The Redemptorists

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agoukass

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I’ve been thinking about becoming a Redemptorist priest recently. The thing that pleases me is that their charism is to work with the poor, the lonely, immigrants, and disenfranchised. As a first generation immigrant, I can think of no better way to serve others.

My question is have any of you had experiences with Redemptorists or their seminaries? How strict were they? Are they really good preachers?

Anyway, I’m just curious. Thanks for your answers.
 
The Redemptorists have won a very warm place in my heart. There was a Redemptorist seminary down the street from my elementary school, and they came to teach every once in a while. The impression they left with me pretty well “locked” me into the Catholic Church. When I lived in an Anglican divinity school during college for the cheap rent, I couldn’t help notice how poorly the Protestant students compared to the Redemptorists I remembered.

The order also got me started in my own devotion to Mary, particularly Our Lady of Perpetual Help. I continue to run into them at Marian shrines that they run, and still enjoy their preaching. If I could keep only a single armful of books, The Glories of Mary, by their founder St. Alphonsus de Liguori would be one of them. I’m also fond of St. Gerard Majella, for his underdog kind of holiness.

If your spirtual affections lean towards Mary, this is an order you should consider.
 
While I went to St. Gregory for elementary school, my family’s parish during my teen years was St. Alphonsus in Chicago, once a Redemptorist parish. St. Al’s has strong German roots, so I understand your relationship to immigrants.

The Redemptorists who staffed St. Al’s at the time were wonderful gentlemen, good with kids, teens, adults, and seniors. They were excellent at homilies, although you’ll always get one old cuss who can’t quite cut it anymore in any order. They were kind in the confessional, down-to-earth, yet well-educated. They had a ministry to the local Magyar, or Gypsy, population, who resided in the area around Southport past Belmont. There was a “Gypsy Mass” with violins as well as Mass in German.

Of all the parishes I frequented as a teenager in that area, St. Al’s had the most solid cling to orthodox Catholicism. I did some volunteer work in the elementary school, and didn’t like that as well, but it was run by the School Sister of Notre Dame. They had all this wonderful equipment and wouldn’t let the kids use it for fear it would break!!! But the Redemptorists, while they went into the school to have teaching sessions for religion, really didn’t run the school.

You get a thumbs up in my book!👍
 
It is to my humble opinion that they are on the extermly liberal and unorthodox especially when it comes to the Sacred Liturgy. Also reverence towards the Holy Eucharist has taken a real beating within the Order. Once great confessors, many do not seem to do it out of zeal for the salvation of souls.

On a brighter side. Their love and devotion towards our Blessed Lady has not changed very much and they are still continuing to “make her known” through the Novena to our Lady of Perpetual Succor. Preaching… Still fantastic- though I believe that a good homily ought to include these elements: Sacred Scripture, Church Fathers, Current Magisterial, Reflections; tie in with the Eucharist- Notwithstanding, they are still eloquent and charismatic preachers. N.B. A redemptorist seminarian once told me that the congregation acknowledges that the quality of preaching has declined (worldwide).

God bless.
 
sevendolours said:
It is to my humble opinion that they are on the extermly liberal and unorthodox …
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I spoke to one of their vocation directors about this very issue. He says there is a huge difference between the western and eastern provinces within the U.S. The eastern province is solid, but the western is flaky as can be.
 
I went to a Redemptorist priest for confession here in the state of Washington. When I received my absolution, he made the sign of the cross and said "God forgive you your sins …, instead of “I forgive you …” in following acting in persona Christi as all Catholic priests who received the sacrament of holy orders are ordained to be able to. So the form of confession was violated, and I do not know whether my confession was valid or not. So I am going to tell the priest in my next confession and let him figure it out.
 
My only encounter with Redepemptorists priests is through the works of St. Alphonsus and then in meeting Fr. Paublo Straub, a very zealous and good priest that has founded an order of priests/brothers and sisters in Mexico that work with the very poor there. He is a Redemptorist. He comes up to the States often and has done a lot of work with EWTN. I recently met him and he is sooo good. So, judging by Fr. Paublo, I would say there are some very good, holy Redepemptorists who have kept to the original charism of service to the very poor.

I have not known very many Redemptorists besides that, but when I looked into the women religious of the order I was very disappointed to find very, very few solid communities.

However, I think it is great your discerning a vocation to the Redemptorists. If things are in bad shape, then St. Alphonsus could use another good son who would truly seek to live the charism with great zeal and love of God. 👍
 
Just an additional note: The Transalpine Redemptorists are
the only OSRRs that still follow the Rule as set forth by St.
Alphonsus…The rest have a newer watered-down set of
Constitutions. The Transalpines house of formation is in
Scotland…Just Google Transalpine Redemptorists…
The same thing happened to the Redemptoristines. But
there is a small but fervent Monastery in Australia that
follow the newer Constutions. In the Apostolic Admini-
stration of Campos in Brazil is found the one & only com-
munity of Redmptoristines in the world that still follow the
original Rule. They also follow the 1962 Latin Rite Mass &
Divine Office & wear the full tradition habit…
 
agoukass said:
Are they really good preachers?
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I have nothing but good things to say about the preaching of Redemptorists. As a child I often would go on retreat to the Redemptorist retreat center in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. I still go every once in a while. I’ve always found them to be very inspiring.

Here’s a resource on their retreat center (if you are in the Wisconsin area). Go to a retreat sometime and experience it first-hand:

redemptoristretreat.org/
 
agoukass said:
I’ve been thinking about becoming a Redemptorist priest recently. The thing that pleases me is that their charism is to work with the poor, the lonely, immigrants, and disenfranchised. As a first generation immigrant, I can think of no better way to serve others.

My question is have any of you had experiences with Redemptorists or their seminaries? How strict were they? Are they really good preachers?

Anyway, I’m just curious. Thanks for your answers.
Click to expand...
I was exposed to them during a mission that was held diocese-wide this spring. I was very impressed. They are really good preachers and keep it real. They preach in a moderate style to reach out to the largest number of people without alienating them with styles. I highly recommend them.
 
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