregation is currently undergoing yet another process of transformation. It is not the first, nor will it be the last. I am deeply convinced that the Spirit is guiding us in this time. We do not have absolute certainties, but we do have the sincere desire to do what is right and to continue the mission of the Redeemer in today’s world, especially among the poorest and most abandoned.
I would also like to thank Fathers Jozef and Miroslav for the work they are doing in advancing the process of the new Province of Michalovce–Bratislava–Prague, a province that embraces bi-rituality, which is a great richness. I am aware of the challenges, but take courage: the work is not ours, it belongs to the Redeemer, and we continue to collaborate with all our strength.
I thank Father Dariusz, who has been helping the confreres to understand the process of forming the Confederation, and Father Volodymyr, who, despite the challenges of the war, has generously contributed all his efforts to this same process. As I wrote to you, during these days of the Easter Triduum I thought of you often and intensified my prayers for you and for the Ukrainian people.
As I already mentioned during the mid-sexennium meeting, you are already working together. Now it is a matter of shaping this path in harmony with what the General Chapter asks of us. I also thank Father Piotr Chyla for his service of animation and for the support he offers. He is a collaborator of the General Government in helping you to carry out the mission.
Dear Jozef, Miro, Volodymyr and Dariusz, thank you very much for the work you are doing in advancing the project of the Confederation of the Slavic Units. May Mary, Mother of Perpetual Help, together with all the saints and the blessed, and especially our martyrs, enlighten and encourage you in this mission. We are all at the service of the Redeemer. Thank you all very much for your work — let us move forward!
