Redemptorist

The Structures of the
Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer

The Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer began in the Kingdom of Naples, in southern Italy. Our founder, St. Alphonsus Liguori, gathered a group of men – priests and brothers – to live the common life and evangelical vows and to work together as missionaries. Therefore the first and fundamental structure of the Congregation is the apostolic community: a group of Redemptorist missionaries who live together, combining their prayers and deliberations, labors and sufferings, successes and failures, and their material goods for the service of the Gospel. Every community has a local superior, a person appointed to exercise the ministry of leadership and the service of authority for the common good, together with an assistant called a vicar and advisors called a council.

Local communities are organized in larger Units called Provinces, Vice-Provinces, Regions or Missions. The Congregation, however, must not be understood as a confederation of units, but rather a single body called to a single mission, with a healthy tension between local or regional concerns, and the global mission of the Congregation.

A Province, then, is an organic unit of the Congregation consisting of several communities within a defined geographical territory, under one superior, with an ordinary and an extraordinary council. These councils have their respective competencies. The Province structure exists so that through its various ministries and gifts it can effectively attain the end of the Congregation in communion with other Units of the Institute, under the authority of the General Government. In the government of a Province the Provincial Chapter is the primary governing body. It is a collegial, moral person, composed of representatives of all the members. It is the duty of the Provincial Chapter to give continual attention to the renewal and adaptation of the apostolic life and government of the Province.

A Vice-Province is also a union of several communities, not fully sufficient in itself. Vice-Provinces exist especially where there is a new missionary situation. In so far as a Vice-Province has its origin from a Province, it looks to the Province for assistance in regard to personnel and finances. Vice-Provinces have the same structure, institutions and manner of conferring offices as a Province. The Vice-Province enjoys the freedom and authority required to adjust its own manner of life in a way suitable to the particular needs of its mission.

Provinces and Vice-Provinces, with the approval of the General Council, may constitute Regions and Missions, which are Units with a smaller number of communities and members, in specific geographical areas of missionary need, with less autonomy, greater dependence and more directly governed by the Province or Vice-Province of origin. Usually there is a superior appointed for a Region or Mission, who exercises authority in communion with the Provincial Superior and his Councils. When necessary, some Regions are specially constituted as directly under the authority of the General Council and not to any particular Province or Vice-Province.

Through six major regions: Europe-South, Europe-North, North America, Latin America, Asia-Oceania and Africa, the Congregation experienced organization on a hemispheric and continental level. Within these larger regions there were smaller sub-regions, such as Eastern Europe, southern and northern Latin America, Brazil, etc. These regional structures allowed for some greater missionary effectiveness and solidarity, with a somewhat more effective use of financial resources and personnel. In 2009, with the establishment of the Conferences, the Congregation adapted and strengthened these structures, hoping to make them even more effective (see below).

The General Chapter and the General Government exist at the most universal level of the Congregation.

The ordinary General Chapter, convoked by the Superior General every six years, is the primary governing and representative body responsible for the apostolic life of the Congregation. It is the function of the General Chapter to care for the interests of the apostolic life of the entire Institute, to strengthen the links that bind its individual parts together, and to further the adaptation of the institutions and norms of life in the Congregation to the needs of the Church and humanity. The General Chapter carefully examines the mission of the Congregation in accordance with the spirit of the founder and its sound traditions.

The General Government is formed by the Superior General and the General Consultors, one of whom is the Vicar (second in charge), who are co-responsible in governing the whole Congregation. Presently there are six General Consultors, one from each of the major regions of the Congregation. Together they form the General Council, which is a permanent directive and executive body. The General Government gives inspiration and acts as a stimulus for continual renewal by being regularly present in the various Units in a way that is effective and provides leadership.

The General Council is served by the four major Officials of the General Curia: the Procurator General, the Treasurer General, the Secretary General and the Postulator General; and by other officials such as the General Archivist, the General Chronicler, the Director of Communications and the translators and secretaries.

Other services are provided by the General Archives, the Historical Institute, the Alphonsian Academy, the Center for Redemptorist Spirituality, the College of Higher Studies, the Shrine of our Mother Perpetual Help in St. Alphonsus Church, together with the various General Secretariats and Commissions, established according to the needs of particular historical moments

The XXIII General Chapter, celebrated in 2003, recognized restructuring as a major concern for the next sexennium (six-year period). During this time the General Government and a specially-organized Commission for Restructuring, together with the various Units of the Congregation, concerned itself with this challenging task. There were many elements involved in decisions about restructuring, but the major concern was to always be the mission. All structures must serve missionary mobility and dynamism. The Congregation cannot allow itself to settle down in surroundings and structures in which its work would no longer be missionary. Therefore it constantly adapts its structures and institutions and pioneers new ways to evangelize so as to respond more effectively to missionary needs and to better serve the mission of the Church, always faithful to its charism and vocation to preach the Gospel to the most abandoned poor, wherever they may be.

