From September 14 to 18, 2026, at the Shrine of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Cunhinga (Bié), the Angolan confreres gathered for the vice-provincial retreat, led by Fr. Tekadimona Nima Afonso, SJ.
Our preacher, Fr. Tekadimona Nima Afonso, SJ, offered us some very stimulating reflections as part of the ongoing reconfiguration process within the Conference of Redemptorists of Africa and Madagascar (COREAM): in April 2027, Angola and Mozambique will become a new Vice-Province. The retreat took place at the Shrine of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Cunhinga, Bié, in central Angola. Using biblical texts relating to the crossing of the desert and entry into the Promised Land as “icons,” complemented by allusions to the spirituality and pastoral options of St. Alphonsus, Fr. Tekadimona opened our minds and hearts to a biblical and spiritual reading capable of profoundly illuminating our journey of reconfiguration.
Some of the titles of the reflections help us understand the provocations and insights suggested: “Attachment to the Pots of Meat in Egypt” (resistance); “Grumbling as a Symptom of Fear” and the Alphonsian response of detachment and willingness to leave; “The Desert as a Place of Purification and Alliance” (the grace of the present vs. anxiety for the future); “Crossing the Jordan” (the end of a historical cycle and the maturity of the Vice-Province, with the expansion of the missionary territory); “Fidelity to the Charism as the Only Criterion of Success”; “The Danger of Extremes: Activism vs. Resistance”; “Balance between Faith and Co-Responsibility,” etc.
The prayer proposed by the preacher to conclude each meditation summarizes some of the key ideas: “Lord Jesus, Redeemer, you have called us to proclaim Abundant Redemption to the most abandoned. You know the resistance, fears, and attachments of our hearts in the face of this process of restructuring. Grant us the courage of Abraham to step out of our comfort zone, the trust of the people in the desert to live according to your daily Providence, and the boldness of Joshua to embrace the new horizons of our mission in Africa. May our union with our brothers and sisters in Mozambique and throughout the continent be a living sign of your Kingdom.”
At the end of the retreat, the brothers renewed their vows, with a formula inspired by the reflections of the retreat:
My Redeemer Jesus, here I am to renew my ‘Yes’ in this challenging time of transition.
I renew my vow of chastity, to continue to grow in selfless love and in my itinerant missionary availability, serving the most abandoned in Angola and Mozambique.
I renew my vow of poverty, to place my security not in the manna of personal reserves, but in trust in the care of the Abba and the fraternal solidarity of the Congregation.
I renew my vow of obedience, not to a geography or a structure, but to your Kingdom and the Body of the Congregation.
I renew my vow and oath of perseverance, so that, in the dark nights of life, I may never cease to see the traces of light that the divine fire leaves on my path.
I commit myself today to participate fully in the new stage of maturity of the Vice-Province, expanding the missionary frontier with Mozambique, within COREAM.
I entrust myself with trust to Your will. Amen.”
Fr. João Pedro Fernandes, C.Ss.R.
Vice-provincial secretary
