Redemptorist Confederation of India Inaugurated; St. Gerard’s Tricentennial Year Begins

Bengaluru, August 2, 2025 – In a landmark event, the Redemptorist Confederation of India was officially inaugurated by Fr. Rogerio Gomes, Superior General of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, on July 20, at the Holy Ghost Church Parish Hall in Bengaluru. The event also marked the opening of the Tricentennial Birth Anniversary celebrations of St. Gerard Majella.

Fr. Gomes presided over a solemn Eucharistic celebration in honour of the Most Holy Redeemer, concelebrated by Redemptorist priests from India and across the globe. Notable guests included Fr. Ivel Mendanha, General Consultor; Fr. Yaokim Ndelo, Co-ordinator for the Asia-Oceania Conference; and Provincials and Vice-Provincials from Dublin, Japan, Oceania, Singapore-Malaysia, Bangalore, Liguori, and Majella. Redemptorist theology students and candidates from Mt. St. Alphonsus and the Sadupadesa community assisted with the liturgy.

In his homily, Fr. Gomes urged confreres to view restructuring not as a bureaucratic process but as a deep spiritual journey inspired by Christ’s self-emptying love.

Symbolic offerings during the offertory included the Constitutions, flowers, the Confederation of India emblem, and bread and wine. Lay partners, MPS Sisters, local religious communities, and family members of confreres joined the congregation. All professed Redemptorists renewed their vows together, led by the Superior General.

Following the Mass, Fr. Gomes formally read the Decree of Inauguration, marking a significant step in the journey of the Redemptorists in India. The formation of the Confederation, which unites the Bangalore, Liguori, and Majella Units, brings these entities closer in mission, formation, and community. This development represents years of discernment and collaboration under the guidance of the General Government and Asia-Oceania leadership, culminating in a unified structure. The functioning of the new Confederation will now be governed by its statutes.

This historic move marks the first-ever Confederation within the Redemptorist Congregation and sets a precedent for other regions worldwide.

The celebrations continued with a cultural presentation by students of St. Alphonsus Academy, who performed traditional Indian dances in vibrant native attire. His Grace Archbishop Peter Machado of Bangalore graced the event and commended the Redemptorists' missionary spirit. Fr. Brendan O’Rourke and Fr. Yaokim Ndelo also offered heartfelt messages.

The inauguration of the Tricentennial Year of St. Gerard Majella was marked by Fr. Gino Henriques, C.Ss.R., the senior-most Indian Redemptorist, who carried and incensed the saint’s relic, set to tour India throughout the year. The Redemptorist family now embarks on a renewed journey as “Missionaries of Hope in the Footsteps of the Redeemer.”

By Fr. Sandeep Menezes, C.Ss.R. for the Redemptorist Confederation of India

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