THE REDEMPTORIST FAMILY

An encyclopaedic information, taken from:
Samuel J. Boland CSSR A Dictionary of the Redemptorists, Romae 1987

Copiosa Apud Eum

Redemptio

  1. The Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (CSSR)
  2. St. Alphonsus De' Liguori, the Founder, See also the Tercentenary (1696-1996) Celebrations
  3. Some Our Great Figures
  4. In Rome
  5. The Warsaw Province
  6. The Order of the Most Holy Redeemer (OSSR)
  7. Redemptorist Brothers On Line (Bro. Anthony McCrave, Rome)

The Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (CSSR)

THE REDEMPTORISTS


The Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer is a clerical institute of apostolic life with simple vows. Its purpose is to follow the example of Jesus Christ the Redeemer by preaching the word of God to the poor. In addition to the three religious vows of chastity, poverty and obedience the members bind themselves by a vow and oath of perseverance From the beginning they have fulfilled their preaching vocation principally by means of missions spiritual exercises and religious instruction.
The Congregation was found in Scala on 9th November 1732 by St. Alphonsus under the direction of Tommaso Falcoia, Bishop of Castellammare di Stabia and after some impulse from Sister Maria Celeste Crostarosa of the newly established Redemptoristine community in the same town At first it was a simple Congregation of secular priests without vows, but in 1740 in order to assure greater stability the members took the vow of perseverance. After the death of Falcoia in 1743 the first general congregation or chapter elected St. Alphonsus as major superior with the title of Rector Major and at the same time adopted the three religious vows. The institute with its rule adapted from that of the Redemptoristines, was approved by Benedict XIV on 25th February 1749.
For a long time the Congregation had to struggle with the regalism of the Neapolitan court. The foundation of a house in Benevento in 1755 provided a refuge in the Papal States, and it was followed by others. In 1761 the Congregation extended also to Sicily. The good reputation won by the missions and the evident favour of the king encouraged St. Alphonsus to try for royal approbation. The consequence was a regolamento imposed by the court in 1780 and quite incompatible with the Pontifical Rule of 1749. The Holy See reacted by placing the houses in the Papal States under an independent major superior. The breach was healed only in 1793, six years after the death of St. Alphonsus.
After the profession of St. Clement Hofbauer and Father Thaddeus Hübl in 1785 the Congregation spread to the lands of northern Europe, where a community was established in Warsaw in 1787. After the death of St. Clement in 1820 and under the leadership of Ven. Joseph Passerat, Vicar General beyond the Alps, there was considerable expansion, even as far afield as the United States. With the increasing propagation of the institute it became almost impossible for the Rector Major to exercise adequate authority from Pagani, where he was subject to constant pressure from the court of Naples. This consideration especially prompted the Holy See in 1841 to divide the Congregation into the provinces of Rome, Naples, Sicily, Switzerland, Austria and Belgium.
Difficulties remained between the Neapolitan Redemptorists hampered by the regalist government, and those beyond the Alps, who continued to be governed by a separate Vicar General. There were also differences in observance, especially in poverty, which occasioned some disputes. For the sake of peace in 1853 the Holy See placed the Neapolitan houses under their own Rector Major with an Apostolic Visitor and required the Transalpine members to hold a general chapter to elect a Superior General, who was to reside in Rome. The chapter was held in 1855 and elected Father Nicholas Mauron of the Province of France and Switzerland, and he took up residence in Sant'Alfonso on the Esquiline. The Neapolitans accepted his authority in 1869.
Towards the end of the century the Congregation began to expand further outside Europe. The redemptorists have been in South America since 1870, in Australia since 1882, in Africa since 1899 and in Asia they made their first foundation in 1906. They number about 6,500 members, priests, clerical students and Brothers distributed among thirty-nine provinces with additional vice-provinces and mission regions.

The actual CSSR Superior General is M.R.F. Joseph William Tobin, elected on September 9, 1997, by the members of the XXII General Chapter, West End, N.J., USA.