The XXIV General Chapter, celebrated in 2009, adopting the theme “Restructuring for Mission – Hope in Action”, embraced the work done by the Commission for Restructuring during the 2003-2009 sexennium and used its work, together with the reflections of the General Council contained in the Instrumentum laboris and the reflections of the Superior General, as a firm basis for reflection, study and decision before and while the Chapter was in session. The XXIV General Chapter accepted the six basic principles of restructuring and added one of its own, making seven the guiding principles for restructuring the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer. The major emphasis was on the “why” of restructuring, inviting everyone to appreciate the historical urgency of the moment. This General Chapter, in order to facilitate wider missionary discernment and decision-making, decided to organize the Congregation into Conferences. A Conference includes all Redemptorists who live and work within its borders. Redemptorists living within geographical area of a Conference are represented at Conference Assemblies by Superiors of Provinces, Vice-Provinces, Regions and Missions, and vocals, as determined by the Statutes of each Conference. The Conference Assembly will determine the frequency of meetings, the possibility of creating Sub-Conferences and the participation of lay associates.

From the loosely organized six regions mentioned earlier, the XXIV General Chapter decided to formally established these five Conferences:

• Conference of Redemptorists of Asia-Oceania;
• Conference of Redemptorists of Africa and Madagascar;
• Conference of Redemptorists of Europe;
• Conference of Redemptorists of Latin America and the Caribbean;
• Conference of Redemptorists of North America.

The Conference of Latin America and the Caribbean will consist of three Sub-Conferences (already well-established previously as sub-regions): URB, the Union of Redemptorists in Brazil; URSAL, the Union of Redemptorists in southern Latin America and URNALC, the Union of Redemptorists in northern Latin America and the Caribbean. The other Conferences, if it is considered necessary and expedient, may also establish Sub-Conferences in the future.

The Conference and its Assembly are intermediate structures between the General Government and the individual Units. The Coordinator, as chairman of the Conference and its Assembly, is appointed for the sexennium by the General Council from a list of three candidates proposed by the Assembly of the Conference, which will decide whether or not a Major Superior can be presented as a candidate for Coordinator. The Coordinator will have the authority of a Delegate of the Superior General and will be given such faculties as are necessary or useful for the discharge of his office. The Statutes of the Conference will provide for a Council to assist the Coordinator.

The Coordinator, working in a spirit of collegiality with the Assembly, exercises his delegated authority in the apostolic life of the Conference in the following areas:

• international and interprovincial communities and initiatives;
• initial and ongoing formation;
• promotion and implementation of economic solidarity;
• development of a social apostolate;
• assistance to weaker Units that need help in organizing their structures;
• promotion and facilitation of a process of fusion or federation, or other forms of association, where appropriate; and
• accompaniment during general visitations.

The principal tasks of the Coordinator are:

• to guide the process of wider missionary discernment in the Conference;
• to chair the Conference’s review of life in a missionary perspective;
• to act as an “animator”, supporting new missionary initiatives in the Conference;
• to be attentive to the needs of fragile Units and to facilitate necessary decisions;
• to help the Conference find good structures for initial formation;
• to facilitate ongoing formation for confreres called to new initiatives, which may include establishing interprovincial and international communities; and
• to act as liaison with the General Council in all matters pertaining to the Conference.

Each Conference formulates its own Statutes, which need to be approved by the General Government. The Statutes of each Conference will indicate specific ways the Conference will function, for example:

• the process of raising and proposing names of potential Coordinators to the General Council;
• the modalities of representation and participation of Sub-Conferences (if any);
• the way the office of the Coordinator will be financed;
• the calling of meetings of the Assembly of the Conference;
• involvement in common or local events, and
• how lay associates will be represented, etc.

