Meeting of the General Commission of the Redemptorist Youth and Vocation Ministry

(Rome, Italy) A few days after the conclusion of the Synod of Bishops dedicated to young people, the General Commission of the Redemptorist Youth and Vocation Ministry met in Rome.

The meeting was held from November 6 to 9, at the Generalate of the Redemptorists in Rome, five confreres representing five continents: Europe (Paolo Drobot), Africa and Madagascar (Christian Klú), North America (Matthew Allman, Santo Arrigo), South and Central America (Fabio Pascual), Asia and Oceania (Peter Balaswamy). Together with the members of the General Government, they tried to find a way to continue the indicated path of the synod. Fr General Michael Brehl, one of the Synod Fathers, showed us the direction at the beginning of our meeting: to listen to young people to learn about their lives, to interpret their lives with the Word of God, to invite young people to make the decision to follow Christ. All three steps are necessary for the journey of growth in faith and of vocational discernment.

The commission decided to update the “General Guidelines for Youth Ministry and Redemptorist Vocation” in the light of the indications of the Synod and of the XXV General Chapter. Recent General Chapter indicated us the signs of the time, that is the “wounded world”. The Redemptorists are convinced that it is necessary to go out to the young to accompany them in their search for the meaning of the life and vocation.

The commission also affirmed that effective youth ministry is possible only from the perspective of working together with the young people and not only for young people.

The next stage of the commission’s work will therefore be an experience of a common project together with the young, that is, the Alphonsian World Youth Day which will take place in Panama City during the World Youth Day in January 2019.