A meeting for all the Redemptorist Lectors teaching at St. Alphonsus Institute took place at Mt. St. Alphonsus Seminary on Tuesday, August 19, 2025. This gathering, the first of its kind, brought together 17 confreres to discuss their teaching ministry.
Fr. Henry Fernandes, the Vice Provincial of the Vice Province of Majella, explained the purpose of the meeting. Following him, Fr. Edward Joseph, the Provincial of the Bangalore Province and Chair of the Seminary and Institute Board, welcomed the participants. In his presentation, he spoke about the unique opportunities and challenges that Redemptorist Lectors face. He emphasized the crucial need to balance intellectual formation with pastoral concern, reminding everyone that their role goes beyond simply imparting knowledge; they are also called to offer direction and hope to their students.
After a short break, Fr. Assisi Saldanha, the Director of St. Alphonsus Institute, addressed the lectors. His talk was based on Pope Francis’s apostolic constitution, Veritatis Gaudium (“The Joy of Truth,” an apostolic constitution by Pope Francis that focuses on the renewal of ecclesiastical universities and faculties, emphasizing the joy found in truth and the Church’s mission in contemporary society). He focused on the vital role of professors, emphasizing the importance of both research-based teaching and its pastoral implications.
The confreres then divided into groups to reflect on the specific opportunities and challenges they encounter in their teaching roles. The insights from these discussions were later shared in the plenary session led by Fr. Poly Kannampuzha, the Provincial of Liguori Province.
The day concluded with a concelebrated mass with the students of theology, followed by a community dinner and a gaudeamus. This fruitful and significant meeting laid the groundwork for future collaboration. The next meeting is scheduled for January 26, 2026.
Fr. Rakesh Mathias, CSsR.