Regarding Congregational Networking, the General Government, during the next sexennium, in dialogue with the Assemblies of the Conferences, will develop effective structures, including financial arrangements, to promote essential apostolic works beyond the limits of the Conference, especially in the following areas:

• Ministry to those who suffer because of the mass movement of peoples;
• Redemptorist Communications (including new forms of mass media);
• Ministry in Shrines/Sanctuaries;
• A Network for Africa and Madagascar;
• Theological Reflection in our Redemptorist tradition;
• Popular Missions;
• Youth Ministry;
• Missionary Parishes;
• Social Justice Ministry.

The XXIV General Chapter recognized that Conferences are intrinsic to the dynamic of the General Chapter. To respond more adequately to the broad mandate given to the General Chapter in the Constitutions, the General Chapter will be treated as a process that takes place over a period of time and in interrelated phases. The General Chapter will be celebrated as a process in three phases:

Phase 1: The Initial Phase (Pre-Chapter Meeting);
Phase 2: The Canonical Phase of the General Chapter;
Phase 3: The Implementation Phase (Post-Chapter Meeting).

As mandated by the XXIV General Chapter, the General Council has appointed a Commission for Economic Solidarity to investigate, study and propose, during the 2009-2015 sexennium, a more satisfactory system for effective economic solidarity in the Congregation. This Commission will report on its progress at the mid-sexennium meetings. The XXV General Chapter will consider the results of this study, adopt worthy proposals and make any necessary decisions.

************************

The Units of the
Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer

Conferences, Provinces, Vice-Provinces, Regions and Missions

2013

Click on the name of a Unit to go to a map that
shows the location of communities in that Unit

0000     General Government

               General Curia
                General Archives
                Historical Institute
                St. Alphonsus Community
              Alphonsian Academy
                College of Higher Studies
              Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help

9200    Conference of North America

0700         Province of Baltimore
0704         Vice-Province of Richmond
0706         Region of the English-speaking Caribbean 1
Region of the English-speaking Caribbean 2
  Region of the English-speaking Caribbean 3
   Region of the English-speaking Caribbean 4
1900         Province of Sainte-Anne de Beaupré
3100          Province of Yorkton
3401           Vice-Province Extra Patriam
4500          Province of Denver
4600           Province of Edmonton-Toronto

9300     Conference of Latin America
                 and the Caribbean
               Central America
               The Caribbean

     9310 Sub-Conference URB
                Union of Redemptorists of Brazil

0061         Region of Suriname
1304         Vice-Province of Fortaleza
1702         Vice-Province of Bahia
2300           Province of São Paulo
2303           Vice-Province of Recife
2600           Province of Rio de Janeiro
3500            Province of Porto Alegre
4100           Province of Campo Grande
4300         Province of Goiás
4501          Vice-Province of Manaus

     9320 Sub-Conference URSAL
                Union of Redemptorists
                of Southern Latin America

1701         Vice-Province of Resistencia
2200         Province of Buenos Aires
2201           Vice-Province of Peru-South
3000         Province of Santiago
4800         Province of Bolivia
5200      Province of Paraguay

     9330 Sub-Conference URNALC
                Union of Redemptorists of Northern
                Latin America and the Caribbean

0059         Mission of Cuba
1502         Vice-Province of Caracas
1507         Vice-Province of Peru-North
1904         Region of Port-au-Prince 1
                Region of Port-au-Prince 2
2400          Provincia de Quito
2800          Province of Bogotá
3600      Province of Mexico
3900          Province of San Juan 1
   Province of San Juan 2
5300         Province of Central America

9400      Conference of Asia-Oceania (Map 1)
               Conference of Asia-Oceania (Map 2)

0058        Region of Korea
0802     Vice-Province of Kagoshima
1902     Vice-Province of Toyko
2100       Province of Canberra
2101        Vice-Province of Manila
2102       Region of Aotearoa
2103       Vice-Province of Ipoh
3400         Province of Vietnam
3800         Province of Bangalore
3801          Region of Colombo
3803       Vice-Province of Majella
4700        Province of Cebu
4900         Province of Indonesia
5006          Mission to Beirut
5007 Mission to Iraq
5100        Province of Liguori
5400          Province of Thailand

9500     Conference of Africa and Madagascar

0202         Region of Madagascar
1103         Region of Zimbabwe
1509         Mission of Ivory Coast
2202        Mission of Mozambique
2801         Mission of Ghana
3301        Vice-Province of Luanda
3804         Mission of Kenya
4000         Province of South Africa
4401         Vice-Province of West Africa 1
         Vice-Province of West Africa 2
4504         Vice-Province of Nigeria
5005         Vice-Province of Matadi