Our History
The
Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer was St.
Alphonsus Liguori's response to the call he
experienced coming from Jesus through the poor...
The Year 1730, Alphonsus was exhausted from
his missionary labors. His doctors ordered him
to get some rest and breathe some clean mountain
air. With a few of his companions, he went to
Scala, on the Amalfi coast south of Naples.
High up in the mountains was the Sanctuary of
Santa Maria dei Monti, a perfect place for rest,
a perfect place for contemplation near the Mother
of Our Lord: mountain heights, beauty, and below,
the sea....
But, Scala also meant poverty.
In the mountains there lived groups of shepherds
who came to the missionaries asking them for
the Gospel, the Word of Life. Alphonsus was
surprised at their hunger for the Word of God
and recalled the words of the prophet: "The
babes cry for food, but there is no one to give
it to them" [Lam 4:4]. His first biographer
tells us that when Alphonsus left Scala, a part
of his heart remained with these shepherds and
that he would weep thinking of how he could
help them.
In Naples, after much prayer
and consultation to help him discern clearly....
he came to understand that he had to return
to Scala. Surely there was poverty in Naples
as well..., but there were many others there
that could help the poor escape from their place
as society's marginalized. In Scala, the poor
were alone, with no one to help them...,totally
abandoned. During St. Alphonsus' time, these
shepherds and country peasants were the most
downtrodden group in society: "they were not
considered men as other men..., they were the
disgrace of nature." It was because of their
lot in life that St. Alphonsus chose to be at
their side, to share his life with them and
to bring to them, in abundance, the Word of
God.
On November 9, 1732, in his beloved
Scala, St. Alphonsus Liguori founded the Congregation
of the Most Holy Redeemer to follow the example
of our Savior Jesus Christ announcing the Good
News to the poor. He was 36 years old. His life
became one of mission and service to the most
abandoned. The Congregation was approved by
Benedict XIV on February 25, 1749.
Redemptorist Missionaries continue
the charism of Alphonsus in the Church and in
society. "Strong in faith, rejoicing in hope,
burning with charity, on fire with zeal, in
humility of heart and persevering in prayer,
Redemptorists as apostolic men and genuine disciples
of Saint Alphonsus follow Christ the Redeemer
with Hearts full of joy; denying themselves
and always ready to undertake what is demanding
and challenging, they share in the mystery of
Christ and proclaim it in Gospel simplicity
of life and language, that they may bring to
people Plentiful Redemption" (Redemptorist Constitutions,
No. 20).
Redemptorists live in missionary
communities, always welcoming and prayerful,
like Mary of Nazareth. By means of missions,
retreats, parish ministry, ecumenical apostolates,
the ministry of reconciliation and the teaching
of Moral Theology, they proclaim the love of
God our Father which in Jesus "dwelt amongst
us" so as to become profound mercy and The Word
of Life which nourishes the human heart and
gives life meaning so as to live it to the fullest
in freedom and solidarity with others. And,
like Alphonsus, Redemptorists make a very clear
option for the poor affirming their dignity
and greatness before God and believing that
the Good News of Our Lord is meant in a special
way for them.
There are over 5,500 Redemptorists;
they work in 77 countries on all 5 continents
helped by many men and women who collaborate
in their mission and together form the Redemptorist
Family. "Our Lady of Perpetual Help" is the
missionary icon of the Congregation.
In addition to St. Alphonsus,
three other Redemptorists have been canonized:
St. Gerard Majella, St. Clement Hofbauer and
St. John Neumann. Nine Redemptorists have been
beatified: Gennaro Sarnelli, Peter Donders,
Gaspar Stanggassinger, Francesco Saverio Seelos,
Domenico Metodio Trčka,
Vasyl Velychkovskyi, Zynoviy Kovalyk, Mykolay
Charnetskyi e Ivan Ziatyk.