Father Joseph Tobin was born on May 3, 1952 in Detroit, Michigan. He is the eldest of thirteen children of Joseph and Marie Terese (nee Kerwin) Tobin. His early religious and educational formation took place at Holy Redeemer, the Redemptorist parish in Detroit. He entered the Redemptorist formation system at the age of fourteen, attending St. Joseph's Preparatory College (Edgerton, Wisconsin), Holy Redeemer College, (Waterford, Wisconsin) and Mount Saint Alphonsus Seminary (Esopus, New York). Father Tobin holds a bachelor's degree in philosophy and masters degrees in religious education and in pastoral theology.

Father Tobin professed first vows in the Redemptorist Congregation on August 5, 1973. His perpetual profession took place on August 20, 1976. He was ordained a priest on June 1, 1978.

During his nineteen years as a priest, Father Tobin ministered in parishes in Detroit and Chicago, giving particular service to Hispanic communities. He also directed retreats for groups of youth, adults and religious. Within the Redemptorist Congregation he has held the offices of pastor and local superior, extraordinary provincial and general consultor, serving also on secretariats at both the provincial and general levels of the Congregation. He has held various diocesan, offices, including Episcopal vicar, associate judge and member of the archdiocesan presbyteral council.

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St. Alphonsus De' Liguori

THE FOUNDER

Founder of the Redemptorists, Bishop and Doctor of the Church, St. Alphonsus was born in Marianella near Naples on 27th September 1696 to Don Giuseppe Liguori, an officer the Neapolitan naval forces, and his wife, Donna Anna Cavalieri. Alphonsus studied in the university of Naples from 1708 until he graduated as doctor utriusque iuris on 21st January 1713 Until 1723 he practised with outstanding success at the Neapolitan bar; but he abandoned his legal career owing to a grievous disappointment over a case in which he had been engaged. In his own home he began the study of theology under the guidance of Don Giulio Torni He became a member of the Congregation of the Apostolic Missions, popularly known as the Propaganda, an institute of secular priests, and was active in their missions from 1724. He was ordained priest on 21st December 1726. From 1729 he resided in the College of The Holy Family, Called the Chinese College, still under the direction of its founder, Father Matteo Ripa.
At the earnest request of his spiritual director, Father Tommaso Falcoia of the Pii Operarii, Bishop of Castellammare di Stabia since 1730, Alphonsus helped-and encouraged Sister Maria Celeste Crostarosa and the other nuns of Scala, who were considering a new religious rule. His balanced judgement and prudent direction contributed substantially to the inauguration in 1731 of the Order of the Most Holy Saviour, later called of the Most Holy Redeemer, an institute of contemplatives devoted to the perfect following of Christ the Redeemer.
On 9th November 1732 with five companions and under Falcoia as Director, he established, also at Scala the Congregation of the Most Holy Saviour. With Pontifical approbation in 1749 the title was changed to Most Holy Redeemer The new institute, de voted to the care of the most neglected, pursued its objectives by means of missions and catechetical instructions.
In spite of his reluctance Alphonsus was made Bishop of Sant'Agata dei Goti. On 20th June 1762 he was consecrated by Cardinal Rossi, Prefect of the Congregation of the Council, in the church of the Minerva, Rome. From 1768 a disabling illness made pastoral wok extremely difficult, but it was not until 1775 that the Holy See accepted his resignation from the bishopric.
The closing years of his life were clouded by a eat sorrow in addition to his illness. In an attempt to gain royal approbation for the Congregation he found himself presented by the court of Naples with a Regolamento quite incompatible with the Pontifical Rule of 1749. The Holy See reacted by dividing the institute, placing the houses in the Papal States under an autonomous major superior. Alphonsus died in Pagani near Salerno on 1st August 1787 before the Congregation he had founded had been reunited. He was beatified by Pius VII on 15th September 1816, canonised by Gregory XVI on 26th May 1839 and on 23d March 1871 declared Doctor of the Church by Pius IX. Finally, on 26th April 1950 Pius XII named him Patron of confessors and moralists. Though he wrote much about prayer and union with God with an assurance that could only have come from personal experience, St. Alphonsus was distinguished principally by his pastoral spirit. His own life and that of his Congregation were dedicated to bringing to mankind the redemption won by Christ. To that he devoted a long life of extraordinary activity. In addition to his duties as supreme moderator of the Redemptorists from 1743 until his death and the care of his diocese he found time for much more in the service of redeemed mankind. He was actively engaged in missions for thirty-four years, and to the same pastoral purpose he consecrated his outstanding literary and musical skills.
It is impossible to give a full account of his enormous literary production. Between 1728 and 1778 he published no fewer than 111 works, and further material appeared posthumously. During his lifetime 402 editions of his writings appeared; and his popularity has continued. Father M. De Meulemeester by 1933 had identified 4110 editions of his original texts and 12,925 of translations in 61 languages. Since that date the numbers have continued to increase.
The most important of his writings is his Theologia Moralis, the first edition of which appeared in 1748, being little more than annotations to the Medulla theologiae moralis of H. Busenbaum. Altogether nine editions appeared in his lifetime, the third (1757) being in more or less definitive form and more his own original composition than notes on Busenbaum.
The name of St. Alphonsus is linked particularly with the moral system known as equiprobabilism, which successfully avoids the extremes of rigour and laxity. It is an excellent expression of his pastoral prudence a compassionate understanding of redeemed man in his present life. The same quality is to be found in his writing for preachers and confessors.
His understanding of God's mercy and man's dependence on it made him the inexorable foe of the Jansenism that was still prevalent in his times. These themes are admirably elaborated in his dogmatic and spiritual writings. He taught that with the help o grace, given especially in answer to prayer, man can attain to that perfect love of God which consists in conformity to the Divine Will.
St. Alphonsus had a decisive influence on the development of moral theology in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. In other fields, too, of the sacred sciences he has left his mark: in Mariology, in the treatment of Papal authority, actual grace and in his spiritual doctrine. His voluminous writings continue the work he achieved during the ninety One years of his life. In the Church's history he remains a figure that is truly monumental.

