This is a special day for Redemptorists around the world.  On this day, 291 years ago, our founder, St. Alphonsus Liguori and five companions; Fr. Giovanni Mazzini, Vincencio Mannarini, Fr. Piatro Romano, fifty-year old Giovanni Battista de Donato, and aspirant to the priesthood, Silvestro Tosquez, gathered around a humble altar with Bishop Falcoia presiding and began the Congregation of the Most Holy Savior.  It was soon made known that there was another religious congregation with the name, Holy Savior, so the name was changed to the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, commonly known as the Redemptorists.  

You can imagine the scene when thirty-six-year-old Alphonsus left his family behind in Naples.  There were tears, of course, but he was determined to leave his Neapolitan gentleman’s life behind.  He left on a donkey with two companions by his side.  They were headed for the mountain village of Scala on the Amalfi Coast of Italy.  They did not stop at the beautiful cathedral of Scala that could hold 2,000 worshippers or more, but continued up the rough mountain pass to where the goats and the shepherds lived.  There they stopped at a small monastery of nuns and met their other friends.  The nuns gave them shelter and they prepared themselves for the founding of the Congregation on November 9th, intentionally selecting the date of the Dedication of the Church of Rome, the great Lateran Basilica, which was also called the Church of the Holy Savior. 

Tuesday, November 6th, Wednesday, November 7th, and Thursday, November 8th, were spent in prayer in front of the Blessed Sacrament.  On these three successive days they were blessed with a vision in the Sacred Host of a cross that first appeared black, then changed to blood red, and then to white.  On the cross was Our Savior, Jesus Christ, with the instruments of his crucifixion by his side; the spear, sponge, and nails.  If they had any doubt about the start of this new adventure, this sign from God dismissed all fears.  The vision of our Lord in the Host led to the motto of the Redemptorists from Psalm 130: “Copiosa apud eum redemptio” (“With Him there is plentiful redemption”).   

The Congregation was approved by Pope Benedict XIV on February 25, 1749.  From small beginnings, God has blessed the work and vision of St. Alphonsus.  Today we number almost 5,000 men in over 80 countries.  We are still reaching out to the poor and abandoned people of our world through parish missions, retreats, teaching moral theology, ministering in parishes, and in many other charitable works.  The message of plentiful redemption has been enhanced by lay women and men who share their gifts with us and are aptly called, Partners in Mission.  Together with the Redemptoristines, the marvelous contemplative order of nuns who share in all that we do, we look forward to future bright with promise. 

Every member, whether they be Partners in Mission, Redemptoristine nuns, or the religious brothers and priests of our Congregation - we all began our journey with a silent “yes” to the call of our Savior.  There is work for you, too.  Might God be leading you to a decision today?