PORTUGAL – The long and intense journey of the Provincial Superior, Fr. Gennaro Sorrentino, has officially concluded in Portugal. He visited the entire Province of Europe South from February 9th to May 30th. The four-month journey was lived in a climate of profound fraternal communion, with the Provincial constantly supported by the Linguistic Area Councilors.
The visit represented a moment of grace and fundamental verification for the life of our Unit, touching the beating heart of each of our communities.
It was not a simple bureaucratic or administrative act, but a true fraternal pilgrimage. Father Gennaro wanted to personally meet with his confreres from all the communities, listening to their struggles, their joys, and their daily commitment to proclaiming the Abundant Redemption.
En Santa con p. Lasso 
En Burraca, Portugal 
En Francavilla al Mare 
En Lisboa 
Comunidad San Gerardo, en Madrid 
En Pagani, Italia
Alongside the Confreres, a central role in this visit was given to the dense network that brings our mission to life in the area: the Pastoral Councils, the Redemptorist laity, and the Redemptorist Works. Dialogue with them confirmed the vital and fruitful collaboration between consecrated persons and lay people for the future of our mission. Furthermore, there were plenty of opportunities for institutional and ecclesial exchanges, thanks to numerous meetings with the Bishops of the various dioceses where the Congregation works, testifying to a Redemptorist presence that is always rooted in and at the service of the local Church.
“A tiring visit, but rich in members and stories that helped us look deeply at the Province, with its shadows and its lights.” With these words, the Provincial Superior wished to summarize an experience that was certainly physically and mentally demanding, but extraordinarily regenerating for the spirit. Walking alongside his confreres allowed us to draw a realistic assessment of our reality: an honest look that does not hide the fragilities and struggles of the present time (the shadows), but that knows how to value with immense gratitude the prophecy, fidelity, and apostolic zeal that still burn in our communities (the lights).
En Montparnasse, Paris 
En San Gioacchino, Roma 
En Santander, España 
En Estrasburgo 
En Valence, Francia 
En Astorga
Thanksgiving of the Provincial Superior
At the end of this long journey, the heart is full of prayer and thanksgiving. Father Gennaro Sorrentino wishes to express his deepest gratitude to all the communities and to each confrere for the warm welcome:
“I heartily thank all the communities and confreres who welcomed this meeting with joy and hope. Feeling awaited and protected in prayer made this trip a true family moment.”
Now that the visit has concluded, the time for sowing seeds and working together begins. Strengthened by the members we have encountered and the stories we have shared, the Province moves toward the future with renewed confidence, under the watchful gaze of the Redeemer and Saint Alphonsus.
The Provincial Councilor