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Some Our Great Figures

Besides St. Alphonsus M. De' Liguori:

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CSSR in Rome


Collegio Sant'Alfonso

The property known as the Villa Caserta which forms the site of the house and church of Sant'Alfonso was purchased in 1855 by Father Edward Douglas to serve as the residence of the Superior General of the Congregation. It had previously belonged to the ducal family of Caetani. In the house the general chapter of 1855 was held from 26th April to 20th July. The church was consecrated on 3rd May 1859. The miraculous picture of Our Lady of Perpetual Help was installed over the high altar on 26th April 1866. The house continues be the residence of the Superior General and in addition is the seat of the Alphonsian Academy.

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The Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help

(Sant'Alfonso in Esquilino)

The miraculous picture venerated in the church of Sant'Alfonso in Rome according to the earliest witness was brought from Crete late in the fifteenth century. Iconographical studies confirm that it most probably originated in Crete, of a type showing the Mother and Child with the Instruments of the Passion, a style traceable back to about the year 1000 and probably developed from a much venerated picture painted by Lazarus the Monk in the early seventh century. The picture was venerated in the church of San Matteo in the care of Irish Augustinians about half way between St. Mary Major and St. John Lateran. When the church of San Matteo was destroyed by French troops in 1798 the picture was transferred to the nearby Sant'Eusebio on the Esquiline, where it was exposed for veneration until 1819. When the Jesuits came to Sant'Eusebio in 1819 the picture was removed to S. Maria in Posterula, where it remained for some years in obscurity. Brought to light, at the direction of Pius IX on 11th December 1865 it was given to the church of Sant'Alfonso, now answering to the description of San Matteo as being between St. Mary Major and St. John Lateran. The picture was received by the Redemptorists in January 1866 and was solemnly exposed once more for the veneration of the people on 26th April of the same year.

For a theological explanation of the Icon, visit Liguori Publications

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Scala

In the hills above Amalfi, is the object of the greatest veneration among Redemptorists. The place where the Congregation had been solemnly inaugurated on 9th November 1732, it had seen also the formal beginning of the Order of the Most Holy Redeemer a year earlier on 13th May 1731. A Redemptorist community was established there, eventually in the Casa Anastasio, but it had to be abandoned in 1737. The foundation of a new house, long desired and actively promoted by Cardinal Van Rossum, was made possible by the generosity of Linda Grossi, a young lady of Salerno who herself became a Redemptoristine in Scala. The house was canonically erected on 6th June 1930 and the community was installed on 25th September 1930, the second centenary of St. Alphonsus' first coming to Scala. The superior appointed to the new house was Father Raffaele D'Elia.
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