Dear Brothers and Sisters: 

Most of you by now know about recent pastoral planning decisions that have affected the Redemptorists of the Baltimore Province. While the focus may be on locations the Redemptorists are departing from and handing back pastoral care to various Dioceses, we must not lose sight that we have also begun to engage in some new ministerial activities. A key one is that as of August 2022, the Redemptorists of the Baltimore Province are supplying two young confreres to be part of the Campus Ministry Team at Immaculata University outside of Philadelphia, PA.

It is a ministry our Province has long been looking to be part of and we were overjoyed when an invitation came from the IHM Sisters at Immaculata to be part of the team. To begin this new adventure, it was necessary to restructure some of our other ministries. However, one of our Missionary Priorities is working with young adults and we saw Campus Ministry at Immaculata as a way to respond to the priority. We pray for Ken Stigner and Royce Thomas as they enter their first semester as part of the team and pray that the Spirit will fill them with love for this ministry.

As we enter this new venture, I thought about my own years working with youth and young adults, returning to think about my experiences at events such as working with Habitat for Humanity, World Youth Days (WYD), and Redemptorist Young Adult Gatherings in both North America and Europe. I found myself leafing through material of the first WYD I attended in Denver in 1993. While I remember the 20-mile hike, the camp out under the stars, and Mass with Saint Pope John Paul II, I must admit I forgot his words from his homily until I reread them. As the Redemptorists of the Baltimore Province begin working as part of this ministry at Immaculata, the words of this Saint still hold meaning for young people today. Saint Pope John Paul II said: 

“Do not be afraid to go out on the streets and into public places, like the first Apostles who preached Christ and the Good News of salvation in the squares of cities, towns, and villages. This is no time to be ashamed of the Gospel (Cfr. Romans 1,16). It is the time to preach it from the rooftops (Cfr. Matthew 10,27). Do not be afraid to break out of comfortable and routine modes of living, in order to take up the challenge of making Christ known in the modern “metropolis”. It is you who must “go out into the byroads” (Matthew 22,9) and invite everyone you meet to the banquet which God has prepared for his people. The Gospel must not be kept hidden because of fear or indifference. It was never meant to be hidden away in private. It has to be put on a stand so that people may see its light and give praise to our heavenly Father. 

Jesus went in search of the men and women of his time. He engaged them in an open and truthful dialogue, whatever their condition. As the Good Samaritan of the human family, he came close to people to heal them of their sins and of the wounds which life inflicts, and to bring them back to the Father’s house. Young people of “World Youth Day”, the Church asks you to go, in the power of the Holy Spirit, to those who are near and those who are far away. Share with them the freedom you have found in Christ. People thirst for genuine inner freedom. They yearn for the Life which Christ came to give in abundance. The world at the approach of a new millennium, for which the whole Church is preparing, is like a field ready for the harvest. Christ needs laborers ready to work in his vineyard. May you, the Catholic young people of the world, not fail him. In your hands, carry the Cross of Christ. On your lips, the words of Life. In your hearts, the saving grace of the Lord.”  (8th WORLD YOUTH DAY; EUCHARISTIC CELEBRATION AT THE CHERRY CREEK STATE PARK OF DENVER; HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS JOHN PAUL II. Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Sunday, August 15, 1993)

May these words continue to challenge us all to bring the Good News everywhere we go!

In the Spirit of the Redeemer, 

Paul J. Borowski, C.Ss.R.

• October 1: Voices of Vision and Hope; The Great Work of Our Time: Healing Our Planet - a day of contemplative inquiry and dialogue on the state of our planet, offering global perspectives informed by the UN initiatives. Possibilities for engagement inspired by the 'Laudato Si' action platform, and wisdom of Geologian Thomas Berry for an empowering ecological spirituality.
  
  Location: Redemptorist Provincial Residence, 3112 7th St NE, Washington D.C., 20017
  
  Speakers include Sr. Kathleen Deignan, CND, and Br. Kevin Cawley, CFC.
  
  RSVP by September 24 to Fr. Francis Gargani, C.Ss.R., at francescogcssr@yahoo.com; IN PERSON AND LIVESTREAM
   

• REDEMPTORIST CONVERSATIONS ON RACIAL JUSTICE on ZOOM (Each session will be 90 minutes) Eastern: 8:00pm - Central: 7:00pm - Mountain: 6:00pm - Pacific: 5:00pm
  
  For Confreres and Partners in Mission:  Furthering the program begun last Spring with our New Fall Series Building on Our Roots
  
  October 11: Redemptorists and Oblate Sisters of Providence 
  
  October 18: Redemptorists and Race 
  
  November 8: Redemptorists & the South
  
  Presentations by and Discussions with Dr. Patrick Hayes & Dr. Nicholas Radamacher 
  
  RSVP to Fr. Francis Gargani, C.Ss.R., for the ZOOM link at francescogcssr@yahoo.com