Merciful Father, we praise you for your boundless love, we thank you for our vocation and we ask you to guide us on the new paths you entrust to our Congregation.
Jesus Christ, help us to be faithful missionaries of your abundant Redemption, giving our lives for our brothers and sisters as one Missionary Body, of which you are the head.
Holy Spirit, open our hearts to live the Redemptorist Charism through the Apostolic and Reconfiguration plans, and to incarnate it in a wounded world increasingly complex in terms of cultures, religions and challenges.
Mother of Perpetual Help, Father St. Alphonsus, saints, blesseds and martyrs of the Congregation, pray that God grant us a 26th General Chapter of conversion, creativity and missionary solidarity among us and with the most abandoned, especially the poor. Amen.
Roma, May 15, 2020
Prot.No. OOOOOTL/2O2O
Preparations for the 26th General Chapter
Dear Confreres,
During this season of Easter, may the resurrection of Jesus our Redeemer strengthen your hope and your joy! May the Holy Spirit continue to animate our hearts and our Congregation to
proclaim the Gospel ever anew.
At the recent meeting of the General Council (March 02 - O7l, we began the official preparations
for the 26th General Chapter which will take place in Rome at the lstituto Madonna del Carmine
The lnitial Phase of the General Chapter (Phase l) will take place in each Conference (Decisions of the 24th Generol Chopter, 4.4) duringthe first half of 2022 Qanuary to May). These dates will be determined within the next year in'consultation with the Coordinators of the Conferences.
The General Council has appointed the three moderators and the other members of the Central
Preparatory Commission (CPC - DC 801):
Brendan Kelly - Chairperson (Secretary General and Province of Dublin)
Alberto Eseverri - Vicar General
Rogerio Gomes - General Consultor
Gianni Congiu - Moderator (Superior, Casa Sant'Alfonso and Province of Rome)
Kevin O'Neil- Moderator (Province of Baltimore)
Joaquim Parron - Moderator (Province of Campo Grande)
Johannes Romelt - Coordinator of the Conference of Europe (Province of St. Clement)
Grzegorz Ruszaj - Office of Communications (Province of Warsaw)
It is the responsibility of the Council of each (Vice) Province and Region to name a Preparatory
Commission in each Unit (DC 808). This Commission should be named as soon as possible so that it can collaborate with the Central Preparatory Commission (CPC) in the preparation of the
Chapter.
The Central Preparatory Commission (CPC) has already begun its work. ln the near future the
Commission will be contacting each Unit of the Congregation requesting assistance in the analysis of the current state of the Congregation and if we remain faithfulto our mission in the spirit of our Founder, St. Alphonsus (Cons. 108). lt is the hope of the General Council that all Units will cooperate actively in the preparation for what will be an historic moment in the history of the Congregation.
The official Convocation of the 26th General Chapter will take place in July 202L, according to
the requirements of the Directory of Chapters (DC 705, 705). The election of Vocals to the
General Chapter is not to begin before the official convocation is received (DC 718).
Thank you very much for your collaboration in assuring that this information reaches each
confrere and every community. We realize that during this difficult time you have many concerns and worries as you struggle to deal with the restrictions and the effects of the pandemic as these touch each confrere and the people to whom we minister. ln spite of this, we know that you are aware that your collaboration with this process is important for the sake of the Congregation.
May you continue to experience the joy of the Gospel which the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit brings to the whole creation. May our Mother of perpetual Help
accornpany you always.
Your brother in the Redeemer,
Michael Brehl, C.Ss.R.
Superior General
THE WORKING DOCUMENT for GENERAL CHAPTER XXVI